Rubinstein worked at Lancaster University in England from 1974 to 1975, the Australian National University in Canberra in 1976-1978, Deakin University in Victoria, Australia from 1978 to 1995, and currently works at Aberystwyth University.
Rubinstein was President of the Jewish Historical Society of England from 2002 to 2004 and was the editor of the articles on Britain and the Commonwealth (except Canada) in the second (2006) edition of the standard reference work, The Encyclopaedia Judaica.