Senior Research Associate - Consuming

The role

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Research Associate (SRA) to join the ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures ( www.bristol.ac.uk/censof) as part of the Consuming Futures domain. The SRA will join a genuinely interdisciplinary team (crossing Sociology, STS, Computer Science and Engineering) and utilise an innovate suite of methods to explore how current patterns of consumption are configured, to model their social and environmental impacts, and to explore their futures. The successful applicant will be involved in a programme of work to explore the changing nature of household entertainment and communication - and attendant infrastructures - with a view to thinking about how sociodigital futures in the making might be steered towards sustainable and equitable forms of consumption.

What will you be doing?

• Contributing to the design, development, implementation and delivery of fieldwork and distinctive research projects with the Consuming Futures Domain;
• Engaging in cross-Centre collaboration (other Domains of Practice, Futures Studio threads and Technical Affordance Project teams) to participate in and advance the research objectives of the Centre;
• Collaborating with the Centre's strategic partners in developing the programme of research, impact and engagement activities;
• Playing a lead role in data collection and analysis as well as in the preparation of publications, other outputs (including blogs, project reports, policy briefing and working papers), and wider impact and engagement.

The successful applicant will be supported in establishing a strong research profile to include an emerging track record of research publication, impact on policy and practice, and potential for securing external research funding.

You should apply if

You have:

• A PhD in a relevant field (e.g. Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, Computer Science/HCI)
• Significant background knowledge and experience in one or more of: (1) Sociological (and/or related) approaches to consumption, (2) Science and Technology Studies (STS), and (3) Sustainable Consumption and Production Systems
• Relevant experience in the study of digital technologies and/or new media
• Strong qualitative research skills, including: interviews, ethnographic methods, and the ability to work with archival and secondary data
• An understanding of systems modelling, to include: qualitative skills (e.g. mapping systems and creating causal loop diagrams) and the ability to understand, assimilate and integrate quantitative data - both statistical (e.g. trends in consumer markets) and the results techniques for quantifying environmental impacts (e.g. Life Cycle Assessment)
• Experience of:
  • independent and collegial academic contribution for fostering an active research culture.
  • writing and producing academic and other written materials facilitating academic and other cross-sectoral workshops and events

We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBT+ and BAME communities, to join us.