Research Fellow

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,130 to £45,413 with potential progression once in post to £48,149

Contract Type: Fixed Term contract up to August 2027

Background

CHASM is an interdisciplinary research centre for financial security, wellbeing and inclusion. 

The CHASM core team consists of over ten members of professional services and academic staff with varied disciplinary backgrounds from across the School of Social Policy and the Birmingham Business School. CHASM also has honorary professors and research fellows and internal and external associate members from institutions across the UK and overseas. 

Role Summary

This post will enable the successful applicant to work across a range of projects currently in operation or under development in the Centre, with a particular emphasis on areas of activity requiring advanced quantitative research skills.

The post-holder will be expected to work individually and with members of the CHASM team on a range of relevant research activities including data analysis related to our financial inclusion research, writing academic papers and policy briefings, organisation and delivery of workshops, seminars and larger events such as the annual CHASM conference, as well as other research-related activity when needed. The post-holder will be based in the School of Social Policy/Department for Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology.

Applicants will be expected to outline at least one research project they would like to design and deliver during the two-year post (with potential for extension subject to funding). If shortlisted, they will be expected to come prepared to discuss their project ideas in more detail at interview. We welcome ideas based on wealth inequality, long-term savings, and other financial wellbeing and inclusion-related topics. 

Main Duties

• Managing and analysing large-scale individual-level panel datasets (E.G. WAS, BHPS, UKHLS,) including linkage of data to other socioeconomic or census datasets
• Undertaking quantitative research on topics related to CHASM’s core areas of activity using appropriate datasets and appropriate quantitative methods (including CHASM’s financial inclusion monitoring)
• Managing data for appropriate sharing and archiving, including taking appropriate care to ensure preservation of confidentiality where required
• Desk research on financial inclusion
• Organisation of and contribution to public engagement activities, seminars, workshops, conferences and other research events with support from the CHASM team
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc 
• Undertaking management and administration arising from research

Person Specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications 
• Demonstrable evidence of training in quantitative methods
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Demonstrable quantitative analytical skills.
• Demonstrable experience of use of appropriate statistical packages (e.g. STATA (preferred), R).
• Ability to work collaboratively as a member of research team.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly 

Informal enquiries to Dr Louise Overton, email: l.e.overton@bham.ac.uk 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the 'Apply' button above.

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We value diversity & inclusion at the University of Birmingham & welcome applications from all sections of the community & are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

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