Postdoctoral Research Associate (Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding)

Working at Durham University

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As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community.

Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential.

Our Purpose and Values

We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page

The Role and Department

Are you a researcher committed to social justice? Do you have an interest in understanding, and improving the design of safeguarding systems nationally and internationally? Are you interested in developing knowledge, and practical resources, to help services to better meet the needs of young people who are harmed in extra-familial contexts and relationships? For over a decade, the Contextual Safeguarding Programme at Durham University (previously at the University of Bedfordshire) has been at the forefront of reforming safeguarding systems, to promote the welfare of young people in places where they spend their time. In September 2025 the programme will formally be established as an interdisciplinary research centre - the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding (GCCS). The GCCS, led by Durham’s Sociology Department, Business School and School of Education, will bring together departments across the four faculties of the University to: transform how societies understand and deliver services that safeguard young people beyond their homes; create systems that look beyond the capacity of parents to protect children; and build sustainable partnerships in which safeguarding is truly everybody's business. This is not a Centre simply focused on researching and improving existing safeguarding practices; it is instead committed to a radical transformation in how safeguarding is conceptualised, studied, and practiced, and by whom.

To establish the GCCS a number of new academic and professional support service roles are being recruited to join the existing programme team. One of these roles is a Post Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA), who will work to the Centre full time; supporting the Centre Director, Professor Carlene Firmin, and the wider Centre leadership team to generate new knowledge, research income, and dissemination pathways over its first four years. 

The Contextual Safeguarding Programme is world leading. It is part of Durham’s Sociology Department whose members, postgraduate researchers, and students collectively develop ‘sociological imagination’ and apply it to contemporary processes and issues. These include social inequality and its implications for social mobility, education and health; violence, abuse, and the role of help-seeking and state responses. The Department of Sociology at Durham is one of the very best UK Sociology Departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. The Department was ranked 1st for Criminology in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024, and ranked 4th for impact in REF 2021.

Due to the reach and scope of the Contextual Safeguarding programme most team members work to a hybrid working model, with research underway in various part of the UK as well as via online data collection methods. Travel to sites implementing Contextual Safeguarding, and for impact activities, are relatively frequent, and are reimbursed.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (full time role) with an in interest in social justice; we anticipate such applicants having varied research journeys, potentially coming from disciplines that include Sociology, Criminology, Youth and Community Work, or Social Work amongst others. The postholder will be required to undertake various scoping exercises, both in terms of literature and policy reviews, to build a multi-disciplinary and multi-country understanding of safeguarding responses to risks beyond the home. They will convert knowledge generated by staff across the GCCS, into accessible and practical resources, and will use these, alongside their scoping activities to support bid development activities across the Centre. The successful applicant will be expected to be proficient in literature review methodologies, and have a good command of research knowledge relevant to Contextual Safeguarding. Research experience, including from their PhD, is essential, however we are open to the nature of the methodological expertise they hold be that quantitative or qualitative.

Key responsibilities:

• To undertake literature reviews and policy reviews relevant to Contextual Safeguarding.
• To support the development of international academic stakeholder networks, including via knowledge capture activities under the leadership of senior researchers in the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding.
• To assist with the development of research proposals.
• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.
• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder as well as briefings and reports for policy, practice and community audiences.
• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is fixed term for two years. This is due to funding being available for this fixed period only.

The post-holder is employed to support research activity - including income generation - across the Global Centre for Contextual Safeguarding, rather than any specific research project. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of various projects, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Working at Durham 

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

•    30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.
•    The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
•    We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled  into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
•    On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
•    A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
•    If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here .

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key component of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our Purpose and Values  and our Staff Code of Conduct.   At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all colleagues undertake activities that are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.

If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Professor Carlene Firmin, Sociology Department, carlene.e.firmin@durham.ac.uk

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time.  We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

University contact for general queries about the recruitment process

e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk 

How to Apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

• a CV and cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below.

Next Steps

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person and will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Department.  The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation to members of the Contextual Safeguarding team followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place over two days in July 2025. In the event that you are unable to attend in person on the date offered, it may not be possible to offer you an interview on an alternative date.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

Qualifications

Experience

Skills

Desirable Criteria

Experience

Skills

     15. Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.