FACULTY OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
VACANCY NO: IRC 3428
The University of Botswana (UB), a premier state-owned tertiary institution dedicated to shaping the future through excellence, research, innovation and meaningful societal impact, invites applications from accomplished and suitably qualified professionals for the position of Senior Lecturer/Lecturer in Ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences under the School of Physical and Life Science.
SENIOR LECTURER
The Senior Lecturer in Ecology will be responsible for advancing the Ecology discipline, make significant contributions to research and/or scholarship and teaching, as well as carrying out other administrative activities of the University. The incumbent will also provide significant leadership in scholarly research and/or professional activities relevant to the profession, discipline, or community.
Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to: i. Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Wildlife Ecology and related areas; ii. Supervise both undergraduate and graduate student research projects; iii. Conduct research in Wildlife Ecology and also complement existing research activities in the area; iv. Participate in other academic and professional activities of the department; v. Provide good disciplinary knowledge and ensure that use a range of learning practices; vi. Demonstrate coherence between philosophy and practice; vii. Use programme/course design principles and institutional guidelines to ensure effective curriculum development; vii. Review programmes/ courses to ensure they are relevant to and up to date with local, international, global and disciplinary contexts, as well as engagement with students, stakeholders and peers; viii. Secure external funding to support research and elevate the university's reputation; ix. Drive grant proposal development to sustain research momentum; x. Advocate for cross-disciplinary research to tackle societal challenges effectively; xi. Collaborate with other institutions, organisations or cognitive disciplines in the university to drive the research standing of the university; xii. Examine, moderate or assess undergraduate and/or postgraduate students; xiii. Participate and serve as a Board Secretary in departmental committees; xiv. Conduct and participate in community extension work to include the promotion of locally relevant cultural attributes/ values that benefit the community, serving as an advisor/ resource to a community organisation and/ or applying professional expertise to solve community problems; xv. Engage in continuous professional development to stay current in both academic and professional realms locally; xvi. Participate in the identification and mitigation of operational risks and xvii. perform any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Head of School/Departmental Chairperson required by the University in line with the role.
Requirements: Applicants should have: (i) A PhD in Ecology with specialization in Wildlife Ecology or a related discipline; (ii) A Master’s Degree in Ecology with specialization in Wildlife Ecology, or a related field; (iii) A Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Science with specialization in Ecology or a related field with at least a 2(i) pass or equivalent; (iv) At least 3 years teaching experience in Wildlife Ecology or related areas at a university or comparable institution; (v) an excellent cumulative and sustained record of research and publications with at least 6 pieces of research products published by recognised publishers, 4 of which must be articles in refereed/accredited journals in internationally recognised indexing databases. The remaining 2 publications could be journal articles, book chapters, peer reviewed conference proceedings etc. published by recognized publishers. An academic book may be equivalent to a maximum of 4 articles in refereed/accredited journals, depending on the quality and standing of the publisher; (vi) sustained research output: a minimum of 1 peer reviewed publication every 2 years; (vii) scholarly presentations at national and/or international conferences; (viii) lead and/or single author in at least 2 refereed journal articles; (ix) publications should be spread nationally and/or internationally and across journals; (x) some research impact, including but not limited to citations, the h-index, patents, policy applications, peer reviews, publications that are prescribed texts in other institutions etc. (required in at least 1 of the these); (xi) recognised as being of at least national research standing (e.g. reviewer for refereed/accredited national and regional publishers; Editorial board member of at least a national publisher in a relevant field; invitation as key note speaker at national and/or international conferences (required in at least 1 of the these) and (xii) evidence of governance and social engagement. (xiii) Evidence of research/academic leadership, research grants, programme development.
Other Requirements: Be registered or eligible for registration with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).
LECTURER
The Lecturer in Ecology is responsible for undertaking independent teaching and research in the Ecology discipline or related areas and make independent contributions to professional practice and/or expertise. The incumbent will also coordinate or lead related activities as appropriate to the discipline and undertake administrative activities of the Institution.
Duties: The successful candidate will be expected to: (i) Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Wildlife Ecology and related areas; (ii) Supervise both undergraduate and graduate student research projects; (iii) Conduct research in Wildlife Ecology and also complement existing research activities in the area; (iv) Contribute to the development of and implementation of university, faculty and school level strategies, policies, plans, and procedures; (v) Provide good disciplinary knowledge and ensure that use a range of learning practices; (vi) Develop, update, and deliver undergraduate and possibly some graduate courses; (vii) Design and administer assessments that accurately measure student learning outcomes; (viii) Present scholarly articles at national and international seminars and conferences; (ix) Develop portfolio of creative and professional work and participate in competitions to showcase contribution; (x) Facilitate research capability development at community level; (xi) Contribute to the development of research proposals and implementation of projects; (xii) Participate in external research in efforts to boost the standing of the university/ institute as required; (xiii) Participate in the identification and mitigation of operational risks; (xiv) Collaborate with relevant internal and external stakeholders as needed to effectively deliver duties as defined; (xv) Assist with organizing faculty/ university symposium and conferences of national importance and perform any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the Head of School/Departmental Chairperson.
Requirements: Applicants should have: (i) A PhD in Ecology with specialization in Wildlife Ecology or a related discipline; (ii) A Master’s Degree in Ecology with specialization in Wildlife Ecology, or a related field; (iii) A Bachelor’s degree in Biological Science with specialization in Ecology or a related field with at least a 2(i) pass or equivalent; (iv) show evidence of engagement in research.
Other Requirements: Be registered or eligible for registration with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA).
The following will be added advantages: (i) Evidence of governance (e.g. service to a university) and social engagement (e.g. service to the profession and community), (ii) teaching experience at a University or comparable institution.
Remuneration: The University offers a competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications.
How to Apply:
The curriculum vitae (CV) should contain a detailed list of publications; clearly specifying titles of publications, dates published, name of publishers, name of co-authors if any, and evidence of indexing in recognized databases for journal articles. Publications should be categorized into books, monographs, refereed journals, non-refereed journals, chapters in books, conference proceedings (specifying if peer-reviewed), etc. Candidates should also provide information on research grants, supervision, and other scholarly achievements.
Letters of application are to address the stated qualifications and provide any other information to assist the University to determine your suitability for the position. Quote the vacancy number of the post applied for. Provide a full and up-to-date CV (including telephone, and e-mail), certified true copies of educational certificates and names and addresses, of three referees.
Applicants should inform their referees to (i) Quote the vacancy number and position applied for and (ii) submit their references directly to the address below, before the stipulated closing date. Applications should be addressed to: The Faculty Manager, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Private Bag UB 00704, Gaborone. Botswana. Tel: (267) 3552969; Fax (267) 3185097; e-mail fnasvacancies@ub.ac.bw
Hand delivered applications should be submitted to office No. 132 at Block 233.
NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Closing Date: 14 October 2026