Research Fellow, Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC)

Job Purpose

The Third Sector Research Centre is recognised as the principal academic centre in its field in the UK. We conduct research on the roles, resources, responsibilities and relationships of third sector organisations. The successful candidate will work to support the development of the Centre by assisting the Director, Professor John Mohan, with the development of funding bids, with ad hoc support to specific projects, and by contributing to teaching activities.
The postholder will conduct teaching duties as required while John Mohan is involved in an externally-funded research project supported by the Leverhulme Trust. The postholder will also contribute to TSRC’s development activities through supporting ongoing research projects, and contributing to the development of large-scale funding bids. TSRC projects currently support 8 staff and several PhD students and the postholder will be expected to work collegially as part of a team. Regular attendance in Birmingham is a requirement.
We are seeking a social science researcher with relevant experience of undertaking qualitative and quantitative research, ideally within the third sector field but candidates with a strong social policy background will also be considered (e.g. with research interests in social policy, local government or health care).

Person Specification

Essential:

• First degree in a relevant discipline (social policy, politics, sociology, geography, statistics, economic and social history)
• A higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly – both orally and in writing
• Good interpersonal skills in relation to working as part of a research team
• Fluency in using relevant IT packages in collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data
• Positive, flexible and enthusiastic approach, and ability to act on own initiative and prioritise workload
• Willingness and ability to travel (e.g. for research meetings, or for project planning purposes (such as scoping of archival sources)).

Desirable:

Research experience directly relevant to the study of the third sector
Experience of (co-)writing research reports for funders and other stakeholders, and of contributing to academic Papers