Research Assistant / Associate In Social Science

Salary:

Research Assistant: £32,296 - £33,882 per annum

Research Associate: £34,866 - £45,163 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 12 December 2024

The Role

We are looking for a social scientist to work as a postdoctoral Research Assistant on the FLOCKWISE project. The project is looking to develop a new flock management system for use by farmers. The social science component of the project is focused on ensuring that the flock management system developed meets end-user needs.

You will be responsible for undertaking a rapid review and qualitative data collection and analysis focusing on current use and preferences of animal health and welfare interventions on farms, including the use of technology.

You will be based within the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, with colleagues within the Centre for Rural Economy and the Animal Science group. You should be able to work independently, have exceptional time management skills and also be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, including with internal academic and external industry collaborators.

The role is part-time for the duration of 22 months. We would welcome requests for flexible working and depending on the needs of the role, blended working opportunities to work remotely as well as on campus may be considered. The hiring manager will discuss the requirements of the role, should you be invited to interview.

If you are considering relocating to join us, should you be successful in your application you can find out about our relocation package options here.

Dr Beth Clark, Lecture in Food Marketing ( # ) for any queries about the role, quoting the job reference in the email.

Please provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in 'The Person' by uploading a letter of application along with your Curriculum Vitae (CV) to the Job Application Portal.

Key Accountabilities

-Lead a rapid review of animal health and welfare interventions
-Develop and undertake qualitative research with technology end-users
-Co-ordinate own work with that of other work packages on the project, deal with problems which may affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
-To disseminate research results through appropriate media, including authoring or co-authoring papers for publication in high-quality academic journals
-Represent the research group and disseminate information about its work at national and international events
-Ensure intellectual rigour and adherence to robust ethical standards to maintain the integrity of research
-Undertake relevant training and development activities in order to develop an awareness of own professional development needs
(Additionally for Research Associate)

-May provide guidance as required to support colleagues and/or research students

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
(Essential for Research Assistant)

-Have an excellent general knowledge of related areas through reading of the literature, online database searching, and attendance at seminars and conferences
-Have excellent communication skills in English in writing and in oral and visual presentations
-Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements
-Show an ability to undertake research with a high degree of independence, manage your own research and report on progress at regular intervals
(Essential for Research Associate)

-A background in qualitative social science research methods (such as interviews and/or focus groups), including different recruitment and sampling approaches
-Have experience of conducting rapid and/or systematic reviews, ideally in a food or agricultural related field
- Have experience of working with animal caregivers, food supply chain stakeholders or rural communities
- Be able to demonstrate a level of expertise and success in the previous research areas, e.g. by a publication (or papers in press or equivalent) track record in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
-The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to shared deadlines
(Desirable for Research Associate/Associate)

-Previous experience of research aligned with agricultural technologies or novel practices

Attributes and Behaviour

-Comfortable working individually as well as in a team
-Strong teamwork skills
-Ability to interact with researchers from different backgrounds
-Ability to communicate scientific results to a broad or non-specialist audience
-Ability and willingness to work in interdisciplinary environments
-Well-developed interpersonal communication skills that enable you to engage external and internal stakeholders and work effectively in a multidisciplinary team

Qualifications
(Essential for Research Assistant)

-For Research Assistant: Hold a Masters in a social science related field, or an animal welfare related field with a considerable social science component
(Essential for Research Associate)

-For Research Associate: Hold a PhD (or near to completion) in Social Science or a related area, or an animal welfare related field with a considerable social science component

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 27782

Have an excellent general knowledge of related areas through reading of the literature, online database searching, and attendance at seminars and conferences
-Have excellent communication skills in English in writing and in oral and visual presentations
-Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements
-Show an ability to undertake research with a high degree of independence, manage your own research and report on progress at regular intervals
(Essential for Research Associate)

-A background in qualitative social science research methods (such as interviews and/or focus groups), including different recruitment and sampling approaches
-Have experience of conducting rapid and/or systematic reviews, ideally in a food or agricultural related field
- Have experience of working with animal caregivers, food supply chain stakeholders or rural communities
- Be able to demonstrate a level of expertise and success in the previous research areas, e.g. by a publication (or papers in press or equivalent) track record in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
-The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to shared deadlines
(Desirable for Research Associate/Associate)

-Previous experience of research aligned with agricultural technologies or novel practices

Attributes and Behaviour

-Comfortable working individually as well as in a team
-Strong teamwork skills
-Ability to interact with researchers from different backgrounds
-Ability to communicate scientific results to a broad or non-specialist audience
-Ability and willingness to work in interdisciplinary environments
-Well-developed interpersonal communication skills that enable you to engage external and internal stakeholders and work effectively in a multidisciplinary team

Qualifications
(Essential for Research Assistant)

-For Research Assistant: Hold a Masters in a social science related field, or an animal welfare related field with a considerable social science component
(Essential for Research Associate)

-For Research Associate: Hold a PhD (or near to completion) in Social Science or a related area, or an animal welfare related field with a considerable social science component

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Research Assistant: £32,296 - £33,882 per annum

Research Associate: £34,866 - £45,163 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.