Pay bands

Professors at the University of Exeter are leaders within the academic community, and are expected to make exceptional contributions to the delivery of the University’s strategy and mission. For Education and Research professors, this will normally include outstanding research activity and commitment to teaching; for Education and Scholarship professors, it will normally include effective strategic leadership, within and beyond the University.

Professors will demonstrate and promote the University’s values and standards in all their activity. They will operate in a collegial manner within the academic community, and will be expected to demonstrate leadership within and beyond the University.

Internal promotion to professorial level will be guided by ‘The Exeter Academic’.

Professorial bands

To determine professorial pay in a transparent and equitable manner, the University references a three-band pay structure. This structure is designed to recognise and reward continuing scholarly achievements, the exercise of academic leadership, and contributions to the life, work and sustainability of the University community.

The levels of contribution outlined below are cumulative: each band builds on the performance stipulated in the previous band(s).

‌Band 1

Band 1 is the normal entry level for individuals who have been promoted internally or recruited externally to their first Chair (in accordance with the University’s existing systems and promotion/recruitment criteria). It is sufficiently broad to allow progression within the band as professors develop their careers.

Band 1 professors will have a national and international reputation for excellence (in research and/or education and scholarship) in their relevant discipline. They will make demonstrable contributions, at an appropriately high level, to the University’s strategy and mission.

Indicative activities and levels of achievement

Research

Production of research outputs recognised as world-leading and internationally excellent for their originality, significance and rigour.
Significant success in research grant generation.
Consistent record of attracting PGR students, and supervising them to timely completion.
Delivery of high-quality impact activity, of a kind that will underpin impact case-studies recognised as world-leading and/or internationally excellent.

Education

Contribution to development of teaching policy at University and/or national level.
External examining for prestigious institutions.
Consistently high student satisfaction.

Leadership and Management

Effective mentoring and/or management of staff, producing demonstrable results in terms of performance in research and/or education.
Effective contribution to leadership within the department and/or college, and major contributions to departmental and/or college planning.
Contribution to planning at a University level.

External activity and corporate engagement

Management of knowledge-transfer activities, with social and/or economic impact and benefit to the University (e.g. applied and collaborative research, consultancy, licensing of IP, creation of spin-out companies, significant collaborations with public, private and/or third-sector partners).
Professional activities including: advisory and peer-review work for research councils, major journals and publishers; major contributions to learned societies; organisation of international conferences; policy development for national organisations (e.g. professional bodies and funding bodies).
Being called upon to give expert opinions (e.g. to government or public bodies).

Band 2

Band 2 is the normally expected level of attainment for the majority of professors at the University of Exeter.

Professors at this level will demonstrate a sustained level of achievement, consistently operating beyond threshold professorial expectations.

Band 2 professors will have a high-level international reputation, and will demonstrate intellectual leadership through their contributions to shaping their academic fields. They will enhance the reputation of the University, making a significant contribution to the achievement of our strategic goals.

Indicative activities and levels of achievement

Research

Consistent production of research outputs recognised as world-leading within the discipline in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Significant and sustained success in research grant generation.
Consistent delivery of high-quality impact activity, of a kind that will underpin impact case-studies of world-leading standard.
Delivery of plenary and keynote addresses at prestigious international conferences.

Education

Strategic leadership of education with transformational impact.
Ongoing commitment to teaching, and the development of teaching practice, as required within the discipline.

Leadership and Management

High contribution to academic and strategic leadership within the University.
Initiating and driving major academic initiatives (e.g. new facilities or major partnerships).

External activity and corporate engagement

Professional activities including: senior advisory roles for research councils; editorship of major journals.
Leadership of high-prestige collaborations of national and international significance with public, private and/or third-sector partners.
Significant demand for expertise within and beyond academia, influencing policy and/or driving innovation.

Band 3

This band is reserved for the small number of professors who bring great prestige to the University through their sustained record of academic achievement at the highest international level.

Band 3 professors will be acknowledged as world leaders in their field and will be recognized internationally as making influential contributions to their field. They will make commensurate contributions to the University’s strategic aims.

Research

Election to the most prestigious learned societies, and/or the award of the most prestigious prizes.
Significant and sustained success in research grant generation, at a level clearly in excess of normal professorial standards.

Education

Continuing commitment to the expectations of professors at Band 2.

Leadership and Management

Initiating and leading complex inter-disciplinary large-scale projects across institutions and national boundaries.
Election to chair of a major international body.

External activity and corporate engagement

One of a very small number of world-leading experts in the field, leading high-prestige international collaborations with multiple partners.
An international profile of unequivocal authority as evidenced by being frequently called upon to advise agenda-setting international bodies.

Salary review and progression

Progression within bands

Consideration for progression within each Band will take account of individual achievements, and sustained high levels of performance, in accordance with the University’s published band profiles.

Progression between bands

Consideration for progression between bands will require evidence that a professor’s achievements and contributions are now in line with the profile of the higher band.

Review procedures

All professors will be reviewed biennially, on the basis of evidence of their achievements and contributions over a three-year period.
For the purposes of review, there will be no additional requirements pertaining to consideration for progression between bands, as compared with progression within bands.

‌Salary scales

Salary scales including Professorial bands‌