About Us

King's College London offers an intellectually stimulating environment, where staff are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning, in the service of society. We are a multi-faculty institution, providing high-quality teaching, research, and innovation across the sciences, humanities, medicine, law, dentistry, and social sciences. As a member of the Russell Group, an association of leading UK research-intensive universities, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards in research and education.

King's is the fourth oldest university in England, with more than 33,000 students from over 190 countries. Background information about the university including rankings, research outputs and King’s Vision 2029 is available: About us | About | King’s College London (kcl.ac.uk).

The Yeoh Tiong Lay Early Career Fellow will be based at the Yeoh Tiong Lay Centre for Politics, Philosophy & Law (The YTL Centre), within The Dickson Poon School of Law, one of the oldest law schools in England and recognised globally. Established in 2013, the Centre holds a reputation as one of the world’s leading centres for the study of legal and political philosophy.

Our aim is to illuminate the most pressing questions of our time through the application of rigorous interdisciplinary thought, and to engage policymakers and the wider public in an ongoing conversation on how to create a better society. Our research ranges from more abstract questions, such as those concerning the foundations of freedom and equality, to more applied ones, concerning, for example, the impact of AI or the abuse of human rights.

About the Role

The Yeoh Tiong Lay Centre for Politics, Philosophy and Law (YTL) invites applications for the YTL Early Career Fellowship, a 12-month appointment due to commence in September 2026. The Fellowship provides a development opportunity to an early career researcher with exceptional potential in legal or political philosophical research and scholarship. The successful applicant will have received their PhD in a relevant subject area within 5 years of the start date.

During the one-year appointment, the YTL Early Career Fellow will develop their research trajectory, with a view to producing a significant piece/body of high-quality publishable research, participate in academic peer-led events, as well as having the opportunity to develop their teaching experience, if desired.

The YTL Early Career Fellowship is funded by a generous contribution from The YTL Group with the ambition to enable The YTL Centre at King’s to foster innovative education and research and to make a significant, positive, lasting impact in society. The Fellowship will offer a valuable development opportunity to an individual with exceptional potential in legal and/or political philosophical research and scholarship.

Key Responsibilities:

Research and Scholarship

• Develop research objectives and trajectory, producing a significant body of high-quality publishable research.

• Conduct individual and collaborative research and associated activities.

• Extend, transform, and apply knowledge acquired from scholarship to research and appropriate media.

• Deliver presentations at conferences and participate in academic peer-led events.

Communication, Liaison, and Networking

• Collaborate actively within and outside the institution to develop research and advance thinking, contributing to the research environment and supporting the Centre’s aims and values.

• Participate in and develop internal and external networks, for example to identify sources of funding or build relationships for future activities.

• Communicate complex and conceptual ideas to both peers and non-specialist audiences using high-level skills and a range of media.

Initiative, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

• Develop ideas for the application/dissemination of research outcomes.

Contract Details:

• Full-time (35 hours per week)

• Fixed-term contract until 31/08/2027

About You

Essential Criteria:

1. PhD qualified in a relevant subject area.

2. Strong potential to produce high-quality publishable research within peer-reviewed journals.

3. Strong potential to develop new concepts and ideas to extend intellectual understanding.

4. Experience delivering presentations at conferences and participation in academic peer-led events.

5. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

6. Ability to communicate complex and conceptual ideas to both academic peers and non-specialist audiences.

7. Commitment to The YTL Centre’s aims and values.

Deadline for applications: 15 April 2026

Application Requirements:

• Cover letter (max 2 pages)

• CV

• Single-authored article-length writing sample

• Contact details of 2 referees (not necessarily from current employer)

Please note: if you have your PhD by the start date (1 September), you meet the criterion. Borderline cases can be addressed in the cover letter.

Full details of the role and required skills and experience are provided in the attached job description.

Further Information

King’s College London values diversity and fosters a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive, and collaborative.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff, providing a framework to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation, and to advance equality of opportunity.

We are committed to free speech and academic freedom, creating spaces for a wide range of ideas, including controversial ones, to be discussed and debated lawfully. Our community is expected to engage with ideas while respecting the Dignity at King’s guidance.

All candidates should submit a CV and supporting statement addressing the essential criteria in the person specification. Desirable criteria may be used to shortlist applicants if there is a strong field.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to high volumes of applications. All adverts close at 23:59 on the closing date.

Interview Date: 15 June 2026

For information on how applications are reviewed, see How we Recruit.

In your application, please refer to Professorpositions.com