Research Assistant (Fixed-term)

About the role

Food and Transport: A System that Works for Everyone

Research on food insecurity in Bath and Northeast Somerset identifies the importance of public transport to people’s ability to access food. 

This role is to support an 11-month project, establishing community workshops to develop and test a persona-based training package for transport policymakers and providers. 

The aim is to embed marginalised voices in the design and operation of local transport. 

You will work with the research team (Dr Blackwood, Department of Psychology; and Dr Fletcher, School of Management); and with our community partners, including B&NES Council Public Health and Transport teams, Age UK, and the B&NES Affordable Food Network. 

Interviews for this position are expected to take place on the 14th or 15th July.

Duties will include:

• Organising team meetings and assisting project management.
• Liaising with stakeholders
• Organising workshops with policy makers and community groups
• Assisting with the development of persona-based training tools
• Designing and implementing evaluation of workshops
• Conducting desktop research
• Writing reports

As a member of Research Staff at the University of Bath, you will be encouraged to take up a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year.

This is a part-time (6 hours per week), fixed-term position, expected to end in April 2026. 

Our ideal candidate

This position would particularly suit someone interested in the development and evaluation of innovative processes and tools for engagement with policy makers and other stakeholders (e.g., transport providers, advocacy organisations, community members). 

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and attributes:

• A degree in social sciences, public health, urban planning, or a related field. 
• Experience in community engagement and working with diverse populations.
• Strong research skills, including desktop research and evaluation research. 
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information to a variety of audiences. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team, including public health and transport officials, transport providers, and community groups.

It would be desirable for the candidate to also have:

• Postgraduate qualification. 
• Experience of working with food insecure people.  
• Familiarity with persona-based research approaches.

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