Academic-track roles - lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor - form the career ladder above postdoctoral research. These are permanent (or continuing) posts with a teaching and research remit rather than a fixed-term research contract.
The most common route is Skilled Worker, sponsored by the university itself. Global Talent is also available for candidates with a substantial publication record and endorsement from a UK research body, particularly in the sciences. Teaching-focused posts qualify too: the Learning, Teaching & Scholarship track at Russell Group universities, and Teaching Fellow roles across the sector.
Skilled Worker requires the role's salary to meet the general threshold of £41,700 or the occupation-specific going rate, whichever is higher. Almost all substantive lecturer and above posts clear this comfortably.