Postdoctoral Research Associate - Social Impact Lead

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institution in Edinburgh is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for an interdisciplinary team. The role focuses on assessing social impacts in fisheries in Indonesia, requiring strong research skills and a PhD in Economics or a relevant field. Ideal candidates will have excellent communication abilities and experience in data analysis. Join us in a role that fosters community engagement and contributes to impactful research.

Benefits

33 days annual leave

Flexible working patterns

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of participatory approaches necessary.
• Proven ability to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-quality research including socio-economic impact assessments.
• Gather qualitative data on community perceptions.
• Develop communication materials for local communities.

Skills

Participatory approaches

Qualitative data analysis

Quantitative data analysis

Excellent communication

Education

PhD in Economics or related discipline

Job description

Job Description

Role: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday

Contract: 27 Months, Fixed-Term

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

At the Lyell Centre, HWU, we are seeking a highly motivated and talented Post-doctoral Research Associate to join an interdisciplinary team. This role provides an exciting opportunity to assess the social impacts of deploying a cooling hub in a small-scale fishery in Indonesia, and how it impacts community dynamics, gender roles and livelihoods.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Research

• Lead high-quality research including baseline socio-economic assessments, social impact analysis, and risk assessments.
• Gather supporting qualitive date on community perceptions and expectations in sites where the cooling hub has been deployed and where it will be deployed
• Ensure active engagement by underrepresented groups
• Develop communication and education materials for local communities
• Apply/design appropriate analytical techniques to generate impactful insights.
• Formulate tailored mitigation strategies and recommendations to support the implementation of the cooling hub
• Produce high-quality academic publications
• Collaborate with academic and industrial project partners, including short and medium-term visits, and coordinate activities across the consortium.

General and Administrative

• Collaborate effectively with administrative and academic staff in the School and University level.
• Engage in professional development through relevant training programs aligned with project needs and personal aspirations.
• Assist with the supervision of student project work and provide day-to-day support to other researchers.
• Contribute to teaching responsibilities as required.
• Contribute to developing follow-on research proposals and grant applications for future project funding.
• Regularly report research progress through formal and informal reports and communications.
• Undertake additional duties as reasonably requested by project leaders, commensurate with the role.

Essential Criteria

1. A PhD (or near completion) in relevant discipline such as Economics; Sustainability or related discipline.
2. Strong understanding of participatory approaches
3. Proven ability to effectively collect, analyse and work with qualitative and quantitative data.
4. Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills
5. Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a diverse team of academic and industrial partners.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Thursday 18th September 2025.

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.