Vacancy

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

The UCL Department of Philosophy wishes to appoint a full-time postdoctoral research fellow to work with Dr Jonathan Gingerich on ‘The Spontaneity of Freedom’ project (SPONT).

This position is available for up to three years, commencing as early as 1 July 2026. Some flexibility regarding starting date is possible.

About the role

The primary obligation of the appointee will be to engage full-time in philosophical research and its dissemination. The appointee will plan and carry out a program of high-quality original research, disseminate this research through scholarly presentations and publications, and engage in the intellectual life and activities of the SPONT research project.

About you

The successful candidate must hold (or be near completion of) a PhD in philosophy or a closely related subject. The successful candidate will pursue their own research in one or more of the following areas: value theory (understood broadly to include ethics, political philosophy, jurisprudence, aesthetics, and moral psychology), history of philosophy, phenomenology, or philosophy of mind. The successful candidate should be prepared to engage in the intellectual life and activities of the Spontaneity of Freedom project, though their research need not concern spontaneity.

The appointee must be able to satisfy UK right to work requirements. This means either holding a relevant citizenship or settled status in the UK or being eligible to secure a UK visa. At the time of advertisement, a successful applicant for this role would be eligible to apply under the Endorsed Funder Route of the Global Talent Visa.

What we offer

The appointment is expected to be at Grade 7, at UCL spine point 31. Appointment at a higher spine point within Grade may be possible if the appointed individual has significant relevant research experience post-PhD. The salary at this spine point is £45,103 in 2025/26 (inclusive of London Allowance).

Applying

To apply for this role, please complete the online application via the UCL Jobs website. Applicants must upload the following materials as PDF documents within their application:

• A cover letter of no more than 2 pages which speaks to the job description and person specification, and sets out why you are applying for the role and the skills and experience you bring;
• An academic CV 
• One writing sample of no more than 15,000 words (an academic article or book chapter, either published or unpublished, on which the applicant was the lead author).

Shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to arrange for three referees to submit letters of recommendation. We expect to hold interviews for this role in late April.

The deadline for applications is 5:00 pm BST on 2 April 2026.

If you have any queries related to the role, please contact Principal Investigator Jonathan Gingerich (j.gingerich@ucl.ac.uk). For queries related to the application process or application submission, please contact Rima Cranston-Jones (r.cranston-jones@ucl.ac.uk).

UCL ref number: B03-02909