Associate Professor/Professor of National Security and Defence Law

Job Summary

To enhance our research excellence, the University of Adelaide is investing in new elite academic talent and a new role of Associate Professor/Professor of National Security and Defence Law has been created to provide academic and research leadership in the field within the Adelaide Law School. Your internationally recognized outstanding research and discipline knowledge will advance the University’s national and international leadership in the area of National Security and Defence Law. The Professor of National Security and Defence Law will provide leadership in the key academic and research strength of national security and defence law within the Adelaide Law School. The Law School has successfully positioned itself to be a research leader in Australia and internationally in the domain of national security and defence law, and is engaged in teaching and research together with Defence in both Australia and the US. The Law School already hosts the Research Unit on Military Law and Ethics, with a strong cohort of staff working in defence related fields, including IHL, Law of the Sea, Space Law, Procurement, AI, Cyber, IW and National Security Law. Several of these staff are current Defence Force reserve members or are otherwise strongly engaged with the Defence Department. The Professorial appointment will enable these staff to make stronger linkages and partnerships with defence industries and defence partners overseas.

Your commitment and engagement will promote robust interdisciplinary initiatives and collaborations across the University as well as with our external partners, to enable excellence in teaching along with research outputs that have national and international impact. As a leader in your field, you will encourage and lead an environment of creativity and innovation, building capacity even further in legal research and industry engagement in this domain. Engaging with the broader academic, professional and industry community you will share your expertise across the University, promoting and enhancing the national and international profile of the University.

Role Statement

The Faculty of the Professions is one of five faculties at the University of Adelaide. It is comprised of the prestigious Adelaide Law School, the Adelaide Business School, the School of Economics, the Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre, Institute for International Trade, Centre for Global Food and Resources and the Future of Employment and Skills Research Centre. The faculty offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and has strong connections with business and industry. It offers a contemporary, intellectually stimulating and rewarding working environment. The Adelaide Law School is future focused and committed to ensuring our students are prepared for the careers of the future. Globally focussed, internationally recognised and consistently ranked in the top 100 law schools worldwide with a 5-star QS Rating.

Adelaide Law School has well established networks with the legal profession and access to an impressive global network, opening doors to international opportunities. The Law School has successfully positioned itself to be a research leader in Australia and internationally in the domain of national security and defence law, and is engaged in teaching and research together with Defence in both Australia and the US. This professorial role will leverage this success to the next level, providing opportunities to reach into new partnerships and domains, and define the University of Adelaide as the thought leader in this area. The Professor of National Security and Defence Law will provide leadership in the key academic and research strength of national security and defence law within the Adelaide Law School.

The role is a strategic appointment to develop and extend the relationships and expertise already existing within the Adelaide Law School with defence and industry partners, both domestic and international, to enhance the reputation of the Law School as a leader in this domain. The role will provide leadership within the School and will coordinate a strategic and interdisciplinary approach with related staff and areas across the university, to extend, develop and promote deeper connections with industry, defence and government partners, across research and teaching domains. Reporting to the Dean of the Law School, this role contributes to excellence in teaching, ensures high quality student graduates, and enables research outputs that have national and international impact and leads discipline-based and collaborative engagement. The Professor of National Security and Defence Law will lead and encourage an environment of industry engagement, focus and relevance in the School, and engage with the broader academic and professional community, to promote and enhance the national and international profile of the School and the University.

Key Responsibilities

Academic Leadership

• Contribute outstanding research to the University and either drive or significantly contribute to the research agenda for the Law School particularly as it relates to national security and defence.
• Establish a globally relevant national security and defence law research and collaboration programme.
• Lead initiatives to refresh and reimagine program offerings for national security and defence law to ensure contemporary and innovative curriculum that respond to global needs.
• Lead the development of new national security and defence teaching programmes in the School, whether for credit, short course or in-house.
• Promote the different Masters programs in the Law School widely to international and domestic students including through priority partners internationally to ensure financial viability.
• Ensure the delivery and ongoing development of the curriculum including cross-Faculty initiatives.
• Build research links with defence industry, government and other relevant partners, including securing external funding.
• Explore and extend existing teaching and research partnerships with other Universities.
• Lead in the supervision of honours and PhD students within the Law School.

People Management

• Have the ability to lead, motivate and develop staff, and mentor early and midcareer researchers.
• Possess organisational agility and ability to manage diverse relationships and conflicting priorities.
• Ensure interpersonal skills and capacity to work effectively with the Dean of Law and other senior leaders.
• Commitment to the principles of equity and diversity.
• Exemplary personal qualities of integrity, energy, tenacity and sound judgement.
• Actively promote and model the University’s Vision and Values.
• Demonstrate the leadership qualities stated in the University of Adelaide’s statement of Professors as Leaders. Foster external relationships
• Promulgate the strengths of the Law School and Faculty locally, nationally and internationally.
• Establish multi-disciplinary research and development activities across the university, in-particular with Schools dealing with national security and defence law issues.
• Establish innovative and robust partnerships with industry and Australian and international partners for both academic and research collaboration, and to encourage enrolment of domestic, international and cross-institutional students at The University of Adelaide.
• Contribute to the Faculty’s plans for the Law School’s engagement with industry, alumni community and key external stakeholders and the development of its international plan.
• Maintain professional networks, participating in discipline-specific and Group of Eight networks.

Essential Minimum Criteria

• A PhD in Law and/ or extensive experience in a national security/ defence based role.
• An outstanding internationally recognised track record of research with a particular emphasis on national security, cyber, space or defence domains.
• Demonstrated experience in developing partnerships in national security and defence related domains, which can be implemented at University level.
• Experience in leading a large team of researchers and mentoring junior faculty across disciplines employing national security and defence.
• Ability to play a leadership role in curriculum design and review at school, faculty and institutional level including – where possible – the design or implementation of cross-faculty, cross-campus or team taught units, course or projects.
• A proven track record of excellence in teaching and willingness to teach courses across the Law disciplines with a specific interest in national security and defence law
• Demonstrated ability to supervise honours and PhD students within the Law School.
• An ability to engage and integrate with the broader academic community across the University, Australia and internationally.
• A willingness to be involved in the School’s international programs.
• Evidence of working collaboratively with the academic and professional members of a school whilst engaging in research and teaching
• Proven experience in successfully engaging with relevant government and industry bodies. Applicants to Level E, will have demonstrated ability across the minimum essential criteria and much greater levels of experience and achievement across the above-listed points.