Job Description

Research Assistant (110933-1025)

======================================


Location
University of Warwick Campus, Coventry
Department
School of Law
Position Type
Fixed Term
Duration
Fixed-term contract for 24 months
Hours
29.2 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Salary
31,236 to 34,610 per annum, pro rata
About the Role

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Rajnaara Chowdhury Akhtar (Associate Professor) at rajnaara.akhtar.1@warwick.ac.uk.

We are looking for a highly motivated and adaptable Research Fellow to support this ground-breaking project.


They will ideally be someone with a socio-legal background, have experience working as a Researcher on grant funded projects, experience conducting empirical research with child or young adult participants, with knowledge of private child law and/or family law in England and Wales. We are willing to consider other candidates from the broader Social Sciences if they have the requisite empirical research experience.

Background Checks

This role will require a standard DBS check.

Working Arrangements

This is a hybrid role. Most day-to-day work can take place remotely, although some team meetings, research interviews and occasional meetings with the Advisory group

will

be required to be in person. Office space will be available at the University of Warwick.

About You
The candidate will join a research team who enjoy working together in a collegiate, supportive, and developmental environment. The candidate will have the opportunity to present at meetings and conferences, and to contribute to journal articles and other research outputs.

For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the

About the Department

School of Law

Founded in 1968, now with over 1100 students and 70 full-time academic staff, we have evolved into one of the leading law schools in the UK. We emphasise the importance of innovative and high-quality teaching within a broad and contextual curriculum. Our teaching standards and research quality have received high ratings in both NSS and REF results (ranked 8th overall in 2022). The quality of our teaching has been recognised with two National Teaching Fellowships and several Warwick Awards for Teaching Excellence. We maintain a strong research culture with several active research centres.

Professional Services Team

The School of Law is supported by a dedicated Professional Services team, whose areas of expertise include student services, student engagement and experience, research, academic technology, outreach, human resources, marketing and communications, finance, events delivery, and governance.

Diversity

One of the strengths of the School of Law is the diversity of the community. Our talented staff come from many different countries and backgrounds. We are committed to imbedding principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion in all of our everyday practices. The diverse nature of our student body is notable, with international students comprising 32% of our undergraduate population and 80% of our postgraduate population, 72% of our students identify as BAME, and in 2024 17% of our home first-year undergraduate students came to us with a contextual offer. We are proud to be a leading department in the University in this area.

Athena Swan Award

At the School of Law, we are committed to supporting staff to achieve their potential. The School currently holds an Athena Swan Departmental Silver Award and the University of Warwick holds an Athena Swan Institutional Silver Award: a national initiative recognising the advancement of gender equality, representation, progression, and success for all in academia. We are supportive of staff with caring responsibilities, with generous carers / maternity / paternity / adoption / parental leave policies, onsite childcare facilities, and a childcare vouchers scheme. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena Swan, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.



About the University
We are a world-leading research-intensive university founded in 1965. We are ranked

67th in the world

and

10th in the UK.

92% of our research is rated world-leading or internationally excellent.*


Find out more about us on our website.

QS World University Rankings 2024, Research Excellence Framework 2021


How to Apply

CLOSING DEADLINE: Thursday 23rd October 2025 at 23:55 (GMT)

To apply, please click "Apply" below and submit an application form by the closing deadline.

You will be asked two include two attachments:

The first attachment should include:

Your CV, which should outline education and employment history (including your most recent employment), plus any other relevant experience (e.g. volunteering, extracurricular, etc.). One piece of independent academic writing. This could be a journal article, a policy report, or a chapter of a thesis or dissertation.

The second attachment should include:

Your cover letter, which should explain your motivations for applying to the role and how you meet the essential and desirable criteria detailed in the

All essential criteria must be met by candidates who are invited to interview.


For guidance on writing a cover letter, see here.

Interview Date:

Thursday 20 November 2025

Expected Start Date:

05 January 2026

Expected End Date:

04 January 2028 Please note that, due to a systems limitation, our application forms only allow applicants to submit two attachments, hence our asking that you submit your CV and the publication together as a single document, and the cover letter separately. You can merge PDFs using ilovepdf.com.

Please note application forms must be submitted before the stated deadline - you will not be able to submit after 23:55 (even if you opened the form earlier). Only applications submitted via our official careers portal (warwick-careers.tal.net) will be considered.



What we Offer
We provide a comprehensive range of benefits, including:

An attractive pension scheme. 26 days holiday plus University Christmas closure. Generous parental/adoption leave policy. Onsite childcare facilities. Excellent learning and development opportunities.

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer access to flexible working arrangements. Find out more about our flexible working arrangements.


We are proud to be a Living Wage employer.



Our Commitment to Inclusion

Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion

Warwick is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and respectful community where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities, and actively encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.


Find out more about our Social Inclusion work at Warwick.


We are also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance.

Safeguarding & DBS

The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with.

Roles involving regulated activity are subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the appropriate level, in line with the DBS Code of Practice. The University will ensure that anyone subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group (children and/or adults). All employees, volunteers, and partners are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding.

Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders

The University will not discriminate against applicants who make a disclosure relating to a conviction.


Disclosures at application stage are only visible to the DBS team, not to hiring panels. This ensures fairness and removes bias from the shortlisting process.



Right to Work in the UK
We wish to advise applicants that this role is not eligible for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa. If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK you will need to check the UK Government Website to see if you are eligible to obtain the right to work in the UK through one of the other UK immigration routes before you make your application.