Research Assistant – Fixed Term (12Months)

We have an exciting opportunity to join an expanding, successful and multi-disciplinary Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences. The Research Assistant will work with the Senior Research Fellow/lead on Birmingham 2029 – our community-university engagement project. Birmingham 2029 has been successful in working with a range of partners across the city, including successfully delivering a 15-month community-based research project with our partner, Birmingham City Council which the Research Assistant will continue to support.    

The ideal candidate will have an understanding and experience of research, community engagement, working in diverse communities, building local partnerships, undertaking research with local people, able to write outputs for both academic and non-academic audiences and be fully invested in BCUs ethos and mission.

We are holding an online event on Wednesday 19th  October from 4.30-5.30pm to provide further information about the role. To reserve, a place contact: Kusminder.Chahal@bcu.ac.uk

Objectives 

Working across Birmingham and with relevant stakeholders the Research Assistant will assist and co-produce community-university engagement and research activities to support communities to be actively involved in local decision making, create pathways into employment, education and training. Working with the Senior Research Fellow, you will bring your experience and skills actively engage local residents, create partnerships and develop pathways that respond to the needs and aspirations of local residents and communities. 

Responsibilities

The Research Assistant will:

• Develop relationships and engage with local communities across Birmingham.
• Support all aspects of the co-production of research and community engagement in local neighbourhoods.
• Co-ordinate and manage a team of local residents and students as peer researchers.
• Organise community and stakeholder events to identify local needs, disseminate findings. and co-create pathways into employment, education and training.
• Analyse data and write reports emerging from the projects undertaken.

Requirements 

• Educated to a degree level or its equivalent in relevant subject.
• Evidence of sufficient knowledge in community-based research.
• Able to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to manage research and administrative activities.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise with colleagues, students, community organisations, stakeholders and residents.
• Able to build contacts and participate in internal and external networks for the exchange of information and collaboration.
• Understand equal opportunity issues and how they may impact on research and engagement in community settings.

Birmingham City University is a thriving, modern university with a rich history in the city and wider region. With over 25,000 students we are focused on teaching excellence and research excellence and place particular emphasis on practice-based programmes that support student employability. Across the institution we have revised the curriculum offer with all courses being professionally relevant and delivered in state-of-the-art facilities where we have invested over £250m in recent years. 

The Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences at Birmingham City University is a dynamic and diverse academic community, with a strong track record of delivering excellent education at undergraduate, taught postgraduate and research postgraduate levels. We are passionate about our teaching and put students at the heart of all our activities. We embrace a practice-led, knowledge-based approach to our teaching, which is research informed.

In return, we offer a generous pension and annual leave provision. We also operate a hybrid working model that allows staff to combine on-site and remote working where appropriate, dependent on work duties. We also provide access to excellent facilities on campus, including supportive family friendly policies.

Further details:

BCU Values  underpin how we work in achieving the ambitions set out in our Strategy and Priorities, and are the principles that unite the way we work together and for our students.

The University is committed to internationalism and diversity and welcomes applications from all countries, faiths and backgrounds.

It is each individual successful applicants responsibility to ensure that they have permission to work in the UK. Some applicants may require sponsorship from the University and a visa from UKVI to take up the role if successful. More information on this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Some roles are not capable of sponsorship because they do not meet the UKVI criteria relating to skill and salary level. If you are unsure as to whether you would require sponsorship if successful, or whether the role is capable of sponsorship, please contact us: RTinbox@bcu.ac.uk

Please note on occasions where we receive a large number of applications, we may close the advert ahead of the publicised closing date. If this does happen, we will contact all candidates via email who have started but not yet completed their application, giving 48 hours’ notice. We would therefore advise that you submit your completed application as soon as possible.

At Birmingham City University we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. All staff are expected to understand and enact the University’s commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion in our employment practice and in all that we do. This commitment is enshrined in our Core Values and is detailed in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment Policy. The University values and celebrates the diversity of our staff and students; we welcome people from the many different backgrounds and life experiences that reflect the students and the citizens we serve.  We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and actively encourage unique contributions, in particular from under-represented groups in respect of age, disability, sex, gender or gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status

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