Research Associate in Social Science and Sustainable Healthcare Materials Provision

Job reference: HUM-027806
Salary: £36,924-£45,163 per annum, depending on relevant experience
Faculty/Organisational unit: Humanities
Location: Oxford Road
Employment type: Fixed Term
Division/Team: Sociology
Hours per week: 1 FTE
Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 17/02/2025
Contract duration: 3 years
School/Directorate: School of Social Sciences

We are recruiting an enthusiastic and collaborative research associate with expertise in social sciences (e.g. sociology, geography and politics), sustainable consumption and qualitative methods. You will help to manage and deliver a work package exploring how healthcare settings (including dental practices, clinics and hospitals) engage with plastic materials, identifying barriers to and opportunities for more sustainable practices. This will include conducting interviews with healthcare professionals and using participant observation techniques to understand everyday clinical practices and material use. You will work closely with Bupa and the other project PDRAs and PhDs to identify opportunities for intervention.

The role will be based in the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub, which works at the interface between the Sustainable Futures research platform at The University of Manchester and the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national lab for advanced materials. The Hub supports innovation in sustainable plastics and multi-materials, with a particular emphasis on tackling industrially relevant research questions. The team is necessarily interdisciplinary, with polymer scientists working with economists, social scientists and life-cycle experts to co-create robust solutions to managing plastic from creation to end-of-life. Collaborators from across the university bring expertise in social science, life cycle assessment, chemical depolymerisation, biomedical materials science, recycling and systems to support the project.

What you will get in return:

• Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
• Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
• Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
• Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Any recruitment enquiries from recruitment agencies should be directed to People.Recruitment@manchester.ac.uk. Any CVs submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Helen Holmes

Email: helen.holmesmanchester.ac.uk

General enquiries:

Email: People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

Technical support: jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

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