PostDoc Discussion Forum

If the lectureship was a permanent post it would look odd. Not so if it were a one year temporary teaching post. However, in the latter case, what is sometimes difficult is keeping up your research agenda, while doing a lot of teaching, so that you remain competitive for research posts.
If you are choosing for next academic year between a temporary teaching post and a research post though, I'd stay on the research side. Teaching next academic year will be brutal for everyone and if you've not already got lectures written and existing teaching experience so you know how things work, it will be so hard. Teaching mainly online for more hours than usual (including at a growing number of places evening and weekend teaching looks likely), disgruntled and struggling students, working from home where possible so less mentoring possible and the physical risks of any face-to-face teaching. Everyone's dreading it. For a permanent post, it's probably worth it but less so otherwise...Although given all the redundancies being announced, permanent may not actually be permanent, but to be fair that's the case with most jobs at the moment.

I would say it is unusual to go back to a postdoc after a permanent lectureship. I think it would be rather awkward to go from full lecturer back down to postdoc but a temporary lecturer job might be less awkward. I have seen lecturers become research fellows, take research sabbaticals or get grant money to pay off their teaching time. So if you do get a lectureship you have more research options other than doing a postdoc

Have you been offered a lecturer job?