Job Description

Role:

Research and Innovation Associate

Grade and Salary:

Grade 7 - 37,694 - 47,389 (pro rata)

Contract Type:

Full Time (0.6FTE), Fixed Term (17 months, 1st November 2025 until 31st March 2027)

Location

: Edinburgh Campus

Rewards and Benefits:

33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full time staff. 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.

Detailed Description

An opportunity is available for a part-time post (60% FTE) Post-Doctoral Research and Innovation Associate to join a research project which will work with autistic people and care staff to explore ways that technologies might help people as they get older. The project, in collaboration with Scottish Autism, will co-produce a vision for health and wellbeing as supported people age. The project will: i) identify which areas would be best supported by technologies, have the most impact on people's lives, and be the most likely to be adopted by autistic people and their support staff with the social care setting; ii) develop resources which will explain what the technologies can do, how staff can discuss technology with autistic people who have learning disabilities, and support understanding and consent regarding using these tools in everyday life.


The Research and Innovation Associate will be responsible for: supporting workshops, collation of materials, monitoring and evaluation, organising meetings, interviews, liaising with partner organisations, supporting data analysis, and writing dissemination materials.


The post holder will interact on a regular basis with the research team. The post is available from 1st November 2025 until 31st March 2027.


Candidates should have completed or be near submission of a PhD in Social Sciences or related disciplines e.g. Psychology, Linguistics, Cultural Studies. Experience in qualitative research methods and data analysis, working with marginalised individuals, groups and communities; public engagement and effective communication skills are essential for the post. Experience working with autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities is highly desirable.

The Team

This project is a partnership between Scottish Autism, Heriot-Watt University, Northumbria University and the University of Sheffield. The team is led by principal investigator Professor Mary Stewart, with co-investigators Dr Mauro Dragone and Dr Dan Hale, and researcher Bryony Nisbet from Heriot-Watt University, and Prof Ian Kellar from University of Sheffield. We work in partnership with Scottish Autism with Dr Joe Long, Daniel Mayol Jimenez, and Dr Kirsty Ainsworth.

Key Duties and ResponsibilitiesaEUR

The post holder is required toaEUR


Work closely with the project leads and the project team to ensure that tasks of the project are carried out in a timely and effective way. These will include organisation of meetings, workshops and events; liaison with project partners and stakeholders; data collation and analysis; work on project comms and outputs, general administration.aEUR Report verbally and in writing on all aspects of work undertaken as required by the project leadsaEURaEUR Take part in project meetings and make presentations of the work done as agreed with the project leadsaEUR Ensure confidentiality on all matters and information obtained during the course of employment and respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means in line with the Data Protection ActaEUR

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

aEUR


Applicants should hold a PhD or be near completion of their PhD in a related discipline e.g. Psychology, Social Science, Linguistics or in Robotics or Health and Social Care Technologies. Applicants should hold a UG degree (awarded 2:1 or above) and have: Experience in participatory research methodsaEUR Experience in working with community stakeholdersaEUR Experience with applying for ethical approvalaEUR Effective communication skillsaEUR Ability to formulate and progress work on their own initiativeaEUR Evidence of research ability: problem solving, flexibilityaEUR Ability to work as part of a team, with partners, and collaborators at other universitiesaEUR

Desirable Criteria

aEUR


Masters Degree or equivalentaEUR Experience working with people with learning disabilities Experience of interviewing research participantsaEUR Capability to be self-directed and think innovativelyaEUR Experience of working in a team environmentaEUR

Travel

aEUR


Some travel may be required across the central belt in Scotland.aEUR

How to Apply

Applications, including a covering letter, CV and the names of three referees should be submitted by

12pm (UK time) on Wednesday 27

th

August

, interviews week beginning 1 st September.


For further information regarding the position, please contact Professor Mary Stewart (M.E.Stewart@hw.ac.uk).



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.


Heriot-WattaEURUniversity 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.aEUR Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.


Heriot-WattaEURUniversity values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our websiteaEUR https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm aEURand also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science CareersaEUR https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ aEUR.


Use our total rewards calculator:aEUR https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm aEURto see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.