Research Fellow (1 year contract)

About The Job

The Research Fellow is the senior research role within URO and provides intellectual, methodological and strategic leadership across research, institutional research, research administration, research governance, grant development and University-wide initiatives. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the incumbent leads and oversees multiple concurrent projects, manages complex and competing priorities under tight deadlines, advises senior stakeholders, and mentors junior research staff. The role requires advanced research capability, with qualitative research as a strength and strong competence in quantitative and mixed-methods research.

What You Will Be Doing

Key Responsibilities

1. Research and Methodological Leadership

• Lead complex qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research from conceptualisation and research design through data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination.
• Provide methodological leadership and quality assurance, including development of research questions, conceptual frameworks, instruments, analytical plans and rigorous interpretation of findings.
• Lead qualitative research and advanced analysis, including interviews/focus groups, coding, thematic or interpretive approaches and integration of qualitative evidence.
• Oversee quantitative analysis and use SPSS, Stata, R and Microsoft Excel for data management, statistical analysis, validation, visualisation and interpretation; guide junior staff in appropriate analytical approaches.
• Lead literature reviews, evidence synthesis, environmental scans and benchmarking, and translate complex evidence into reports, journal articles, working papers, policy papers and presentations.

2. Project, Programme and Research Administration Leadership

• Lead and manage multiple concurrent research projects and strategic initiatives, establishing workplans, milestones, deliverables, risks and dependencies and ensuring timely completion under tight or competing deadlines.
• Provide senior-level research administration across the project lifecycle, including project set-up, documentation, progress and utilisation monitoring, reporting, committee submissions and close-out requirements.
• Allocate and oversee work undertaken by Research Associates, Research Assistants and project staff; review outputs, resolve project issues and maintain high standards of accuracy and research practice.
• Lead stakeholder coordination for complex projects involving PIs, faculty, research centres, academic and administrative units, participants, external partners, agencies and funders.

3. Grant Writing, Research Development and Partnerships

• Lead and contribute substantively to grant writing and proposal development, including framing research aims, methodology, workplans, impact, budgets and supporting evidence, and coordinating inputs for competitive submissions.
• dentify external funding opportunities, interdisciplinary collaborations and research partnerships aligned with University priorities, and advise PIs and research teams on proposal strategy and grant competitiveness.
• Support development of research portfolios and pathways from current projects to follow-on grants, partnerships, publications and impact.

4. Research Governance, Policy and Institutional Strategy

• Provide expert guidance on research ethics, integrity, governance, data protection and responsible conduct of research, and lead or support reviews, audits and compliance exercises.
• Lead analyses of research performance, capability, grant activity and impact; develop frameworks, indicators and recommendations to support institutional planning and decision-making.
• Develop or review research-related policies, procedures, guidance and process improvements, balancing governance, research quality and administrative efficiency.
• Prepare high-level briefs, committee papers and recommendations for URO leadership and senior University stakeholders.

5. Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement and Capability Building

• Serve as a trusted adviser on research-related matters and communicate complex findings and recommendations clearly to senior, specialist and non-specialist stakeholders.
• Mentor Research Associates, Research Assistants, project staff and interns; provide methodological guidance, review analytical and written outputs, and build sustainable research capability within URO.
• Represent URO or the University in relevant committees, working groups, external engagements and professional forums when required.
• Provide flexible support for special assignments and other tasks as required.

• PhD from a recognised university, preferably in Education, Social Sciences, Psychology, Public Policy, Business, Data Analytics or a related discipline.
• Typically five or more years of relevant postdoctoral, research or professional experience, with demonstrated leadership of complex research, evaluation, policy or institutional projects.
• Strong record of working independently, managing multiple stakeholders and projects, and translating research evidence into strategic, policy or operational recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience in grant writing and research development; experience mentoring or supervising research staff is strongly advantageous.

• Advanced research design with strong qualitative capability and ability to select and integrate quantitative and mixed-methods approaches.
• Strong competence in SPSS, Stata, R and Microsoft Excel for research data management, analysis, interpretation and visualisation.
• Advanced analytical writing, evidence synthesis, grant writing, policy analysis and preparation of high-quality research and management outputs.
• Strong understanding of research governance, ethics, integrity, institutional research and higher education research environments.
• Advanced project and programme leadership, including management of risks, dependencies, stakeholders, resources and competing priorities.

• Strategic and systems thinking; intellectual leadership; sound judgement in complex or ambiguous situations; strong stakeholder influence and facilitation; leadership and mentoring; integrity, discretion and accountability; and the ability to balance strategic perspective with disciplined execution.
• The Research Fellow works closely with URO leadership and colleagues, faculty, PIs, research centres, University committees and, where relevant, external agencies, funders and partner institutions, and must comply with applicable University policies, research governance and data-protection requirements.