The Role

The postholder will be embedded in the project team and will have access to a home academic discipline within the University. The post-holder’s line manager will be Helen Cramman, Associate Professor in the School of Education and Head of Researcher Development and Co-Lead. On a day-to-day basis they will be working collaboratively across the project team and the Project Advisory Group. The team includes PL: Neil Tunstall (Department of Geography) the co-leads: Beth Upex (Department of Archaeology), Andrew Moss (Research and Innovation Services), Johanna Thren (Department of Anthropology), Lorraine Coghill (Faculty of Science), Sophie Edwards (Department of Earth Sciences), Sophie Laidler (Department of Archaeology), Tim Hawkins (Department of Biosciences), a project manager and 3 research assistants. We are a cross-departmental and cross-faculty team and will be based in a collaborative space. We also offer the opportunity for flexible hybrid working subject to the business delivery requirements of the project.

Key Responsibilities

The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• Work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• Liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• Conduct research and embed evaluation design principles into the workstreams across the NERCOUTE2026 project.
• Enable the evaluation-design and intervention of NERCOUTE 2026 including exploring the implementation and impact of environmental science-focused:
  • Newly created processes for T Level placements at Durham University and industry partners
  • Resources and networks created between the project and Further Education college curriculum leads
  • The University Environmental Science Technical Champions network
  • Policy interventions with local and national technical-skills stakeholders.
• Participate in meetings of the NERCOUTE2026 project team, including preparing reports on progress.
• Prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• Publish high-quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Project Lead.
• Assist with the development and delivery of research objectives and proposals.
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Project Lead and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• Plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• Contribute to liaison with other NERCOUTE2026 projects across the UK to promote collaboration across the research culture field and develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• Contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• Engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• Engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.
• Any other reasonable duties.

This post is a 0.6FTE fixed term for 24 months as funding is available for this duration. This project is time-limited which will end on 31 December 2028.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by December 2026.

Working arrangements: This role is part-time (21 hours/week). We will consider requests for flexible working arrangements including potential job shares. It is expected that this role will be predominantly face-to-face on campus, and the successful applicant will be prepared to locate to the northeast of England. There will be some scope for hybrid working arrangements in agreement with the line manager, but this post will not be fully hybrid.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:

• You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
• We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
• Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.