Celebrating more than 100 years of research and teaching excellence, SOAS University of London is a unique institution specialising in the study of Africa, Asia, and the Near and Middle East. SOAS is a remarkable institution. With our vast repository of knowledge and expertise on our specialist regions, we are particularly well placed to inform and shape current thinking about the economic, political, cultural, security and religious challenges of our world.
SOAS is home to some of the world’s leading experts and researchers in these regions who are regularly interviewed by the international media including the BBC, ITN, Reuters and CNN. They act as advisors, commentators and consultants to government departments and non-governmental organisations, as well as the private sector and multinational companies.
Through its research excellence the School has gained a global reputation as a leading institution for the study of these regions, a reputation which is reflected in the diverse nature of its staff and student community.
Why work with us?
At SOAS we value our staff wellbeing and to support our people, we offer a variety of generous benefits to everyone who joins. These include:
Annual leave
Working for SOAS you'll receive a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, in addition to up to 8 bank holidays and up to 6 additional school closure days.
Pension
At SOAS we offer two pensions (depending on the grade of your job) offering employer contributions of either 16% or 21.1%.
We are a Living Wage Employer
Health and wellbeing
Your wellbeing is important to us, so at SOAS we offer all employees a variety of health and well-being benefits including:
Discounted gym membership at DW Fitness First
Employee assistance programme
Free eye tests
Cycle to work scheme
Financial benefits
In addition to the above benefits, we also offer staff the option for:
Season ticket loan
An interest free loan to purchase a computer
Teaching fellow funds to help support you in developing your academic career
Family friendly benefits
At SOAS we know that family life is important to you. To support all of our staff we offer:
Working for SOAS you'll receive a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, in addition to up to 8 bank holidays and up to 6 additional school closure days.
Pension
At SOAS we offer two pensions (depending on the grade of your job) offering employer contributions of either 16% or 21.1%.
Health and wellbeing
Your wellbeing is important to us, so at SOAS we offer all employees a variety of health and well-being benefits including:
Discounted gym membership at DW Fitness First
Employee assistance programme
Free eye tests
Cycle to work scheme
Financial benefits
In addition to the above benefits, we also offer staff the option for:
Season ticket loan
An interest free loan to purchase a computer
Teaching fellow funds to help support you in developing your academic career
Family friendly benefits
At SOAS we know that family life is important to you. To support all of our staff we offer:
Whilst working at SOAS I've managed to develop/enhance my skills in negotiation and communication. I was also lucky to be accepted on the Aurora women leadership programme which helped build my leadership knowledge.
One of the best things
my job is supporting and working with academic Heads of Department; There are many challenges that the Head faces and it’s just nice to know that I am able to help and provide support through the budget/forecast and 3-year projection. This also allows me to gain a better understanding of the department.
Natasha Marshall
Finance Business Partner
Collective Efforts
The best part of my job is working closely with service teams across the School and seeing how our collective efforts directly improve student and staff experience - over the past three years we've delivered hundreds of enhancements or new solutions.
Since joining SOAS I've had the opportunity to take on many new and complex responsibilities, the most interesting of which has been in strategic planning, especially given the shifting sector landscape created by the pandemic. I've also had the pleasure of building a diverse and strong technical team that shares a passion for SOAS in the process.
Dave Cobb
Director of Enterprise Applications
Around the World
For me, SOAS encapsulates the internationality of London in a microcosm. Working with colleagues and students from around the world is certainly one of the best points of my job at SOAS. Whether it is teaching or researching, or indeed doing administrative work, the diversity of SOAS as a workplace always shines through, and any collective effort very often resembles a miniature UN, with different cultures and their sensibilities taken into account on a daily basis. It is a job that will never be boring!
Griseldis Kirsch
Head of Department – East Asian Languages and Cultures
Community
SOAS is the sort of institution I wish I had studied at when I was at university. As someone of non-British descent, I have grown up trying to strike a balance between my cultural identities; but at SOAS, I’ve been surrounded by students and staff who aren’t just comfortable with their identities but celebrate them passionately. It’s a real honour to work among a community such as this, and that motivates me to work to the best of my ability
I’ve always enjoyed the team spirit at SOAS. I’ve been fortunate to be part of some great teams here, whether I’ve been the junior member or one of the senior ones; and it’s always been nice to be part of a real collaborative effort. I’ve never felt more at home at any other workplace.
Aman Pathiara
Digital Marketing Officer
Support and Encouragement
I moved to SOAS from a major international auction house in June 2020, taking up a post as a senior lecturer in arts education. The support and encouragement of my new colleagues has been the most uplifting and motivating element of my role. My skills and industry experience are clearly valued by colleagues across SOAS, who have been hugely supportive and encouraging in helping me to apply these skills to support our work as educators. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with such talented, considerate and capable people to develop educational programmes that meet our students' needs in an ever more competitive professional environment, while also challenging and expanding our students' perspectives on the wider issues that we all face in the 21st century.
