Senior Research Fellow

Nottingham Trent University; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible patterns

Retirement savings plan

Professional development

Health & wellbeing

Job summary

Nottingham Trent University invites applications for a Senior Research Fellow in Business Transformation. You will develop an independent research agenda focusing on AI and digital disruption, with a strong publishing track record and external collaborations.

You will join CBIT at NTU, mentoring students and working with industry and policy partners to deliver measurable impact through interdisciplinary research.

Qualifications

• A PhD with post‑doc experience in business/management or related field.
• Strong research profile in AI‑driven transformation and platforms.
• Demonstrable hands‑on use of developer‑grade AI in research.
• Proven record of high‑quality publications and international impact.

Responsibilities

• Develop an independent research agenda and publish high‑quality work.
• Lead collaborative, externally funded projects and supervise students.
• Engage with industry and policy communities to translate research.
• Contribute to CBIT’s mission of measurable impact and innovation.

Skills

Research leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Collaboration

AI in research

Education

PhD in relevant field

Tools

Claude Code

Codex

Cursor

Job description

Empower Future Leaders.

Doing things differently.

Senior Research Fellow

Salary £48,117 - £57,418 per annum

Full time, permanent contract

About the Role

As an Senior Research Fellow in Business Transformation, you will develop an independent and collaborative research agenda that advances knowledge and delivers real-world outcomes in business transformation and innovation—particularly where AI and digital technologies reshape organisations, sectors, and value creation.

You'll be an ambitious, research-active academic with a passion for connecting scholarship with practice and impact.

You will bring:

• A PhD with a post-doc experience in a relevant field (e.g., business/management, information systems, innovation, operations, strategy, entrepreneurship, socio-technical studies).
• A strong profile in research areas such as:
  • AI-Empowered business transformation (GenAI, decision intelligence, process automation)
  • Digital platforms & ecosystems, venture building, scaling
  • AI and Data-driven operations, service transformation, responsible innovation / governance
  • Industry transformation (manufacturing, services, SMEs, public sector etc.)
• Demonstrable hands-on use of AI in your own research practice — beyond conversational chatbot use. In your application, please describe specifically how you have used agentic or developer-grade AI tools (e.g. Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or equivalent) to conduct, accelerate, or scale your research. Entry-level use of ChatGPT, Claude, or similar assistants will not, on its own, meet the requirements of this role.
• A proven record of high-quality publications (ABS 3 and above) with a clear trajectory toward international research excellence.
• Methodological capability (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, computational, or design science) suitable for high-quality research and publications
• Experience of collaborative and externally funded research projects.
• Strong teaching and supervisory skills, with enthusiasm for mentoring students and early-career researchers.
• Excellent communication, networking, and partnership-building abilities across academic, industry, and policy communities.
• A proactive, collegial approach aligned with CBIT’s entrepreneurial and impact-oriented culture.

You will join a forward-looking centre within a globally engaged business school, where innovation, interdisciplinarity, and measurable impact define our mission.

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Professor Xiao Ma, Director of CBIT at [e-mail]

For more details, please take a look at the role profile. We'll still consider applications even if you don't meet every single one of the requirements, so don't be put off if you don't match them perfectly. To ensure the diverse needs of our team are met we actively encourage secondments and offer flexible part‑time working patterns - we're focusing on finding the right person for the role.
Please note: shortlisted candidates will be asked to give a short live, screen‑shared demonstration at interview of how they use AI in addressing a challenge — using their own tools.

Proposed interview date: W/C 5th October 2026

Centre for Business and Industry Transformation (CBIT)

CBIT is a rapidly growing research and innovation centre within Nottingham Business School, focused on measurable business, industry, and societal impact through applied research, venture building, and personalised education.

• CBIT portfolio: £4.5m live projects – https://cbitvb.uk/projects/
• CBIT website: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/centres/cbit-centre-for-business-and-industry-transformation
• CBIT Venture Builder: https://cbitvb.uk

CBIT integrates rigorous research with venture‑building practice and disruptive leader education. Our work connects researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to design, test, and scale transformation in the age of AI and digital disruption.

CBIT was founded by the team behind the UK’s top-ranked Entrepreneurship Education Programme (Eduniversal) and has an outstanding record of accelerating more than 100 innovative ventures. The Centre integrates rigorous Business Transformation research with venture‑building practice and disruptive leader education, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to create measurable impact.

With a £4.5 million live project portfolio – https://cbitvb.uk/projects/ – CBIT operates through three pillars: Applied Research, Venture Building, and Personalised Education. Together, these transform how organisations innovate, scale, and adapt in the age of AI and digital disruption.
The CBIT Venture Builder (CBIT‑VB) – https://cbitvb.uk – was recognised as Innovation Champion 2024 for its pioneering model of turning academic research into scalable business impact.

CBIT also leads flagship engagement platforms such as Global Entrepreneurship Week Nottingham and the AI4SME Conference, convening global experts from academia, business, and policy.

Join us

• 30 - 35 days annual leave per year plus statutory bank holidays and 5 university closure days pro rata
• Hybrid working - we encourage and offer a mixture of office working and working from home. You're empowered to define how you work best for the benefits of your stakeholders.
• Flexibility - take ownership over how you get your work done. We’re open to different working patterns and approaches.
• Salary Sacrifice Retirement Savings Plan with life assurance and income protection. Available to colleagues who choose to opt out of the contractual pension scheme. Minimum colleague contributions of 0% matched with minimum NTU contributions of 8%.
• Access to a wealth of formal and informal professional development opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career.
• Range of health and wellbeing services, including a Health Cash Plan, voluntary benefits, discounts, and savings for all colleagues.
• And a whole lot more…Find out more about the range of benefits we offer.

Come and be part of our success.

Safe and Inclusive

At NTU, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our students and colleagues. By championing positive wellbeing, we promote an environment where all can thrive and reach their full potential. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team.

Please note that unfortunately, this role has been assessed as ineligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration points-based immigration system however, we recommend that you assess your eligibility before applying for this position. For more information visit the Government Skilled Worker visa support page. However, applications are welcome from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK, but who would be eligible to obtain a valid visa via another route. Please consult the Home Office website for further information.

Please note that this role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and successful applicants will be asked to declare any unspent criminal convictions.