Research Assistant (Grade 6), School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have a background in education or anthropology as well as experience in participatory research? Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities? 

You will work on the interdisciplinary international research project ‘Voices of the Rainforest’, a collaboration between the University of Leeds and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. You will support a project that aims to intertwine the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities in Malaysia with curriculum development. This will involve assisting the Principal Investigator with project management, coordinating communication across the UK and Malaysia teams, establishing networks with UK non-profit organisations, creating content for the project website and social media networks, drafting news articles for the project website, and contributing to project dissemination. 

You will have a background in education or anthropology, as well as experience in participatory research. You should have a keen interest in climate change, sustainability, and indigenous education, and be well organised. Experience working with stakeholders and non-profit organisations is desirable. You will be encouraged to develop your initiative and independence, and will have the opportunity to undertake research training and career development. 

What does the role entail?

As a Research Assistant for the project, your main duties will include:  

• Assisting the Principal Investigator with project management including managing limited financial aspects of the project. 
• Coordinating communication across the UK and Malaysia teams through email and attending online meetings where appropriate. 
• Establishing networks with UK climate change non-profit organisations, including organising consultation meetings. 
• Creating content for the project website and social media networks, such as conducting state-of-the-art literature reviews and interviews with stakeholders. 
• Drafting news articles about project updates and activities, and maintaining regular updates on the project website. 
• Contributing to project dissemination such as conceptualising data for publication and organising dissemination events. 

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post. 

What will you bring to the role?

As a Research Assistant you will have: 

• A master’s degree in education, anthropology, or a closely related discipline, demonstrating the ability to create and disseminate interdisciplinary knowledge. 
• Experience in undertaking participatory research, including non-conventional methodologies such as creative and arts-based methods. 
• Experience in crafting news articles and copywriting social media content to suit various platforms and target demographics. 
• Experience in undertaking state-of-the-art literature reviews and conducting ethnographic interviews. 
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and rapport-building skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of stakeholders. 
• Good management and planning skills, with the ability to meet tight deadlines; effective time management to prioritise tasks and meet both internal and external deadlines. 
• Strong analytical skills, with a demonstrated ability to excel both independently and within a team, and to work autonomously with initiative. 

You may also have: 

• Strong understanding of climate change, sustainability, and indigenous knowledge; 
• Experience in curriculum development projects and interdisciplinary research; 
• Experience collaborating with stakeholders, non-profit organisations, and communities facing poverty, discrimination, and disadvantage; 
• Proficient in website development, including coding, and skilled in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator is desirable. 

How to apply

 To apply for the position, send an expression of interest detailing your relevant experience against the criteria in this job specification, of no more than 1 side of A4 with a copy of your CV. Applications should be submitted to [email protected], by 12:00 noon on 30th June 2024. 

Contact information

 To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:  

 Dr Syafiq Mat Noor, Lecturer in Climate Change Education 

Email: [email protected]