Director of ICMS and Professor

DIRECTOR OF ICMS AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

AND HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY

Grade: Grade 10, salary negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
Contract Type: Full Time, Fixed Term for 5 years, with the potential for renewal for a further term.

ICMS seeks a new director as the tenure of the current Director, Prof Minhyong Kim, comes to an end.

We invite applications from senior academics working in any branch of the mathematical sciences, with a strong research profile, enthusiasm for ICMS's aims, track record of commitment in service of the mathematical community and appropriate administrative experience.

Overview

The International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) was set up in the early 1990s and is jointly operated by the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University. It is currently one of the three pillars of the infrastructure for the mathematical sciences in the UK, along with the Newton Institute in Cambridge and the Heilbronn Institute in Bristol. It is housed in state-of-the-art facilities in Edinburgh city centre.

ICMS stimulates and promotes the mathematical sciences through international workshops and conferences of the highest quality, its popular Research-in-Groups programme, and a wide range of Knowledge Exchange (KE) and Public Engagement activities. Recently, ICMS added to its portfolio the Mathematics for Humanity (MfH) programme, using philanthropic donations and its network and expertise to support events in the global south, opening up new opportunities for early career researchers, and for discussion and meetings on topics of urgent importance for humanity. 

The activities ICMS supports lead to new world-leading research in the mathematical sciences and facilitate new connections to the international community, to other disciplines, industry and government initiatives.  

ICMS has extensive expertise in running and supporting online events, including for KE purposes. It aims to be a sustainable and socially responsible organisation, including through its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

The Directorship and the Professorship

The successful applicant will hold concurrently the position of Director of the ICMS and a Maxwell Institute Professorship in mathematical sciences, with 60% of the time ring-fenced for the Directorship.  Both full-time and part-time appointments (at least 60%) will be considered. 

The professorship and the tenure of the Director is fixed-term for five years with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term of up to five years, subject to funding availability. 

The Maxwell Institute is the joint mathematical sciences research institute and graduate school of the School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh and the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt. The professorship will be held at both Schools, with equal weighting and duties agreed collegially. It is expected that the duties of the post, other than those of the Directorship, will be predominantly research-oriented. The professorship will be line-managed by one of the two universities, in consultation with the other.

Responsibilities as Director

The primary responsibility of the Director is for the overall quality of the scientific programme of ICMS. A secondary responsibility of the Director is for the financial sustainability of the centre, and its promotion as a centre with a high international profile and outstanding reputation. Practically these responsibilities fall into two categories.

Scientific

• Solicit proposals and encourage proposers for ICMS workshops, with the aim of having a diverse range of high-quality workshops covering the whole range of mathematical sciences and their applications.

• Continue to develop the existing programme, adjusting them to emerging themes and opportunities.

• Monitor and nurture Knowledge Exchange activities at ICMS.

• Oversee an efficient and fair peer review system for assessment of proposals, working with the programme committee and the Centre Manager.

• Horizon-scan for new developments involving the mathematical sciences.

• Innovate and identify other types of activity compatible with the ICMS remit.

Managerial and Promotional

• Attend all meetings of the ICMS Management Committee, the ICMS Board the Programme Committee and the Mathematics for Humanity Programme Committee as an ex officio member.

• Provide reports to the Management Committee and ICMS Board.

• Ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion underlie all ICMS activities.

• Prepare funding proposals in conjunction with the Centre Manager and the Management Committee.

• Seek additional sources of funding to extend and enhance ICMS activities.

• Work with the Deputy Directors and the Centre Manager in raising the profile of ICMS nationally and internationally.

• Liaise and, where appropriate, coordinate activities with the Isaac Newton Institute and the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research.

• With the Centre Manager, represent ICMS at the annual meeting of European Research Centres on Mathematics (ERCOM)

• Represent ICMS and promote its aims and objectives in various forums, national and international.

• Act as line manager of the Centre Manager and the Knowledge Exchange Manager.

Key Relationships

The Director has important relationships with the following committees and individuals:

• The Management Committee, which has overall responsibility for all funds and resources, for the appointment and regulation of staff and for the determination and implementation of strategy. It meets at least three times a year. The Director reports to this committee.

• The ICMS Board, which oversees and promotes the ICMS and advises the Management Committee. The Director reports on the scientific programme at each of the Board's meetings, normally held twice a year.

• The Programme Committee, which provides authoritative peer review evaluations of the ICMS programme and recommends proposals to the Management Committee. A major responsibility of the Director is to collate and analyse referees’ and committee members’ reports during the evaluation and selection process. The Director can call on the expertise of members of the Programme Committee at any time.

• The MfH Programme Committee, responsible for all scientific aspects and the overview of this programme. 

• The Centre Manager, who is responsible for the day-to-day administration of ICMS. The Centre Manager works closely with the Director, providing the Director with administrative support.

• The Knowledge Exchange Manager, who is responsible for the ICMS Knowledge Exchange activities. The Director provides guidance and support to this post holder.

• Organisers of meetings. Although the Centre Manager is the primary contact at ICMS once funding has been approved, the Director has a vital role, especially early in the planning of the meeting. The Director shares responsibility for the quality of the meeting and can be called upon by the Organisers or the Centre Manager if guidance is required.

• Funding bodies. EPSRC provides the majority of the ICMS’ annual income. Other funding sources include the London Mathematical Society, the Edinburgh Mathematical Society, the Heilbronn Institute and the Glasgow Mathematical Journal Trust. ICMS also receives significant philanthropic funding. The Director plays a key role in liaising with existing funding bodies and new funders.

• The Maxwell Institute. ICMS is operated jointly by the two universities, and the Director needs to liaise with the Heads of the relevant Schools in both institutions, who both sit in the Management Committee. It is expected that the duties of the post, other than those of the Directorship, will be predominantly research-oriented and aimed at enhancing the reputation and visibility of the Maxwell Institute, the institute assembling all mathematical sciences research activities of the two Universities and home to the joint Graduate School. 

• The wider mathematical community. ICMS exists to promote and enhance mathematical research and as such has a responsibility to the wider community. Liaison between ICMS, learned societies, government bodies and sponsors is maintained by both the Director and the Centre Manager.

Attributes

• Sustained track record of research accomplishments in any branch of the mathematical sciences.

• Visibility in the mathematical community and evidence of successful community leadership.

• Commitment to action with respect to equality, diversity and inclusion as well as the sustainability of ICMS activities.

•  A willingness and commitment to engage in fundraising.

• Awareness of and interest in advancing the programmes of ICMS, including KE activities and activities promoting dissemination and engagement in less favoured regions. 

• Enthusiasm for dissemination and public outreach activities in support of the mathematical sciences visibility. 

• Successful record in grant proposal development.

• Strong administrative and implementation skills.

• Excellent writing and public speaking skills in a wide range of scientific and public contexts.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Application Process

Applications, in the form of a cover letter, a CV and a statement of at most five pages describing interests and a vision for the future of ICMS should be sent to the Centre Manager, Jane Walker (jane.walker@icms.org.uk) by July 15, 2026. 

It is anticipated that interviews will be held in Edinburgh in the week of September 28, 2026 and that the post will be taken up at a mutually agreed date between January and June 2027.
 

Informal enquiries can be addressed to the Deputy Directors of the Centre, Professors Beatrice Pelloni (b.pelloni@hw.ac.uk) and Jacques Vanneste (j.vanneste@ed.ac.uk).

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