Postdoctoral Research Associate – TRANSECTS Project

Role: Postdoctoral Research Associate – TRANSECTS

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £36,924 – £46,485 per annum

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

Contract: Fixed Term for 36 Months

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

Purpose of Role

Heriot-Watt University is looking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate to support research on the UKRI-funded TRANSECTS (TRANSitions in Energy for Coastal communities over Time and Space) project. TRANSECTS will apply an interdisciplinary spatial-temporal lens to learn from past marine energy transitions to support and inform future decision-making. Combining natural and social sciences with arts and humanities, TRANSECTS will interrogate the shifts from non-renewable systems of production (whale oil in the 1800s through to offshore oil and gas in the later-1900s) to more sustainable marine renewable energies in the early-2000s (and the competition with transitioning oil and gas via CO2 and hydrogen storage). This post will contribute to the aims of TRANSECTS by identifying the social and economic benefits and disbenefits associated with natural capital (stocks) and ecosystem services (flows) from past, present and future marine energy transitions. This research will take a place-based approach and consider how the stocks and flows identified for our three case study areas (Orkney Islands, East Coast Scotland, Humber Estuary) are interlinked with wider societal benefits and explore how they have affected coastal community resilience.

TRANSECTS is adopting such a natural capital approach to ensure that society’s dependence on natural resources for energy is considered when assessing the broader impacts of marine energy transitions. Showing the ecological values, and spatio-temporal changes, of particular habitats and species within marine energy transitions makes them visible and facilitates their inclusion within marine decision-making processes.

The successful candidate will be hosted in the Institute of Life and Earth Sciences (ILES) at the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), within Heriot-Watt University at either the Edinburgh or Orkney campus. The ideal candidate will have knowledge in areas related to the societal impacts of marine activities. Essential requirements are excellent communication skills, as well as the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Work activities will vary according to the requirements of the job; however, general responsibilities are typically, but not restricted to, the following:

• Strong research ethos, engaging in research activities related to the TRANSECTS project and contributing to the University’s research and outreach profile;
• Establishing collaborative research links outside the university via funding councils, industry, business and public bodies (including existing TRANSECTS partners/collaborators);
• Representing Heriot Watt University and the TRANSECTS project in a professional capacity, particularly through research dissemination and development e.g. conferences, meetings with project partners.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The successful appointee will be expected to undertake the activities specified below:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the existing scholarly literature on the social benefits and disbenefits of METs
• Assist with the collection and quantitative/qualitative analysis of secondary social datasets (including historical and spatial data), including liaising with stakeholders and collaborators to identify suitable data and expert knowledge
• Undertake administrative tasks associated with data preparation and archiving
• Contribute to the development of an online Energy Transitions Atlas, displaying stocks/flows/(dis)benefits trends over time and interlinkages
• Work with the project team to explore how changes in natural capital stocks and assets (including legacy effects and path dependencies) may have implications for coastal communities’ resilience
• Work with the project team to create exhibition materials for wider public and community dissemination
• Work in collaboration with other TRANSECTS Post-Doctoral Research Associates who will focus on the environmental aspects of marine energy transitions and energy law and just transitions
• Develop research outputs that will help demonstrate how past METs have impacted coastal community resilience, and provide solutions to ensure the effects of future METs are reduced/mitigated.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve. A flexible working schedule may be required to meet all key duties and responsibilities.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

Qualifications and Experience

1. PhD in a Human Geography, Ecological Economics, Marine Science, Environmental Sociology, Anthropology or Environmental Science discipline
2. Knowledge and experience on at least two subject areas from the following: Social Impact Analysis, Community Engagement, Historical Geography, Economic Evaluation, Natural Capital Approaches, Cultural Evaluation, Marine Energy, Management Science, Sustainability
3. A track record of research publications

Competencies, Skills and Knowledge

1. Competency undertaking statistical analysis of quantitative data
2. Competency undertaking thematic analysis of qualitative data
3. Experience of spatial data analysis software
4. Excellent IT skills and proficiency with using online communication platforms
5. Strong verbal and written communication skills
6. Good team player with good interpersonal skills

Desirable

1. Postgraduate experience working with marine energy industries and/or coastal communities
2. Experience in project management, report preparation and writing, quality assurance and stakeholder engagement, research dissemination
3. Experience of undertaking interdisciplinary research
4. Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment
5. Creative communication skills
6. A developing track record of generating external research income.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 20^th November 2024.

Please submit your CV 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.