Job Description

Salary

The starting salary will be from 33,951, Grade E, depending on qualifications and experience.

Contractual hours

36.5

Package

.Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).

Job category/type

Research

Date posted

08/10/2025

Job reference

Q06892

Environment, Science and Economy faculty

This new full-time post for the Governing Sustainable Futures project is anticipated to start on the 1st February 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter) on a fixed term basic to the 30th September 2028.

This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working - some time on campus and some from home. You will be asked to regularly attend meetings and workshops in Devon.

Summary of the role

The Postdoctoral Impact Associate will be a key player in realising the ambitions of our project in terms of successful partner engagement, along with developing and translating findings from the project. The post holder will play an important role in co-producing outputs that seek to drive positive change towards sustainable transitions. You will be working at the forefront of innovation in developing engagement and participatory mechanisms, collaborating with a diverse network of experts to influence local and national governments, campaign and community groups as the project investigates approaches towards sustainability contestations. The role involves supporting the Project lead and Co-leads in developing and evaluating innovative approaches to environmental governance, applying the lessons learned to both Devon-based and wider contexts, and ensuring lasting impact through partner training and engagement. Key responsibilities include leading on developing and sustaining relationships with partners; planning and coordinating meetings and events with stakeholders; working with the project's Research Fellow to conduct qualitative research with stakeholders and publics; input to academic publications and other project outputs, outward dissemination of findings and to work alongside community groups, local authorities, public bodies, as well as facilitating the ongoing enhancement of the place-based contestation toolkit to address evolving partner and stakeholder needs.

Specific tasks and activities of the post include:

Network Development and Knowledge Coproduction:

Build and maintain effective relationships with project partners, ensuring collaboration across groups of partners. Linked to this will be a focus on effective participatory and knowledge of coproduction processes with existing and new partners.

Supporting data collection:

Working with the Research Fellow to support data collection and analysis for the project.

Dissemination of Findings:

1) Lead the outward dissemination of project findings through creative and conventional outputs, for example: reports, infographics, videos, social media, policy briefings and web-based resources. 2) Contributing to, and assisting the process of the co-production of, academic project outputs from across the project teams, including journal papers, conferences and briefings.

Stakeholder Engagement Guidance:

Lead on external communication of research findings and promote sustainable practices to industries, governments (devolved, national and local), community groups, and the broader public.

Co-Creation and Application:

Work alongside community groups, local authorities, and public bodies to support real-life applications of the project's outputs and participatory mechanisms.

Team Engagement and Leadership:

Collaborate closely with the GSF Delivery Team, support the smooth running of work packages, and contribute to ESRC-funded project delivery.


The post holder will work closely with the project team, project partners and delivery partners and members of the University's Professional Services teams (especially: Exeter Innovation and Green Futures). The post holder will operate as a core member of the GSF Delivery Team and actively contribute to all aspects of ESRC funded project delivery.

About you

Applicants will possess a good honours degree and PhD/ higher degree (or equivalent professional experience) in a Human Geography, Political Science or a cognate social science discipline or relevant experience. The successful applicant will have a personal track record in carrying out, effective knowledge exchange and / or participatory activities with evidence of Impact generation.

Please ensure you read the and Person Specification for full details of this role.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world's most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research - Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

Benefits

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

39/41 days leave per year options for flexible working numerous discounts at leading retailers onsite gyms on all of our campus' and a cycle to work scheme sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England

Further information

Please contact the project PI Dr. Rebecca Sandover, sustainablefutures@exeter.ac.uk