Teaching assistants focusing on wildfires - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Building and Environmental Technology, division of fire safety engineering wants to hire one to two teaching assistants.

Description of the workplace

Within the Department of Building and Environmental Technology there are several divisions conducting research and teaching related to society's needs for infrastructure and construction. As part of this activity, consideration of safety aspects and development of methods for dealing with dangers in society is also included, mainly those related to accidents and fires. 

But the work is also characterized by interdisciplinary activities in both research and education. Within the immediate group, fire safety engineering research is conducted and the group consists of around 20 researchers and administrative staff. Most have their workplace in Lund, but some staff have a workplace in another location.

The work environment is characterized by commitment, cooperation, creativity and personal responsibility. It is stimulating work with varied tasks, which is why there are good opportunities for professional development.

Project description

We seek one to two students to participate in two international research projects, both concerning wildfires: 

1. A project focusing on increasing our understanding of calculations of emissions from wildfires. These are typically performed by geoscientists. The goal of the project is to allow fire engineers to understand the basis for these calculations, to be aware of knowledge gaps and/or resolution issues, and to be able to compare these emissions to global emissions from fire and from total anthropogenic emissions. The ultimate aim is to allow engineers to properly consider and embed calculations in decision making processes in the cases of wildfires, WUI fires and urban conflagrations.
   
   
2. A project investigating the concept of defensible space in wildfires.
   The project aims to:

• Review and compare international definitions, guidelines and practices related to defensible space.
• Identify common distances, fuel modification strategies, and design principles across different regions.
• Evaluate existing scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of defensible space, species choice, their arrangement and fuel management in reducing structure loss.
• Highlight gaps in current knowledge and propose directions for future research and harmonization of standards.

Work duties

As a teaching assistant, your duties may vary, and the duties should provide an insight into the academic world at the faculty where you are studying.

You will join a global group project sponsored by members of the IFSC (International Fire Safety Consortium). You will be undertaking this project alongside students from the University of Edinburgh (UoE), University of Maryland (UMD) and University of Melbourne (UoM). 

Your specific tasks within the project group will depend on your background competencies and interests within the project, these tasks will be defined at the initial stages of the project, together with the participating research groups from our international university partners. The work duties can also involve some educational activity such as development of teaching material.

Qualification requirements

Only those admitted to first or second-cycle courses and study programmes at the faculty may be employed as teaching assistants. The applicant must not have taken the final degree.

Required qualifications:

• Admitted to the Fire Safety programme at LTH or to the programme on Risk, safety and crisis management with a fire engineering background at LTH or to an education equivalent judged by the employer.
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English

Additional requirements: 

• Having some programming skills (e.g. Python or C#).
• Knowledge in emission calculations.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get good benefits. Employment as a teaching assistant allows you to combine studies with work and complement your theoretical knowledge with practical work experience within academia.

Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University. 

Further information

The position is a fixed term position for six months or by agreement, and at up to 20 % of full time. Starting by agreement. An interview will be held either in Lund or remotely via Zoom. Contact person for the position is Professor Margaret McNamee and the division of fire safety engineering: margret.mcnamee@lth.lu.se. 

The employment as a Teaching Assistant is regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 2017:284), 5 chapter 8-12 §§. 

The employment is covered by the Working agreement for teachers.

How to apply

Applications are to be submitted via the University’s recruitment system. The application should include a CV and a personal letter justifying your interest in the position and how it matches your qualifications. We ask you to attach documentation from LADOK certifying your eligibility. The application may also include any other document to which you would like to draw attention (copies of grade transcripts, details of referees, letters of recommendation, etc.).  

Welcome to apply!