Research Fellow - Constitutional Future of UK and Scotland Vacancy

Vacancy Details

Research Fellow - Constitutional Future of UK and Scotland Vacancy Ref: :  021529 Closing Date :  05-Nov-2013 Contact Person :  Professor Ailsa Henderson Contact Number :  0131 651 1618 Contact Email :  Ailsa.Henderson@ed.ac.uk You will assist Professor Ailsa Henderson in her role as co-head of the work project on attitudes, risk and constitutional change of this ESRC-funded project, including undertaking quantitative data collection and analysis.

This is a full-time, fixed term post available from 1 December 2013 for 24 months. We are open to consideration of applications for employment on a part-time and/or job-share basis.

Salary: £30-424 - £36,298 per annum

Closing Date: 5th November 2013
1. Job Details

Job title: Research Fellow - Constitutional Future of UK and Scotland

School: Social and Political Science

Unit: Politics and International Relations

Line manager: Professor Ailsa Henderson

2. Job Purpose

You will have responsibility for carrying out literature reviews, undertaking quantitative research design and analysis, and will have an opportunity to help develop and co-author papers for conferences, workshops and academic publications. Although working most closely with Professor Henderson and Professor Delaney, and under the supervision of Professor Henderson, the research fellow will be considered a member of the broader project team

This is a full-time, fixed term post available from 1 December 2013 for 24 months. We are open to consideration of applications for employment on a part-time and/or job-share basis.

3. Main Responsibilities

The project has three main tasks

(i) Gather together all previous referendum study datasets on constitutional change (including but not limited to self-determination) to conduct an analysis of existing secondary data

(ii) Assist with the design and analysis of questionnaires on constitutional change and economic risk

(iii) Assist with the design, conduct and analysis of lab-based and online experiments on constitutional change and economic risk

4. Knowledge, Skills and Experience Needed for the Job

Essential

. A completed PhD, or be in the latter stages of a PhD in political science, behaviour economics or a related discipline

. Research expertise in the field of political behaviour or behavioural economics, especially in advanced democratic states, preferably comparative in focus

. Proven ability to conduct and analyse quantitative research to a high standard. This should include considerable research experience analysing individual-level datasets (in either SPSS or Stata) and/or considerable research experience conducting lab-based or online experiments and analysing the resulting data. Essential analysis skills include regression (e.g. OLS, binary logistic, multinomial) and factor analysis.

. Excellent oral and written English

. Ability to author high quality academic publications and outputs for a variety of audiences

. Efficiency in managing tasks and meeting deadlines

. Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently

. Well-developed skills in word processing, bibliographic database and other research-oriented information technologies

Desirable

. Experience conducting path analysis/SEM and latent class analysis

. Experience of research-related public engagement

. Well-developed social media skills

. Experience with data archiving and/or dataverse environments

. Research-based knowledge of the Scottish constitutional debate and/or a comparative case

. Ability to read and analyse academic and official publications in one or more of the following languages: French, Spanish, German or Dutch

. Experience of organising academic conferences and workshops

5. Job Context and any other relevant information

This is a multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary project involving academics from political science, law, economics and sociology from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Stirling, the University of Strathclyde and the National Institute of Economic & Social Research. It is part of the ESRC UK and Scotland programme, which is co-ordinated from the University of Edinburgh by Professor Charlie Jeffery.

The research fellow will be based at the University of Edinburgh and will assist Professor Henderson in her role as co-head of the work project on attitudes, risk and constitutional change. The successful applicant will liaise with the other team lead, Professor Liam Delaney at Stirling.

All strands of the project will draw explicitly on comparative analyses of political behaviour, especially within and among advanced democratic states.

Application Procedure

All applicants should apply via our Vacancy Website. The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of your application. In addition to completing the online application form, applicants should submit:

- a full curriculum vitae, including the names of at least two academic referees;

- a covering letter, indicating why you are particularly well qualified for this post.

- an example of written work (dissertation chapter or published article) employing quantitative analysis.

Applicants must be available to begin employment on or around 1 December 2013.

You will be notified by email whether you have been shortlisted for interview or not.

The closing date is 5pm GMT on 5th November 2013.

Eligibility to Work

In accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 the University of Edinburgh, as an employer, has a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working and therefore must check that all employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK).

To do so, the University of Edinburgh requires to see original documents evidencing right to work in the UK before commencement of employment and this is normally carried out at interview. Details will be provided in any letter of invitation to interview.

For further information on eligibility to work please visit our eligibility to work website

In the circumstances where the vacancy does not meet the UKBA advertising, salary and/or qualification level criteria for sponsorship the successful applicant must have the existing right to work in the UK.