Research Associate (KTP)

Please note that this job is open only to current members of staff of Cardiff University who are eligible for redeployment.

Research Associate (Knowledge Transfer Partnership)

We are looking for a Research Associate to join the Knowledge Transfer Partnership team between Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Cardiff University.

Project summary

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW), the 4th largest company in Wales, provides water and wastewater services to 3 million. As a water utility with a unique non-profit business model, all benefits are re-invested to deliver safe and affordable water while safeguarding freshwater environments. However, in aggregate, inappropriate customer behaviours such as blocking sewers with wet wipes, overusing water during droughts or dumping pesticides near drinking water abstraction points cost DCWW more than £25m per year.

A top priority of the 2050 DCWW strategic plan is to reduce this significant cost. Savings can then be used to address failings linked to ageing assets and climate change that would otherwise require increased water bills. To achieve this, the KTP aims to change current customer behaviours and secure long-term customer buy-in, delivering over £5m in savings per year five years on.

The KTP will involve a novel custom-built customer engagement process that, for the first time, will help to transform the relationship between the utility and its customers, delivering a step-change in customer behaviour. The process involves i) a customer knowledge framework to decipher customer motivations and design relevant behaviour change interventions, and ii) an Intervention assessment toolkit to evaluate the impact of new interventions.

This role is eligible to be offered on a blended working basis, meaning that as well as spending time working on campus you may spend some time working from another location, e.g. your home. The University is committed to offering this flexibility, wherever the role and business need allows, supporting work-life balance.

This position is full-time, 35 hours per week and fixed term until 31st July 2027.

Salary: £40,274 - £45,163 per annum (Grade 6). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at the bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

We can offer you the chance to work in a vibrant organisation, with great benefits and opportunities for progression. We are a proud Living Wage supporter. The successful applicant will join an energetic and well-funded research environment, which includes established investigators, post-doctoral fellows and PhD students.

Please contact Isabelle Durance (Durance@cardiff.ac.uk) for an informal, confidential discussion about the role.

Closing date: Friday, 20 December 2024

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Job Description

Main function

To conduct research within behaviour change sciences, carrying out research leading to the publishing of high-quality research and effective knowledge transfer between the University and DCWW, the water utility of Wales.

Main duties and responsibilities

Research

1. To conduct research within behaviour change sciences and contribute to the overall research performance of the University by the production of measurable outputs including bidding for funding, publishing in national academic journals and conferences, and the recruitment and supervision of postgraduate research students.
2. To develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research including research funding proposals.
3. To attend and or present at conferences/seminars at a local and national level as required.
4. To undertake administrative tasks associated with the research project, including the planning and organisation of the project and the implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
5. To prepare research ethics and research governance applications as appropriate.
6. To review and synthesise existing research literature within the field.

Other

• To undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance.
• Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.
• To participate in school administration and activities to promote the school and its work to the wider University and the outside world.

Person Specification

Your application will be assessed against the following essential and desirable criteria for the role. Please copy and paste this section into a new document and give clear examples of how you can evidence meeting each criteria by writing under each one. You can draw on elements from any aspect of your life (e.g. work, home, education/qualifications or community life) as long as you focus on their relevance to the role.

Essential criteria

1. Postgraduate degree at PhD level in a related subject area or equivalent or relevant industrial experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

1. An established expertise and proven portfolio of research and/or relevant industrial experience within a social science field preferably in environmental psychology.
2. Knowledge of current status of research in specialist field.
3. Proven ability to publish in national/international journals / national/international conferences and/or other research outputs.
4. Knowledge and understanding of competitive research funding to be able to develop applications to funding bodies.

Communication and Team Working

1. Excellent communication skills are essential and include the ability to adapt communication to suit different contexts and audiences and work collaboratively with subject matter specialists, business partners and stakeholders.
2. Skills in project management or facilitation together with an ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team is essential.

Other

1. Proven ability to demonstrate creativity, innovation and team-working within work.
2. Experience or strong interest in working on an interdisciplinary project is essential.
3. Proven ability to work without close supervision.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience in environmental psychology, particularly experience in designing and/or conducting behaviour change studies is especially desirable.
2. Evidence of collaborations with industry.
3. Experience in conducting statistical analyses is desirable.
4. Basic knowledge of the water sector is desirable.