Teaching Assistant in Law (4 Positions)

The Opportunity

USP Law is the leading higher education institution for legal study across the Pacific. We are seeking to significantly strengthen our staffing at the Emalus Campus to drive the online support we provide across the region. It is also seeking to consolidate and develop its contribution to Pacific inspired socio-legal studies. We are inviting applications from dedicated, experienced professionals to join the discipline at the Teaching Assistant level.

USP Law enrols more than 600 first-year students across the Pacific each year. Appointees will teach into the core and elective courses of the LLB programme. We welcome applicants who can contribute across our core courses; where possible, academic staff are supported to teach in areas that align with their research interests.

The staff who will be based at the Emalus Campus in Vanuatu are primarily responsible for online teaching across the Pacific, as well as face-to-face teaching on campus. Emalus has substantial campus accommodation and serves as a hub for international students from throughout the region. We also offer the LLM and maintain a large cohort of higher degree research students (PhD and LLM by Thesis). All suitably qualified appointees will be expected to contribute to the LLM and higher degree research programmes.

In addition to teaching, all appointees will be expected to conduct research, publish their work, and actively engage with Pacific communities and society. Candidates at this level must meet the entry requirements for our higher degree research programmes and will be required to enrol in the LLM (Thesis) or PhD programme within six months of appointment. Completion of this research training will serve as a substitute for standard research performance expectations during that period.

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in, or a research focus on, Pacific communities and societies. We also welcome applications from candidates who have the right qualifications and aptitude to teach Pacific law and legal systems. Appointees at the Lecturer and Senior Lecturer levels must hold research publications that meet the University's Quality of Research criteria at the appropriate academic level.

The Person We Seek

To be considered for appointment, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Teaching Assistant

• A Teaching Assistant is normally expected to have completed four years of tertiary study, including at the postgraduate level, in the relevant discipline, and/or have equivalent qualifications and/or professional experience.
• Professional experience may include teaching experience, experience in research, experience outside tertiary education, creative achievement, professional contribution, and/or contributions to technical achievement.
• For appointment at Band 2, a Teaching Assistant is required to have at least a Master’s degree in Law and experience teaching.

Preferences

• An LLB with a GPA of 3.0 or above if awarded by USP, or 3.5 or above if awarded by another university in the Pacific, with commitment to enrol in a research higher degree programme; and
• Experience teaching in a higher education environment; and/or
• Demonstrated aptitude for, or experience in, legal research.

Remuneration

Appointments are offered on a five-year term and may be renewed by mutual agreement. 

Teaching Assistant salary range: 

BAND 1 - VUV 2,630,345 to VUV 3,073,041 per annum

BAND 2 – VUV 3,241,334 to VUV 3,593,725 per annum

Closing date: 25 October 2026