Job Description

Ref Number

B16-01850

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

School of Education (B16)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

43,374 51,860

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

06-Aug-2025

About us

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About IOE

IOE is UCL Faculty of Education and Society.



Founded in 1902, IOE has been shaping policy and helping government, organisations and individuals navigate a changing society for the last 120 years. We embrace collaboration and excellence to create a future that is inclusive and just, and have been ranked number one for education every year since 2014 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject.



The Department of Learning and Leadership (DLL) is a large specialist research and teaching department of approximately 110 academic staff. The department is a major world leader in the following subject areas: Early Years and Primary Education, Educational Leadership, Education Policy, and Initial Teacher Education (ITE). We value innovative research, teaching and enterprise in all these areas and combine the very best of research innovation and evidence-based teaching, with a strong commitment to translating our work into policy and practice.

About the role

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This post represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ESRC Education Research Programme. The programme is committed to resetting the terms under which education research, policy and practice interact in the interest of creating meaningful change. The programme includes a cohort of nine research projects in universities across the UK that are using collaborative approaches to explore issues in teaching, learning and the uses of technology in schools. The projects will complete their work between November 2025 and March, 2026.



The postholder will join a research team, based in IOE, who have been exploring different policies and practices designed to encourage research partnerships in different parts of the UK, analysing the purposes they are intended to fulfil and assessing how they fit into the broader policy landscape.



The successful applicant will work with Programme Director, Professor Gemma Moss and other members of the research team to:


identify education networks and partnerships active in different parts of the UK that will form the core sample for this phase of the research identify and conduct interviews with a purposive sample of participants on what helps or hinders working in partnership with others analyse the data collected and contribute to writing reports and other research outputs intended for a range of different audiences (academic, practitioner, policymakers etc)

Findings from the programme will lead to guidance for the field on which kinds of collaborative approaches work best in education, under what conditions; and the research topics that would benefit from their use.



The role requires strong teamwork, good communication skills, effective time management and the ability to work independently in line with the project's aims. Candidates must be familiar with the education policy environment in the UK and have demonstrable qualitative interview skills appropriate to the post. Applications from those with a background in policy sociology or community-based research and engagement will be welcome.



A start date of 1st September 2025 is preferred, where possible, although an earlier start date could be considered.



Job shares will be considered.



This post is available until 31st March 2026 in the first instance.

About you

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You will have a Doctorate (or near completion) in sociology of education, education policy or adjacent area of the social sciences and a good understanding of the school-based education policy environment and the dynamic to education policy change in at least one of the 4 nations and jurisdictions of the UK.

Your application form should address all the person specification points and should clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet each of the criteria.

It is important that the criteria are clearly numbered and that you provide a response to each one.

What we offer

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As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:


41 Days holiday: 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days (pro rata for part time staff) Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme (pro rata for part time staff) Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan Immigration loan Relocation scheme for certain posts On-Site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.



We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.



These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.



Our faculty holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.