Research Assistant - Criminology

Edinburgh Napier University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

46 days annual leave

Pension scheme 26%

Flexible working

Professional development

Job summary

Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Applied Sciences invites applications for a Research Assistant to support a maternity cover within the Criminology group, collaborating with the Chief Scientist Office Scotland on health-related social determinants research.

You will gather and manage data, assist with qualitative analysis, conduct interviews and focus groups with policymakers and service users, and help prepare research reports for stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant social science discipline.
• Undergraduate degree in Criminology, Sociology, Social Policy, Public Health or a related social science discipline.
• Recent experience of conducting health-related research.
• Training or academic experience in qualitative research methods and data analysis.
• Experience of participant recruitment.
• Ability to organise, code and interpret qualitative research data and identify emerging themes.
• Experience of using NVivo.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and report writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Collect and manage data for the project.
• Assist with interpretation of results and analysis of qualitative data.
• Conduct interviews with senior policy makers and focus groups with service users.
• Contribute to production of research reports and publications.

Skills

Qualitative methods

Recruitment experience

Thematic analysis

Communication skills

Data management

Education

Master's degree in a relevant social science discipline

Undergraduate degree in Criminology, Sociology, Social Policy, Public Health or related social science

Tools

NVivo

Job description

Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Applied Sciences is committed to providing an environment that recognises and supports research excellence.

Currently, our Criminology subject group are working in collaboration with the Chief Scientist Office Scotland on the delivery of the Crime and Criminal Justice as Social Determinants of Health in Scotland project.

As such, we now have an opportunity for a Research Assistant to join the project to support a period of maternity cover, and play an important role in the collection/management of data, while assisting with analysis and interpretation of results.

The Role

As Research Assistant you will have the opportunity to join a team of experienced researchers, who will be investigating digital healthcare provisions in prisons and undertaking studies to understand the different experiences of service users within those facilities.

You will be in an ideal position to use your skills and experience of gathering data for research to help set up and administer these studies, collect and manage data, and assist with interpreting results.

This process will involve interviews with senior policy makers, as well as focus groups with individuals currently serving residency, to talk about their experiences in healthcare and provide valuable insight into their effectiveness.

The role will also give you the chance to use your strong written and verbal communication skills to contribute to the production of research reports and publications and present information on research progress/outcomes to various stakeholders.

With this in mind, this post will be an excellent opportunity for you take the first step towards your research or career in Criminology, as it will equip you with useful knowledge and skills in research methods and techniques that will serve you well in the future.

What we will need from you

• Master's degree in a relevant social science discipline
• Undergraduate degree in Criminology, Sociology, Social Policy, Public Health or a related social science discipline
• Recent experience of conducting health-related research
• Training or academic experience in qualitative research methods and data analysis
• Experience of participant recruitmentAbility to organise, code and interpret qualitative research data and identify emerging themes
• Experience of using NVivo
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation and report writing skills

Benefits we offer

• 46 days annual leave (includes bank holidays)
• a generous pension scheme with an Employer contribution of 26%
• flexible working
• professional development opportunities

Further information can be viewed here.

Additional information

• Salary: £31,861 p/a (pro rata)
• Contract: Fixed-Term – until 31 July 2027
• Hours: Full Time - 35 hrs per week

Interview details: Week commencing 16th November 2026

£31,861 p/a (pro rata)