Location
London

Hours
28 hours per week (0.8 FTE) until 31 March 2027

Salary
£55,040 per annum (pro rata)

About the Role
The Royal College of Art (RCA) invites applications for the role of Tutor (Research) in Photography, a 0.8 FTE maternity cover position until 31 March 2027. This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the world’s leading art and design institutions and contribute to the vibrant, research-led culture of the MA Photography programme and the MFA Arts & Humanities.

The MA Photography programme at the RCA is home to a unique, cross-disciplinary community of artists, writers, and researchers working at the forefront of contemporary photographic practice and image-making. Photography is understood as an expansive, evolving field encompassing the still and moving image, publishing, performance, installation, social practice, sound, synthetic media, text, and writing.

Central to the programme’s ethos is a commitment to process, experimentation, and speculation—to exploring photography as a mode of inquiry unrestricted by conventional boundaries of material, medium, or genre. Students and staff work together to question what the photographic image is, and what it could become, within contemporary art and cultural discourse.

The programme’s teaching and research engage with photography in relation to social and political debates, intercultural dialogues, and the transformative effects of technological change. The image is considered in the context of ecology, ethics, and representation, encouraging practices that are both critically rigorous and imaginatively bold.

The Tutor (Research) will contribute 0.4 FTE to the MA Photography programme and 0.4 FTE to the MFA Arts & Humanities, including teaching within the Poetics of Care elective. The successful candidate will bring a contemporary understanding of photography’s expanded field, including its intersections with AI, ecology, and the politics of representation. Sensitivity to the ethical, social, and imaginative dimensions of care is essential.

Working collaboratively with colleagues across the School of Arts & Humanities, the postholder will contribute to teaching, supervision, assessment, pastoral support, and the broader intellectual life of the RCA. They will also be expected to maintain an active research and professional practice aligned with the College’s commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Experience
- Active artist-researcher with an internationally recognised practice engaging photography and its expanded field.
- Proven ability to deliver high-quality teaching at postgraduate level.
- Evidence of research excellence and a clear research plan aligned with the College’s standards.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across disciplines.

About you
- Expertise in the relationship between text and image, and/or socially or ethically engaged modes of visual practice.
- Commitment to fostering inclusive, supportive, and diverse learning environments.
- Sensitivity to ethical, social, and imaginative dimensions of care.
- Collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research.

Qualifications
- Doctorate (PhD or practice-based equivalent), or equivalent professional standing.
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (or willingness to obtain within two years of appointment) is desirable.

Desirable
- Research or teaching experience related to care, health, ecology, or decolonial practice.
- Interest in AI and the future of photography, with the ability to engage critically with emerging image technologies.
- Experience of successful grant or project funding.