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We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

This opportunity is to work upon the 21st Century Oxford Authors edition of the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley. The candidate would support the editor in the production of this new edition. This edition (edited by Madeleine Callaghan) will present the poetry, drama, key letters, and selected prose of Percy Bysshe Shelley for twenty-first century readers—scholars, postgraduates, undergraduates, and the general reader—by providing a new breadth of selected poetry, accurate transcription, and comprehensively annotated texts. The edition will contain newly edited versions of the selected texts and reveal the range and diversity of Shelley’s career.

The University of Sheffield’s visitation is to be one of the best universities in the world, renowned for the excellence, impact and distinctiveness of both its research and its research-led learning and teaching.

Committed to excellence in both teaching and research, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities comprises four Schools, and hosts a diverse range of research centres. The Faculty also boasts a particularly strong research environment, with state-of-the-art facilities and strong links to industry, and has a long track record of successful knowledge exchange activities.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Take a lead role in the copy editing, using relevant primary sources.
• Read and review literature as appropriate.
• Establish texts and (some) commentaries for many of the major texts by the end of the contract.
• Assist the work of the editor by checking transcriptions and references, and helping with glosses and notes.
• Attend project meetings.
• Undertake research in the area of Romanticism and eighteenth/nineteenth century poetry and prose in line with project requirements.
• Manage data collection and storage on a day-to-day basis.
• Help with the maintenance and organisation of a database of relevant files (especially drafts of texts and commentary), clearly indicating the stage reached, and helping to find, retain and engage in critical discussion about associated material (e.g. critical articles/relevant contextual material).
• Liaise closely with other academics, advisers and administrators relevant to the study.
• Collect and analyse a variety of primary and secondary quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources.
• Support project reporting requirements, for example in relation to research project progress, finance, etc.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

• Achieved or be on track to achieving a PhD (or equivalent experience) in Romanticism, ideally focusing upon the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley [application form].
• Proven ability to carry out high quality research and disseminate research findings [application form and interview].
• Knowledge of relevant policies, ethics and quality standards regarding research practice [application form and interview].
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, experience of delivering presentations in order to disseminate research findings [application form and interview].
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise effectively with colleagues, students and others in the University and beyond [application form and interview].
• Ability to assess, organise and plan activities and deliver to specific deadlines [application form and interview].
• Ability to think strategically and creatively [application form and interview].
• Ability to work independently and seek guidance where appropriate [application form and interview].
• Capacity for meticulous accuracy in all aspects of editorial work [application form and interview].
• Editorial acumen: the ability to understand and put into practice (in cooperation with the editor and working under their direction) the central principles of scholarly editing: namely, the need to follow copy-text; to indicate divergence from it clearly; to be able to prepare collations [application form and interview].

Desirable criteria

• A strong interest in Romantic Literature [application form and interview].
• Excellent knowledge of Shelley’s work, both poetry and prose; it would undoubtedly help if Shelley were a major figure in the RA’s postgraduate research and/or publications [application form and interview].
• To have good critical abilities of the kind needed to help with commentary: especially the capacity to detect and substantiate possible allusions, literary, historical and cultural. [application form and interview].

Further Information

Grade: 7

Salary: £38,249 pro rata

Work arrangement: Part Time - 0.4FTE

Duration: 26.5 weeks

Line manager: Senior Lecturer in Romantic Literature

Direct reports: None

Our website: School of English

For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr Madeleine Callaghan, Senior Lecturer in Romantic Literature: on m.callaghan@sheffield.ac.uk

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on the 29 August or 03 September 2025. This will consist of an interview, answering questions in front of an interview panel. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 18 August 2025. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact Fiona Thring on f.thring@sheffield.ac.uk.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working. For this role, remote working is fine if the candidate can commit to regular editorial meetings (at least once a week in Sheffield).
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.