Post Doctoral Research Associate

Temporary for 30 months

We are seeking an exceptional candidate to support the ESRC Funded project:

Diversifying Leadership in Elite Universities: the Development of an Empirically Grounded Recruitment Framework.

This project brings together a team of established higher education experts to analyse the trajectories to leadership in the worlds’ most elite universities. The project sets out to illuminate the basis on which VCs/Presidents are selected into, and from, the VC candidate pool and to develop a recruitment framework to support the diversification of university leaders in elite institutions internationally.

The project has two main aims: first, to identify any implicit biases in the recruitment processes and how this might impact on the appointment of leaders in elite universities; and second, to develop a recruitment framework for diversifying university leadership in elite universities. These aims will be pursued by means of the following three objectives: first, through collective biography and interviews, to profile, classify and identify the success factors associated with being appointed as a VC in an elite university; second, to interrogate by means of discussions with key stakeholders/end users,  the basis on which VCs are selected; and third, to co-produce with key stakeholders and end-users an empirically-informed recruitment framework for use in the recruitment of senior leaders in elite universities.

The range of beneficiaries and end-users of this project is exceptionally wide owing to the multi-country scope, mixed-methods approach, and cross-disciplinary relevance of our study. Our sample of world leading universities encompasses institutions spanning 16 countries across North America, Europe, Australia and East and South-East Asia. Our empirically grounded recruitment framework will be of value to a range of end-users, including Executive Search Firms, university recruitment panels/governing bodies, human resources, emerging leaders and EDI specialists and practitioners. The project has far-reaching benefits to other elite professions, including medicine and law.

The successful applicant will access advanced training, present at international conferences and co-author outputs with the research team. The candidate will be based at Teesside University with the Principal Investigator, Professor Sarah Jane Aiston, along with having the opportunity to spend time at each of the Co-Investigator’s institutions (Professor Vikki Boliver, Durham University; Professor Tanya Fitzgerald, University of Western Australia, Professor Bruce Macfarlane, The Education University of Hong Kong). This unique opportunity will support the development of the successful applicant’s international profile, in addition to providing access to researcher development training in the host institutions.

For informal inquiries please contact Professor Sarah Aiston (s.aiston@tees.ac.uk).

Every member of our University is part of the inspiring, supportive, and caring community known as Team Teesside. 

Please be advised that due to the minimum salary thresholds imposed by the UKVI, this post may qualify for University sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route.

If you are shortlisted, your interview will take place online via Microsoft Teams

Please note that the University may ask you to participate in a number of selection activities as part of the recruitment process for this vacancy.

To learn more about Team Teesside click here.

Job Reference: T01511

Closing Date: 7 January 2025

Interview Date: 24 January 2025

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