Education Focused Academics (Sydney Horizon Educators) Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Full time and Part-time continuing academic Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (Education Focused) positions at The University of Sydney

Opportunity for the best and brightest talented educators to be part of our future at the Faculty of Science

Base Salary Level B/C $127,436 p.a. - $179,998 p.a. (pro-rata for part time appointments) + 17% superannuation

Join the Horizon Educators cohort, with access to apply for Education Focused specialist grants up to a total of AUD$30K to support education-related activities, primarily in the areas of scholarship of teaching and learning and improving current educational offerings at the University of Sydney

About The Opportunity

The University of Sydney welcomes applications for Sydney Horizon Educators in the academic disciplines outlined below, during an exciting and innovative time. With the introduction of the new University of Sydney Enterprise Agreement 2023-26, the University has committed to establishing and advertising new continuing education-focused (EF) academic positions across the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

You will have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to teaching in your field of expertise while you also continue to build substantial research contribution, expertise, connections, and impact. As part of this role, you will also contribute to the governance, leadership, and engagement work of your employing school.

Over time, staff appointed to these roles will be supported to engage with professional development opportunities to build their capability to lead change and improvement in teaching and research at the University.

Successful candidates will join the Sydney Horizon Educators cohort. For further insights into this exciting opportunity, we invite you to watch this video.

The aims of these education focused roles are to attract and retain the best and brightest emerging academics, within a specialised category of academic engagement. Positions in this opportunity are for talented educators with a passion for, and demonstrated excellence in, educational practice and innovation, and research capability (in disciplinary and/or education-related research). This newly recruited group of educators will support an uplift in the teaching capability and student experience at the University of Sydney, while also developing as leaders in the education space at the University.

You will have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to teaching and learning design, delivery, and evaluation in your specialised field while you also contribute to research in relation to your discipline and/or your educational practice.

Successful candidates will be expected to dedicate most of their contribution to teaching and teaching-related activities (70%), while also engaging in research (20%) and governance, leadership, and engagement (10%).  Successful appointees support, coordinate, and teach undergraduate and postgraduate coursework Units of Study. Laboratory tutorial, studio class deliveries, and workshop management and teaching may also be a key part of the roles. These positions may also assist and guide the academic coordinators of other units within the discipline.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• undertake a leadership role in educational innovation, curriculum design and review, contributing to outstanding educational delivery and outcomes
• design and engage in high-quality teaching and learning experiences which meet the University’s expectations and standards for education
• delivering outstanding teaching and learning outcomes for students
• develop teaching and unit materials, working with more senior academics within the University
• maintain relevant Work, Health and Safety requirements and management including laboratory and/or field work
• through research and scholarly creative work, contribute to knowledge within your discipline or area of expertise, particularly as it relates to teaching and learning in your discipline
• develop and refine your education research skills, particularly as they relate to evaluating and improving teaching and learning in your discipline
• maintain high quality, standards and excellence in your educational activities and output
• contribute to the governance, leadership, and engagement work in your school.

The University of Sydney is recognised as one of the top research and teaching universities in the world. A globally ranked university, ranked 25th in QS University World Rankings 2026, 2nd for sustainability in Australia.

(Please note when submitting your application, select the position(s) you would like to apply for). To build on this performance, the University is seeking applications for the following positions:

Sydney Conservatorium of Music

• Senior Lecturer in Cello (Education-focused) Level C

The Conservatorium of Music is seeking a strong instrumental teacher to join a String faculty with a proven industry track record of fostering talented young musicians at the beginning of successful national and international careers.

Selection Criteria:

• demonstrated success as an inspirational teacher, ideally at the tertiary level
• recognised reputation as a performer across various classical genres (desirable for educational value and student recruitment)
• industry connections and experience in both performance and education
• a clear plan for future research and/or professional practice, including ongoing industry engagement
• ability to work collegially with the String Faculty to support a well-organised and stimulating learning environment
• demonstrated aptitude and interest in collaborative work within an academic setting.
• Lecturer in Contemporary Music Practice, Production (Education-focused) Level B

This role will be teaching The Bachelor of Music (Contemporary Music Practice) degree which was established at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2015. While its focus is on inventive approaches to original songwriting, producing, and performing music, students will also study analysis, history and culture, music theory, music technology, and performance units.

Key Responsibilities:

• developing and teaching relevant courses in production for the Bachelor of Music (Contemporary Music Practice) degree
• engaging in supervision of research students at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level in accordance with the requirements and expectations of the Conservatorium
• undertaking relevant administration and outreach as expected of Lecturer B’s activities at the Conservatorium
• teaching across the campuses of the University of Sydney and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Selection Criteria:

• established, high-level professional accomplishments and/or practice-led research in popular or contemporary music production
• strong composition/songwriting skills with the capacity to integrate composition/songwriting and production in meaningful ways for student learning
• versatility to teach across contemporary music subject areas and across musical styles.
• the ability to work collaboratively within a team, demonstrating care for colleagues and creating a safe and supportive environment for students and staff
• a plan to complete a PhD or DMA in a relevant area
• a PhD or DMA in a relevant area (desirable)
• experience supervising honours and postgraduate students (Masters, DMA, PhD) (desirable)
• a track record of publishing research in contemporary music/popular music studies/production studies (desirable).

About You

The University values trust, accountability and excellence. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talented academics who align to these values and who will lead our teaching and research work at the university in the years to come. You will join a dynamic, engaged group in a highly collaborative and supportive teaching and research environment. 

We are looking for education focused candidates who understand the principles and pedagogy of good curriculum and assessment design, and who will make a significant contribution to improving the student experience at the University. Successful candidates will understand or be willing to learn the research principles around teaching and learning design, delivery, and evaluation. They will have a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with students, facilitating and guiding their learning in research, theory, and laboratory sessions. They will also have demonstrated ability to conduct research and (at all levels, but particularly at Level C and D) a willingness to develop a program of education-related research over time.

We are therefore looking for Education Focused Academics (Sydney Horizon Educators) who have:

• a PhD or nearly-completed PhD in an academic field relevant to the discipline
• experience in assessment, feedback and learning by design
• experience in contributing to outstanding educational design, delivery, evaluation and outcomes
• a track record of high-quality research outputs appropriate to the discipline or education in the discipline
• a developing network of relationships with key academic, industry or professional institutions partners and stakeholders
• demonstrated experience in supervising or mentoring others and/or coordinating team activities
• a demonstrated commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching
• sound experience of teaching and learning, and the ability to contribute to teaching at undergraduate, honours and postgraduate levels in lecture, tutorial and practical settings
• proven experience in designing, implementing and evaluating teaching and learning initiatives
• a record of excellent teaching, learning, and assessment practice in a tertiary environment, as evidenced through student and supervisor feedback
• the capacity to engage students and enable a supportive, inclusive learning environment
• a high level of interpersonal skills including the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
• the ability to work collaboratively with other staff, including professional staff, and foster principles of equity, diversity and inclusion
• high-level written and verbal communication skills.

Senior Lecturers who, in addition to the above can demonstrate:

• their knowledge and understanding of the key, strategic, education-related issues in the higher education sector and/or the University
• their experience as an effective unit, course or program coordinator or director (especially for large classes), as evidenced by student and staff feedback 
• significant experience conducting original research and engaging in scholarly activity, with a developing record of high-quality scholarship of teaching and learning research
• significant capability in leadership, service, governance, and engagement.

Pre-Employment Checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role-required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

Eeo Statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. 

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. 

How To Apply

Please prepare and upload a statement indicating how you believe you meet the criteria outlined in the “About you” of the advertisement (maximum 3 A4 pages) and a CV which can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. Applications will be reviewed as received.

Current employee of the University or a contingent worker with access to Workday, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

Anticipated Timelines

Please refer to the Recruitment Guidelines for key information about this recruitment campaign.

Contact Information

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Jess Johnston, Recruitment Consultant, Recruitment Operations, Human Resources by email hr.recruitmentcampaign@sydney.edu.au

© The University of Sydney

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

Click to view the following Position Descriptions for these roles:

• Lecturer (Education Focused) – Level B
• Senior Lecturer (Education Focused) – Level C  

Applications Close

Monday 03 November 2025 11:59 PM