Research Associate

Role Description

Department

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Changing Realities research team working with Ruth Patrick and colleagues in the School for Business and Society. You will be a key part of a participatory online programme documenting life on a low-income during the cost of living crisis and pushing for change. The post is to support the participatory online research, and to be a key point of contact for parents and carers living on a low-income who are taking part in this programme. You will play a leading role in supporting an innovative and impactful project.

Role

The main purpose of the role is to deliver effective, ethical participatory online research with parents and carers living on a low-income. The postholder will be responsible for direct contact with participants; supporting their involvement in media interviews, parliamentary events; and maintaining and updating the online infrastructure of the project. They will also take a leading role in the analysis and writing up of the data emerging from this project.

This is a fixed-term, full time position from March 2025 to June 2026. We are happy to consider applications for flexible, part-time working, but would need a commitment of a minimum of 0.6 FTE (22.2 hours a week).

Skills, Experience & Qualifications needed

• First degree in social policy, sociology or related subject
• PhD in social policy or sociology or equivalent experience
• Knowledge and experience of online participatory research
• Effective communication skills - both orally and in writing
• Confident, pro-active approach to work, and readiness to develop innovative strategies to recruiting new participants
• Knowledge of social security policy and strong engagement with poverty theory, policy and practice.

Interview date: to be confirmed

For informal enquiries: please contact Ruth Patrick at ruth.patrick@york.ac.uk

Condition of employment

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Consequently, all applicants will be asked to declare both unspent and spent convictions on their application form.

Appointment of the successful candidate will be conditional on a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

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