What are some hierarchical terms for academics or researchers?

For US universities or UK? Tenure-track or non? Associate Professor Master Docent Catechist Missionary Lecturer Prelector Reader Research Professor Visiting Assistant Professor Faculty Associate Distinguished Professor (or an endowed Chair) Collegiate Assistant Professor Professor Emeritus (for the retired)

In R&D situations people are often given titles like Researcher, Engineer, Scientist often with phrases like "Senior", "Principle", "Senior Research" etc. before them that are standardized within companies but not between them. One strange (to outsiders) is to just call such people http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/member-of-technical-staff-salary-SRCH_KO0,25.htm (who are distinct from low level support staff such as assistants, technicians, machinists, and people involved in things like Human Resources). MTSs sometimes get preceding phrases to denote their rank, but often they are just given level numbers - i.e a MTS II is one step up from an MTS I and often has the responsibility of technically supervising MTS Is, while being managed by a MTS III. In such a situation the MTS is often dropped and the word "level" used instead. Thus one could hear about a meeting that included a level 4, 2 level 3s, and 4 level 2s. The head of a big company might be a level 7 or 8 (I forget the particulars). Since such companies are often involved in defense contracting there is an implicit correspondence between military ranks and MTS levels so that say when a Lt. Colonel drops by, people at the corresponding and higher level are involved.

"Principal", not "Principle".

Oxford is the best place to go looking for obscure forms of academic hierarchy. Merton College has Exhibitioners and Postmasters. All Souls College has Examination Fellows, Extraordinary Research Fellows and Fifty-Pound Fellows. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Heads_of_Houses,_University_of_Oxford are known as Masters, Wardens, Principals, Deans, Rectors, Presidents or Provosts, depending on the college. It's possible to start as a Junior Research Fellow (very lowly), rise through the ranks of Tutor, Praelector, Lecturer, Reader, Professor, and end up as a Senior Research Fellow (highly distinguished). In the Bodleian Library, the entrance to the lavatories just says 'READERS' on the door. One visiting academic is said to have asked: 'Where are the ones for professors?'

Thanks, everyone. My favorite from that Wikipedia entry is the Dutch/Norwegian one: Hoogleraar. Sounds so much like Grand Poobah.