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Job Description - Postdoctoral Research Associate (24002273)
Department of Sociology Grade 7: £37,099 per annum Fixed Term - Part Time Closing Date
04-Feb-2025, 11:59:00 PM Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Please note that the successful applicant will require DBS disclosure. Further info:
https://bit.ly/3DP5K8y The Role and Department
Are you a researcher committed to social justice? Do you have an interest in understanding, and improving, young people’s safety in public spaces? Have you ever worked in a hospitality setting? If so, this could be a research opportunity for you. The Contextual Safeguarding Programme in Durham University’s Sociology Department is at the forefront of reforming safeguarding systems, to promote the welfare of young people in places where they spend their time. The programme is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join their skilled research team, led by Professor Carlene Firmin, as they embark on the next stage of their world-leading research programme to transform local, national and international responses to harm in peer, community and school contexts. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work as part of a team on the project ‘Everybody’s Business’ – co-creating the first pilots of Contextual Safeguarding in hospitality settings. The project will use established embedded and ethnographic research methods within hospitality settings to review existing arrangements before piloting features of system redesign to better align with contextual approaches. The project is delivered in partnership with hospitality leaders and staff, safeguarding partnerships, and policymakers, to impact safety in public spaces nationally and internationally. Members of the research team are not required to spend extensive amounts of time in Durham, given that their research activities are taking place in multiple locations. Due to the reach and scope of the Contextual Safeguarding programme, most team members work to a hybrid working model, with research underway in various parts of the UK as well as via online data collection methods. Travel to data collection sites, and for impact activities, are reimbursed. The Contextual Safeguarding Programme is world-leading. It is part of Durham’s Sociology Department whose members, postgraduate researchers, and students collectively develop ‘sociological imagination’ and apply it to contemporary processes and issues. These include social inequality and its implications for social mobility, education and health; violence, abuse, and the role of help-seeking and state responses. The Department was ranked 1st for Criminology in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024, and ranked 4th for impact in REF 2021. The Role
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (0.5 FTE role) with an interest in social justice; we anticipate such applicants having varied research journeys, potentially coming from disciplines that include Sociology, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, Social Work or Psychology amongst others. The postholder will join the team delivering the ‘Everybody’s Business’ project, focused on testing Contextual Safeguarding in hospitality; led by Prof. Carlene Firmin and project managed by Dr Rachael Owens, who will supervise and work alongside three research associates; two of whom are already in the Contextual Safeguarding team. The project is being delivered over an 18-month period, with 12-months of extensive data collection and analysis to which the research associates will play a central role. The successful applicant will be expected to use ethnographic and embedded research methods, established, and tested over many years by the Contextual Safeguarding team, to capture data in two hospitality settings. These include observations, reviews of policies, procedures and incident logging systems, and qualitative methods such as workshops and focus groups with people in the settings being observed. Given the focus is hospitality, some data collection activities will take place during evenings and weekends. Research associates will collect data in two time periods, one focused on established practices, and one during a period to pilot system change activities. They will work with the team leaders and participating organisations to make sense of the data collected, formulating recommendations for system change at both business and national levels. Key responsibilities: To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications. To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences. To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder as well as briefings and reports for policy, practice and community audiences. To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals. To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder. To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio. To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions. To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration. To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects. To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate. To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students. To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline. To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses. To maintain relationships with two research partner sites, working with them to understand and facilitate the research process over a 12 month period. This post is fixed term for 12 months. This is due to funding being available for this fixed period only and researcher activity being required on these projects for a limited time period ending March 2026. The post-holder is employed to work on research which will be led by other colleagues within the Contextual Safeguarding research programme team. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols. Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by January 2025 (or as close to that date as possible). Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). University contact for general queries about the recruitment process e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit: a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below. Next Steps
Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person, and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include [a presentation to members of the Contextual Safeguarding team followed by an interview] and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in or around January 2025. In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas. Person Specification
Qualifications A PhD (or be close to submission) in social work, criminology, sociology, community and youth work or a related subject. Experience Experience in conducting high-quality academic research. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals as well as to communicate ideas through blogs, reports or briefing to a practitioner or public audience. Demonstrable ability to present research papers at conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community, as well as to young people, their communities and the professionals who support them. Experience in using, or in-depth knowledge of, contextual or ecological approaches to safety and wellbeing. Skills Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Experience Experience of working with young people, either through research methods or in practitioner roles. Knowledge of participatory or ethnographic research methods. A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with the stage of career. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics. Experience of working in a hospitality setting. Skills Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.
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Department of Sociology Grade 7: £37,099 per annum Fixed Term - Part Time Closing Date
04-Feb-2025, 11:59:00 PM Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Please note that the successful applicant will require DBS disclosure. Further info:
https://bit.ly/3DP5K8y The Role and Department
Are you a researcher committed to social justice? Do you have an interest in understanding, and improving, young people’s safety in public spaces? Have you ever worked in a hospitality setting? If so, this could be a research opportunity for you. The Contextual Safeguarding Programme in Durham University’s Sociology Department is at the forefront of reforming safeguarding systems, to promote the welfare of young people in places where they spend their time. The programme is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join their skilled research team, led by Professor Carlene Firmin, as they embark on the next stage of their world-leading research programme to transform local, national and international responses to harm in peer, community and school contexts. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work as part of a team on the project ‘Everybody’s Business’ – co-creating the first pilots of Contextual Safeguarding in hospitality settings. The project will use established embedded and ethnographic research methods within hospitality settings to review existing arrangements before piloting features of system redesign to better align with contextual approaches. The project is delivered in partnership with hospitality leaders and staff, safeguarding partnerships, and policymakers, to impact safety in public spaces nationally and internationally. Members of the research team are not required to spend extensive amounts of time in Durham, given that their research activities are taking place in multiple locations. Due to the reach and scope of the Contextual Safeguarding programme, most team members work to a hybrid working model, with research underway in various parts of the UK as well as via online data collection methods. Travel to data collection sites, and for impact activities, are reimbursed. The Contextual Safeguarding Programme is world-leading. It is part of Durham’s Sociology Department whose members, postgraduate researchers, and students collectively develop ‘sociological imagination’ and apply it to contemporary processes and issues. These include social inequality and its implications for social mobility, education and health; violence, abuse, and the role of help-seeking and state responses. The Department was ranked 1st for Criminology in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024, and ranked 4th for impact in REF 2021. The Role
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (0.5 FTE role) with an interest in social justice; we anticipate such applicants having varied research journeys, potentially coming from disciplines that include Sociology, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, Social Work or Psychology amongst others. The postholder will join the team delivering the ‘Everybody’s Business’ project, focused on testing Contextual Safeguarding in hospitality; led by Prof. Carlene Firmin and project managed by Dr Rachael Owens, who will supervise and work alongside three research associates; two of whom are already in the Contextual Safeguarding team. The project is being delivered over an 18-month period, with 12-months of extensive data collection and analysis to which the research associates will play a central role. The successful applicant will be expected to use ethnographic and embedded research methods, established, and tested over many years by the Contextual Safeguarding team, to capture data in two hospitality settings. These include observations, reviews of policies, procedures and incident logging systems, and qualitative methods such as workshops and focus groups with people in the settings being observed. Given the focus is hospitality, some data collection activities will take place during evenings and weekends. Research associates will collect data in two time periods, one focused on established practices, and one during a period to pilot system change activities. They will work with the team leaders and participating organisations to make sense of the data collected, formulating recommendations for system change at both business and national levels. Key responsibilities: To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications. To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences. To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder as well as briefings and reports for policy, practice and community audiences. To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals. To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder. To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio. To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions. To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration. To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects. To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate. To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students. To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline. To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses. To maintain relationships with two research partner sites, working with them to understand and facilitate the research process over a 12 month period. This post is fixed term for 12 months. This is due to funding being available for this fixed period only and researcher activity being required on these projects for a limited time period ending March 2026. The post-holder is employed to work on research which will be led by other colleagues within the Contextual Safeguarding research programme team. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols. Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by January 2025 (or as close to that date as possible). Contact Information
Department contact for academic-related enquiries Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays). University contact for general queries about the recruitment process e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk How to Apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What to Submit
All applicants are asked to submit: a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below. Next Steps
Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person, and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department. The assessment for the post will normally include [a presentation to members of the Contextual Safeguarding team followed by an interview] and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in or around January 2025. In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas. Person Specification
Qualifications A PhD (or be close to submission) in social work, criminology, sociology, community and youth work or a related subject. Experience Experience in conducting high-quality academic research. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals as well as to communicate ideas through blogs, reports or briefing to a practitioner or public audience. Demonstrable ability to present research papers at conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community, as well as to young people, their communities and the professionals who support them. Experience in using, or in-depth knowledge of, contextual or ecological approaches to safety and wellbeing. Skills Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Experience Experience of working with young people, either through research methods or in practitioner roles. Knowledge of participatory or ethnographic research methods. A track record of presenting research at conferences, symposia, or meetings, commensurate with the stage of career. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics. Experience of working in a hospitality setting. Skills Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.
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