Research Associate in media and corruption: politics, practices and policies

The appointed person will make a leading contribution to the project

• : Media capture work package (WP) of the HORIZON project Rescuing Democracy from Political Corruption in Digital Societies (RESPOND). The position is for 15 months, ending no later than June 2026.
Specifically, the postholder is responsible for conducting, managing and publishing research on media capture practices, policies, mechanisms and indicators by drawing on the literature of corruption in the media, media capture, existing indicators, legislation and policies at UK and EU levels. The postholder will also assist in managing this complex project. This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered as a fixed term contract for 15 months, not exceeding June 2026., We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages. We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience,
• PhD in social sciences or political sciences
• Extensive and up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge in at least one of the areas related to the field of research (media capture, anti-corruption policies and practices, digital media)
• Advanced knowledge of social science research methods in qualitative methods (specifically interviews, focus groups, comparative case study research, documentary analysis). Quantitative methods knowledge is an asset (e.g. large-language models, survey methods, large-N data analysis)
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written), including public presentations and ability to communicate complex/specialist concepts clearly and concisely.
• Willingness and aptitude to work in a multidisciplinary environment
• Appropriate workload and time management skills
Desirable criteria
• Knowledge of UK and/or the EU's media capture strategies, practices and anti-corruption/integrity policies for legacy and digital media
• Work experience in governance & anti-corruption related to media contexts at either firm, institutional, or policy level
• Ability to demonstrate a degree of independence as illustrated by identification of project objectives from assessment of the literature, design & analysis of experiments & drafting of papers.
• Mixed methods research skills
• Extensive IT and data analysis/interpretation skills as appropriate
  
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