Professor of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Research and Director of European Hub

The Opportunity:

Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) is a global problem that requires a global response. However, the lack of reliable and comprehensive data relating to CSEA is a major inhibitor to developing more effective and evidence driven prevention and response strategies and policies.  

Many gaps in the evidence-base around the prevalence and nature of CSEA globally still exist with many ethical and methodological challenges in this area. This is a major inhibitor to developing more effective and evidence driven prevention and response strategies and policies. Without data and analysis, programmes are more difficult to design, deliver and evaluate; evidence is difficult to generate and credibly defend; narratives and definitions that frame the issue are difficult to construct; policy is difficult to advocate for and funding is difficult to access. Without high-quality data that can guide policy and programmes, children continuing to be at risk for child sexual exploitation and abuse and perpetrators have impunity. 

This post will provide senior research leadership through a Professorial Chair position and also serve as the Director of European Hub for Childlight – seeking to grow and improve our data partnerships, prevalence estimates and impact in this region. The postholder will also be required to focus on other regions and/or global data projects as needed.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and on an open-ended basis with a contract review date of 30 April 2028. 

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• An outstanding academic profile, with a PhD (in the fields of public health including social or clinical epidemiology and other associated areas) and an established track-record of internationally-excellent research relating to CSEA
• Expertise in the area of child sexual exploitation and abuse epidemiological research that has had a demonstrable impact including in the European region.
• Experience of leadership in research and attracting funding as a PI of research grants and in knowledge exchange through effective public engagement.
• Excellent portfolio of high-quality research publications in child protection research that display research excellence
• Proven track record of working with child protection system actors (police, health, etc)
• A passion for making the world a better place and preventing CSEA, improving services and safeguarding children

To demonstrate these please include the following information with your application:

• A list of your top 10 publications [no more than 1 page] with links
• A case study of how you have achieved impact from your research [maximum one page of A4)

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