Research Associate (Beastly Business)

Do you want to join a new and dynamic research team based in the vibrant Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sheffield?

You will be part of a team established as the result of a cutting-edge ESRC grant, BEaStly Business: Examining the Illegal Trade in Bears, Eels and Songbirds, which will analyse and explain the drivers of the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) in European species.

The project team is led by Professors Rosaleen Duffy and Charlotte Burns and includes two further post-doctoral researchers and a dedicated project manager.

Your role will involve examining the political ecologies of illegal wildlife trade in European eels, Europe’s largest wildlife crime. You will be engaged in work that will enable you to contribute to theoretical development and methodological innovation and will produce policy-relevant information for key stakeholders.

You will have considerable flexibility to develop the research and to build your own knowledge and skills. You will undertake literature reviews, documentary and web searches, working closely with the PI and research team.

You will carry out empirical data collection via fieldwork including interviews with representatives of key stakeholder organisations (government, NGO, donors), life history interviews with eel fishers and photo elicitation with key users. You will also organise knowledge exchange workshops. You will develop publications in leading journals, and contribute to other team publications, impact and dissemination activities and conference papers.

You will have completed or be near to completing a PhD in Politics and International Relations or cognate disciplines including sociology, geography, law, criminology, anthropology, cultural studies or literature. You will be able to work effectively as part of a team and have good verbal and written communication skills. You will have experience of carrying out fieldwork interviews and transcribing and coding them. European language skills are desirable.

The Department of Politics and International Relations is one of the UK’s most successful centres for teaching and research. The Department is an excellent place for early career scholars to launch their academic careers; it provides a vibrant and collegial intellectual environment, opportunities for mentorship and collaboration, and unique support for policy and public engagement. The Department values diversity in both intellectual and people terms and is committed to recognizing the important intellectual contributions that all our scholars make.

We’re one of the best not-for-profit organisations to work for in the UK. The University’s Total Reward Package includes a competitive salary, a generous Pension Scheme and annual leave entitlement, as well as access to a range of learning and development courses to support your personal and professional development.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.

To find out what makes the University of Sheffield a remarkable place to work, watch this short film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LblLk18zmo, and follow @sheffielduni and @ShefUniJobs on Twitter for more information.

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