Research Associate in Digital Innovation (Fixed Term)

The Role

We are looking for self-motivated individuals from any disciplinary background to deliver high-impact, industry-led research within the Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation. We offer the individual freedom to shape their research focus and opportunities, which align with the project and supports career progression.

The Challenge

Digital technologies have the potential to transform manufacturing by increasing productivity and opportunities. However, the UK has had lower levels of adoption than some competitors. This may appear a purely technical challenge to overcome, in practice, many barriers can be attributed to ‘human’ elements, e.g. digital skills gap, implementation failing to support human capability, employee resistance or lack of senior management support or vision.  

The Centre

The Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, is a 42-month ISCF grant (EP/V062042/1) with the aim to "improve the outcome of the adoption of digital technologies through prior explicit consideration and planned appropriate action that prioritises human needs and working patterns in the design and implementation of digitalised work systems”.  Simply put, we will create a process which industry can follow if they want to put people at the forefront of their thinking when adopting digital technologies.

The Centre is transdisciplinary with academics from every Faculty/School within the University of Bath, and leading human factors/manufacturing academics from the Universities of Nottingham and Loughborough. In this video Centre Director, Prof Linda Newnes, provides a summary of the Centre and its collaboration with industry: 

How We Work

For career development and engagement on a day-to-day basis, researchers are located within a specific department.   Each works on their own research area and publishes in their academic disciplinary domain.   Where we perhaps differ from other research environments is that our researchers are mindful of how their research fits into the bigger picture, i.e., how it will inform the design of the process for the people-led approach to digitalisation. Our researcher cohort come together for weekly meetings, targeted training and activities aimed at knowledge exchange and collaboration.

To Apply

The Centre takes the individual findings of the Centre’s multi-disciplinary researchers and integrates this knowledge within the process for people-led digitalisation.  The researchers are given the freedom to shape their own research focus around this process. We would like to know where you would like to focus your research and why your findings will be important for the design of the process for people-led digitalisation.

Please answer these questions in the application form: 

1. What would your research focus be?
2. Why is this research important within the context of the Centre?
3. How would you go about conducting your research?
    Important: Your answers will be a key criterion during our shortlisting process

Our campus is surrounded by beautiful countryside, and the City of Bath with its historic charm and social activity only a short distance away creates an excellent environment in which to work. Find out from our staff what makes the University of Bath a great place to work. Follow us @UniofBath and @UniofBathJobs on Twitter for more information.

Further Information

There are multiple roles available from February 2023 until February 2025. 

For informal enquiries please contact Prof Linda Newnes via email enslbn@bath.ac.uk

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