How to apply: guidelines for completing your application

Thinking of applying for a job with us? Read our guidance notes before using our online application system

Find information regarding:

Searching our job vacancies 

Your search 
External candidate or internal candidate or interested in subsidiary company vacancies? Select the right button to search for vacancies that are right for you. 
Refine your search by using the search criteria fields. In the job category/type option, you can choose academic/research (covering all academic, research and clinical roles) or professional/support services (which includes all administrative, professional and manual roles). 
You’ll then see a list of vacancies that match your search criteria. View the full details for each vacancy by selecting 'more details' or by clicking on the job title. At the bottom of each job profile page, you’ll find a link to the job description and person specification.
Applying for a vacancy
Click the 'apply online' button. You’ll be asked to enter your username and password, or to register if you’re a new user.
Registering for job alerts
Register for job alert emails to notify you when suitable vacancies are advertised that meet your criteria. To use this service, you must register with the online application service. To set up a job alert email, search for a job using your search criteria. You'll then be given the option to 'click here to save this search as a job alert'.

UCSP & UoPEL vacancies

Our subsidiary organisations, UCSP and UoPEL, offer a range of opportunities in the commercial and enterprise sectors. See the vacancy links below for specific job opportunities or sign up for job alerts with these organisations.

UCSP: University Commercial Services Plymouth Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary company of University of Plymouth which provides commercial services to a range of clients. This currently includes retail catering, hospitality, early years' education and childcare.

Vacancies for nursery, catering and hospitality in a University commercial environment

UoPEL: University of Plymouth Enterprise Limited offers dedicated support and expert advice to businesses across the South West. With offices in Redruth, Truro, Penryn and Plymouth; UoPEL offers a variety of locations to work from in the enterprise, innovation and growth sectors.

Vacancies in enterprise, research and consultancy, with University of Plymouth Enterprise Ltd

Completing your application form

Moving through the pages
Once you’ve registered, found a suitable vacancy and selected the 'apply online' button, you’ll be taken to the summary page. Complete the application form by working through each of the pages as detailed here. The icons will tell you whether a page is complete or not, helping you track your progress.
Navigate through the application pages by using the 'save and summary' button to take you back to the summary page. You can select the 'previous' button to return to the previous page, or the 'next' button to save the details entered and move on.
Tip:Avoid using the 'back' button on your web browser whilst completing your application as you may lose information you've entered.
Part-completed applications
During the application process you can pause at any time, but you must save your data before logging out. If you leave your application open while taking a break, the system will eventually time out.
To access your application again, you’ll need to close down your web browser, open it up again and log back in. Part-completed applications are saved under the 'my applications' section. Remember to take note of the closing date and submit the fully completed application before the deadline. Any incomplete applications will automatically be deleted from the system at midnight on the closing date.
Mandatory fields
Fields marked with a red asterisk are mandatory fields. You must complete them in order to submit your application.
Closing date
All University of Plymouth vacancies close at midnight (GMT/BST) on their specified closing date.
Reviewing your application information
Review your application information at any time by selecting the 'print preview' button on the summary page. Note that this gives you the option to print the application form, so you may wish to print off a PDF version. This option is also available in 'my applications' once you have submitted the application.
If you experience problems online
If you have any problems using the online application system or don’t have internet access and need a hard copy of the form, contact jobs@plymouth.ac.uk.
Page guidance and submitting your application
Our guidance notes provide useful information to help you complete and submit your application accurately. Read our guidance notes.
Further information for professorial appointments
The University of Plymouth strives for the highest quality in everything it does in terms of entry standards, teaching quality and student experience, graduate prospects, research volume and quality and our process for recruiting Professors reflects this. The guidelines here provide an overview:

Right to work in the UK 

The University of Plymouth welcomes all applicants and values the diversity they bring. All appointments are subject to applicants demonstrating their right to work in the UK. The Government introduced strict regulations and limits in April 2011 and only posts which meet the requirement for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa, including minimum salary levels, can be considered for a certificate of sponsorship. Applicants for the Skilled Worker visa may be required to acquire a UK ENIC reference (where they have been awarded a PhD outside of the UK) and/or Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate in order to progress with your application.
If these are required, we would recommend that you apply for the UK ENIC/ATAS as soon as you have a verbal job offer and it is confirmed that sponsorship under Skilled Worker is possible.
Subject to meeting requirements, the University of Plymouth may issue (though there is no automatic guarantee) an ‘undefined’ certificate of sponsorship from an annual amount granted to us by UKVI, for in-country applicants, with a current valid right to work. For overseas applicants we must put in a request to UKVI for permission to issue a ‘defined’ certificate of sponsorship, subject to a national quota.
If you are required to apply for a visa to work in the UK, please see the links below for current application fees:

Important legal information

This section sets out your rights and obligations, and those of the University of Plymouth, in terms of your use of the site, our online application system and our use of your data. Please make sure that you read and understand these details before using the site.
The information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence, and won't be used in the selection process. It will only be used for the purposes of monitoring. Please note that if you have advised us that we will need to make reasonable adjustments on the grounds of disability to support you at interview, our recruitment team will contact you in confidence to discuss this.
  • Using the site
When you register to use this site, you must provide accurate and up-to-date information about yourself. You’ll be required to provide a login user name and password. You must keep these details safe as you’ll need them to log in to the system in the future. These details must be kept confidential and must not be disclosed to any third party.A confirmation of registration email will be sent by the Recruitment Services team in the Human Resources department, to the email address you supply on registration. The University of Plymouth reserves the right to suspend or terminate members’ use of the site, or parts of it. You are responsible for everything which is done on and / or through the site while your membership account is logged with the site, or which is done on and/ or through your email address.
  • Operation of the site
We work to ensure that all information provided on the site is accurate and virus-free, and we reserve the right to withdraw or modify aspects of the site and its terms and conditions of use, or the entirety of it. There may also be times when the site becomes inaccessible as a result of technical difficulties. The University of Plymouth cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage due to the failure or termination of the service, although reasonable efforts will be made to let you know in advance of planned service interruptions. The University’s online application system is sometimes unavailable on a Tuesday evening after 5.00pm for a short period, due to routine maintenance.
  • Data protection and privacy
The information you provide will be used to assess your application against the requirements for the post, to confirm references, verify educational background and qualifications, and for any other purpose relevant to your application and our recruitment processes. It will also be used for statistical purposes.
We appoint staff on the basis of merit, regardless of ethnic origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality (within current legislation), marital status, caring or parental responsibilities, age, or beliefs on matters such as religion and politics. Monitoring equality and diversity information enables us to see what's happening in practice, to assess the impact of our Equality and Diversity Policy and its implementation, to set any targets for improvements and to measure progress.On submission, the equality and diversity information you provide will be stored separately from your application. The information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence, and won't be used in the selection process. It'll only be used for the purposes of monitoring.
  • Accuracy of data
Please note that when you submit your application, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate. Any false statement or failure to disclose information where required to do so may be considered sufficient cause for rejection or, if appointed, render you liable to disciplinary action which may include dismissal.
 
University of Plymouth Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks
We employ staff who work in various positions of trust in a variety of academic and research settings who will have significant contact with children, older people and those with disabilities. We have a duty of care to protect the wellbeing of these individuals and will undertake DBS checks where necessary to ensure that only suitable people are employed to work with these vulnerable groups.
The DBS cannot currently access or provide information for individuals who have lived overseas. Successful candidates who have lived abroad for 6 months during the last 5 years will also therefore be required to provide police checks from all countries applicable. We refer to these police checks as Certificates of Good Conduct but it may be referred to by another name in other countries. 
If you have been offered a role with us and are still residing overseas, we would advise you to apply for a police check before you leave that country as in many cases it is easier to obtain this check whilst you are still a resident. Guidance on the process can be found on the Government’s website.
We will treat all applicants for positions fairly and consistently and will not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.
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