About
The
Job.
School of Law
Faculty of Social Sciences
Research Associate
About
The
Job.
Pursue the extraordinary
Overview
The Faculty of Social Sciences is a large and diverse grouping of thirteen departments that
offer professional education alongside more traditional social science disciplines. This rich
and exciting disciplinary mix encompasses both world-leading academic research and
education and a strong practitioner focus in particular areas. It uniquely positions the
Faculty among Sheffield's peer institutions.
About the Department
The School of Law is a large and diverse law school with an international reputation for
excellence in research and for the expertise of its staff and the achievements of its
graduates.
The School places high-quality research and innovative teaching at the heart of its work.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a substantial contribution to our research.
Research
The School is committed to maintaining its reputation for leading-edge research of
international excellence and was highly assessed in the 2008 and 2001 RAEs. The School is
committed to providing substantial support to our research effort through dedicated
timetabling space and a significant budget supporting individuals and groups, as well as
Research Support staff. The School’s specialist areas of research are located in five
Research Groups:
 The Centre for Criminological Research (CCR) was one of the four original
criminological centres of excellence in the UK and is now over thirty years old. CCR
reaches across the University as a multi-disciplinary Centre, conducting high quality
research on criminology and criminal justice, which has been funded by the EU, the
ESRC, trusts and the government.
 The Centre for the Study of Law in Society (CLIS) is a multi-disciplinary body,
undertaking theoretical and applied research and contributing at the highest levels to
socio-legal knowledge and policy development. The Centre has an impact at both the
local, national and international level. The Centre adopts a wide variety of quantitative
and qualitative research methods to inform projects funded by the major research
funding bodies, including the ESRC, the EU and the Office of the Parliamentary and
Health Service Ombudsman.
 The Institute of Biotechnological, Law and Ethics (SIBLE) is a University-wide
interdisciplinary research centre with members from law, medicine, biomolecular
science, tissue engineering and developmental biology. It has an international
reputation for research on legal and ethical aspects of biotechnology and the
biosciences.
 The Institute for Commercial Law Studies (ICLS) provides a focus for academic and
applied research in Commercial Law in the broad sense, thus contributing to the
development of a body of knowledge about, and understanding of, Commercial Law.
 The Sheffield Centre for International and European Law (SCIEL) focuses on the
global and European aspects of legal issues, and more broadly draws on the
School’s strengths in the many forms of International, European and Comparative
Law to consider the wider implications of current problems. The Centre has around 20
members.
More about our research and research groups can be found at:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/law/research.
Job Role
The Research Associate will work as part of a small team of researchers on an Economic
and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded study of police custody. The aim of the study
is to rigorously examine what ‘good’ police custody is, taking into account recent
shifts towards civilianisation and privatisation in how police custody is delivered. The
study is a mixed-method project and will involve the collection of a variety of primary
and secondary qualitative and quantitative data, including observational data,
qualitative interviews, survey data and data from police records. Some of the
quantitative data will be analysed using multi-level modelling and you will play a key role
in collecting, analysing and writing up these data, in conjunction with Dr Lindsay Stirton.
You will manage data collection and storage on a day-to-day basis, as well as assisting
with the analysis of the data, the writing up of the research and the timely completion of
the project. In performing these tasks, you will liaise closely with the Principal
Investigator (PI), Dr Layla Skinns, and a Research Assistant (RA) to be appointed at the
same time as the Research Associate, as well as with other academics in the School of
Law, advisers and administrators. The post will involve some travel and overnight stays in
the UK during the intensive phases of data collection, as well as occasional trips abroad
to conferences.
Job Description
Main Duties and Responsibilities

Manage data collection and storage on a day-to-day basis.

Liaise closely with the PI and Research Assistant, as well as other academics, advisers and
administrators relevant to the study.

Assist with negotiations about access to conduct the research.

Assist with the design and creation of research instruments.

Collect a variety of primary and secondary quantitative and qualitative data from
multiple police stations and police forces.

Analyse these data, using quantitative techniques (descriptive and inferential statistics)
and qualitative approaches (e.g. coding and thematic analysis).

Take a lead role in the analysis and writing up of survey data, using multi-level
modelling.

Read and review literature as appropriate.

Assist in the writing of the project website/blog, newsletters, reports and scholarly
publications.

Contribute to conference presentations, practitioner workshops and research advisory
group meetings, as well as assisting in the running of them.

Attend project meetings and research advisory group meetings in Sheffield.

Prepare the data from the study for storage at the end of the project.

Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.
Person Specification
Applicants should provide evidence in their applications that they meet the following
criteria. We will use a range of selection methods to measure candidates’ abilities in these
areas including reviewing your on-line application, seeking references, inviting shortlisted
candidates to interview and other forms of assessment action relevant to the post.
Criteria
Essential Desirable
Qualifications and experience
1.
A good honours degree in social science (or equivalent).
X
2.
Have a PhD (or equivalent) in an area of social science.
X
3.
Experience of collecting and analysing quantitative and
X
qualitative data.
4.
Experience of conducting research on the police.
X
5.
Experience of multi-level modelling.
X
Management skills
6.
Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report
X
writing skills, experience of delivering presentations.
7.
Effective communication skills with staff of varying levels of
X
seniority in criminal justice and academic organisations.
Team working
8.
Experience of being able to work as part of a small team.
X
Problem solving and decision making
9.
Ability to develop creative approaches to problem solving.
X
10.
Ability to analyse and solve problems with an appreciation of
X
longer-term implications.
Project management
11.
Experience of managing a research project over a significant
X
period of time.
12.
Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress
X
work activities.
Personal effectiveness
13.
Ability to work independently, including in planning own work
X
and setting own goals.
14.
Ability to work to deadlines.
X
15.
Experience of adapting own skills to new circumstances.
X
16.
Experience of using initiative to bring about successful
X
outcomes.
Further Information
To perform some of the duties of this post, you will be required to travel nationally to
collate data and internationally to attend conferences.
This post is fixed-term with a start date of {date} and an end date of {date}.
This post is full-time:
This role has been identified as a full-time post, but we are committed to exploring flexible
working opportunities with our staff which benefit both the individual and the University.
Therefore, we would consider flexible delivery of the role subject to meeting the business
needs of the post. See www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing/info/wlb.html for more
information.
Benefits
Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for Grade 7 staff.
Salary for this grade: £28,685 - £36,298 per annum.
More details on salaries, terms and conditions and our wide range of benefits for staff are
available at www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/reward/structures
Closing date; TO BE CONFIRMED BY HR
Informal enquiries:
For all on-line application system queries and support, contact:
e-Recruitment@sheffield.ac.uk .
For informal enquiries about this job and department, contact: {name, job title} on
name@sheffield.ac.uk or {Tel}.
Criminal records check:
Please note that as the post involves working with the police, you may be required to
undertake a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records
Bureau) check. The successful applicant will be notified.
Please note that as this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a
satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service may be required for the appointee. If you
have a spent criminal record and are invited to interview for this post, you are required to
provide details of your convictions in confidence, with the job reference number/ title of
post/recruiting department, in advance of the interview to the Assistant Director
Business Support, Department of Human Resources, University of Sheffield, Western
Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN (mark the envelope PERSONAL). This information will be treated
as strictly confidential and will only be considered if you are invited to interview for the
post.
If you have been barred from working with children or vulnerable adults by the Independent
Safeguarding Authority it is a criminal offence to apply for a post involving regulated
activity with children or vulnerable adults. Regulated activity involves contact of a specified
nature. If you are unsure if you may apply for this post for this reason then please contact
Katie Bryan at K.Bryan@sheffield.ac.uk in the Department of Human Resources for further
information.
Selection-Next Step
Following the closing date, you will be informed by email whether or not you have been
shortlisted to be invited to participate in the next stage of the selection process. Please note
that due to the large number of applications that we receive, it may take up to two working
weeks following the closing date before the recruiting department will be able to contact
you.
It is anticipated that interviews and other selection action will be held on {date}
The University of Sheffield is committed to achieving excellence through inclusion.
The University of Sheffield is proud to be a Two Ticks employer
www.sheffield.ac.uk/hr/equality/support/twoticks/
Pursue the extraordinary