Role Profile Form
Job Title: Research Associate/Fellow (fixed-term)
School/Department: School of Contemporary Chinese Studies
Salary: £25,513 - £37,394 per annum, depending on skills and experience (minimum £28,695 with relevant PhD). Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance
Job Family and Level: Research Level 4/Career training grade
Contract Status: This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract until 30 June 2017
Hours of Work: Full time, 36.25 hours per week
Location: School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, Jubilee Campus
Reporting to: Professor Lina Song
Purpose of the Role:
This post is created to work on an ESRC/DfID funded research project entitled ‘Local Government, Economic Growth and Human Development: Chinese Lessons for Kenya and Uganda?’. The role-holder would work as part of an international research team and be given significant responsibilities for fieldwork, involving surveys and experiment in Kenya, Uganda and possibly China. The post holder would also play a large role in the design and analysis of data collection, using insights, techniques and knowledge relevant social sciences including development economics, development studies or highly related subjects. The role-holder will be expected to work independently at times, either managing the operations of a specific fieldwork exercise or performing analysis on some agreed aspect of the project. However, good team work skills will be required to collaborate with an international research team and to supervise enumerators in the field.
The person appointed will have the opportunity to use their initiative and creativity to identify areas for research, develop research methods and extend their research portfolio. It is expected that they would be named as joint authors on multiple research publications.
Main Responsibilities / % time per year1. / To collect data during fieldwork, managing surveys and experiments involving households, schools, health facilities and local governments in low income countries. / 40%
2. / To train local enumerators and organise data collected from field surveys and interviews. / 10%
3. / To analyse data, interpret reports, evaluate and criticise texts and bring new insights to research area. / 20%
4. / To write up research work for publication and/or contribute to the dissemination at national/international conferences, resulting in successful research outputs. / 10%
5. / To co-ordinate the operational aspect of research networks, for example, arranging meetings and updating web sites etc and contribute to collaborative decision making with colleagues in area of research. / 5%
6. / To plan and manage own research activity and resolve problems, if required, in meeting own/team research objectives and deadlines in collaboration with others. / 2.5%
7. / To utilise and contribute to organising research resources and facilities and workshops as appropriate. / 2.5%
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience
Qualifications/ Education / · PhD (or equivalent) in development economics or development studies or closely related subject areas (or be working towards); OR equivalent in professional qualifications and experience in research area / · Record of academic excellence in taught courses (e.g. First class undergraduate degree and Distinction grade Masters degree) in relevant discipline (economics, sociology or related)
Skills/Training / · Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate with clarity on complex information
· High analytical ability to analyse data, interpret reports, evaluate and criticise texts and bring new insights
· Administrative, managerial and practical skills required to conduct and oversee fieldwork in developing countries, including: timetabling and planning; organising transport and communications; training and supervising fieldworkers; interviewing respondents and running experiments; data entry and organisation
· Ability to design instruments for data collection via surveys and experiment
· Ability to build relationships and collaborate with others, both internally and externally / · Proficiency in Mandarin
· Expertise in applied microeconometrics and/or experimental economics
Experience / · Substantial practical experience in use of relevant research methods (quantitative analysis of experimental or survey data) at postgraduate research or professional level / · Experience of conducting fieldwork in developing countries
· Experience of researching broad project themes (government institutions and economic development; poverty, education and health)
· Experience of research on China or Africa
· Record of research publications relevant to the broad project theme
Decision Making
i) Taken independently by the role holder;
· Operational decisions in the field when managing specific data collection exercises.
· Making choices and judgements when analysing data on assigned research tasks.
ii) Taken in collaboration with others;
· Design of instruments for data collection· Logistical planning of fieldwork
· Research objectives and strategy for analysis phase of project
· Decisions about dissemination and publication of research
iii) Referred to the appropriate line manager by the role holder
· Major deviations in budget or timetable from agreed plan for fieldwork· Resolution of any disputes or disagreements with research partners or officials in fieldwork countries