Research Trainee

Role Description

The School for Business and Society at the University of York is seeking to appoint a Research Trainee to work on exciting new research that carries the potential to significantly influence policy and practice in the area of social policy.  

The successful candidate will play a vital role in the delivery of an ESRC-funded research project aimed at understanding the interactions between the police and people who use drugs. They will support the project’s data collection and administrative tasks, and contribute towards literature searches and the write up of findings for reports and publications. With an undergraduate degree (or equivalent research experience) relevant to this field and proven experience of conducting research, the successful candidate will work as part of a small team to deliver this ambitious and innovative study. The project includes funding specifically set aside for the post holder to develop their own skills and research career. 

The post will be located within the vibrant Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre at the University of York, joining a team of researchers working in a related field. 

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

• An undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (such as criminology, sociology, social policy, psychology, health sciences, or similar), or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of a range of research techniques and methodologies, and an understanding of the challenges of working with vulnerable populations
• Ability to organise own research activities to agreed deadlines and quality standards.
• Excellent written communication in order to contribute effectively to the production of research reports and publications.
• High level oral communication skills to enable the effective presentation of research progress and outcomes to key stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate new and complex information effectively to a range of audiences.
• Ability to plan and prioritise own work in order to meet deadlines
• Ability to work as part of a team and also to work independently using own initiative. 

For a detailed list of essential criteria, please refer to the job description. 

Interview date: To be confirmed 

For informal enquiries: please contact Andrew Papworth (andrew.papworth@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.

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as  Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We also encourage applications from women for senior roles. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork