Research Associate

UHI partnership; Inverness; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 55,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

42 days annual leave (pro rata)

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Sick pay

Employee Assistance Programme

Retail discounts

Highlife Highland discount

Cycle to Work

DSE glasses contribution

Free parking and EV charging

LinkedIn Learning access

Long-service awards

Social events

Job summary

UHI invites applications for an internal temporary Research Associate in Education research across the academic partnership. The post will be funded from a set budget with equivalence of approximately 19 days of activity at Grade 8. The appointment will provide strategic leadership and developmental capacity to consolidate education research efforts post-2029 REF preparedness.

The role is linked to grade 8 on the UHI payscale. The starting salary is £51,632 to £54,778 per annum.

Qualifications

• Internal temporary Research Associate role under Executive Office.
• Fixed-term until end Sept 2027; part-time (11.08 hrs/week) and 133 hours across term.
• Hybrid location; PVG Scheme check required.

Responsibilities

• Develop sustainable CSG Education research culture and partnerships.
• Support Education Doctorate (EdD) pathway and potential student funding.
• Identify income streams through bid writing and KE activity.

Job description

UHI is the United Kingdom’s leading integrated university encompassing both further and higher education. We are more than a college and more than a traditional university: a diverse, flexible partnership, rooted in our communities and driven by their needs. Our network of colleges, specialist teaching centres and internationally recognised research institutes delivers supported, flexible learning from access level to PhD.

To support our work we are recruiting to the following role:

Research Associate(Internal Applications)

Please note

Salary range

Duration

Duration September 2027

Working hours

Working hours 133 hours total

Location

Location Hybrid

Closing Date

Closing Date Friday 23 October 2026

Cognate Subject Group (CSG) Education

An internal temporary Research Associate is sought through Executive Office during AY2026/27. The post will be funded from a set budget with equivalence of approximately 19 days of activity at Grade 8. The appointment will provide strategic leadership and developmental capacity to consolidate and extend the work of the CSG Education Research Assistant, initiated during AY2025/26, and support the next phase of Education research development across the academic partnership.

The role will ensure the ongoing development of a sustainable CSG Education research culture, post 2029 REF preparedness, growth of external research partnerships, support with proposed Education Doctorate (EdD) pathway and potential student funding routes such as through SGSSS, staff scholarly development, including identifying income streams through bid writing and KE activity, engagement with UHI research clusters, including support with building portfolios and submitting applications to Academic Titles Review Board, and planning for future research income generation. The investment is intentionally small-scale and acts as seed-corn funding to secure longer-term income streams for sustainability and benefits both for CSG Education and UHI.

A detailed job description and person specification for the post are attached.

This role is linked to grade 8 on the UHI payscale.

The starting salary for this position will normally be in the range of £51,632 to £54,778 per annum.

This post is fixed term until end of Sept 27 subject to appointment period and funding. There is no guarantee of further employment after the expiry of this term.

This post is part time and will involve working 133 hours across the period of employment and 11.08hrs per week, on a working pattern as agreed with your line manager.

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme check, so please let us know if you are currently a PVG scheme member.

The workplace pension scheme we provide to workers at grade six and above is the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This is a qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds the government’s standards. Full information on the scheme can be found on the USS website .

Full-time posts carry a total of 42 days leave per annum (pro rata for part-time posts). It is practice that, with the exception of a Christmas and New Year closure, leave may be taken at any time of year, subject to the requirements of the post and department and with the permission of your line manager.

At UHI, we offer a supportive, flexible and rewarding place to work, with a range of benefits including:

• 42 days’ annual leave (pro rata)
• Attractive pension scheme and options for additional contributions
• Flexible working and family-friendly policies
• Occupational sick pay and an Employee Assistance Programme (incl. spousal support)
• High-street and online retail discounts
• 10% off Highlife Highland memberships
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Contribution towards DSE prescription glasses
• Free parking and EV charging (where available)
• LinkedIn Learning access for ongoing professional development
• Long-service awards and active social events