Inernal Only - Research Associate - Software Developer

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This post is currently open to employees of Cardiff University only.  Please do not apply if you do not have a current contract of employment with the University.

Internal Only - Research Associate - Software Developer

Cardiff University School of Social Sciences is seeking to recruit a Research Associate - Software Developer to work within the Wales Institute for Economic Research, & Data (WISERD) located within the School.  

The post-holder will work with the WISERD Data Lead / Principal Investigator and be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of projects relating to the further development and dissemination of:

i. the WISERD DataPortal and associated data and analysis and
ii. The CaCHE Data Navigator and associated data and analysis

The post would suit an experienced academic or suitably qualified professional with expertise in developing, maintaining, and evaluating similar systems.

This is a full-time post of 35 hours a week and is fixed term to 30th September 2023.

Salary: £34,304 - £40,927 per annum (Grade 6) - an appointment above the bottom of the scale is not anticipated

Closing date: Tuesday, 16 November 2021

External applications are currently not being considered for this post.  If the decision is made to open the post to external candidates, the strapline at the top will be removed and you will be given ample time to apply – please check back periodically for details.

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

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 who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  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.

“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: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/our-research-environment/integrity-and-ethics/responsible-research-assessment”

Job Description

To work with the Principal Investigator and WISERD data team on a research project funded by the ESRC to develop and maintain a data discovery and sharing infrastructure about i. Civil Society via the WISERD DataPortal and ii. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties

• To undertake day to day research activity within the overall agreed research programme
• To develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research related to WISERD programmes including research funding proposals 
• To prepare research ethics and research governance applications as appropriate
• To continue the technical and software development of the WISERD DataPortal / UK CaCHE Data Navigator including improving and developing its functionality and usability
• To engage and collaborate with Civil Society end users, housing experts, stakeholders and external partners associated with the DataPortal / Data Navigator
• To build and create networks both internally and externally to the university, to influence decisions, explore future research requirements, and share research ideas for the benefit of research projects
• To facilitate the development of a sustainability strategy for the WISERD DataPortal / UK CaCHE Data Navigator
• To present on the project at high profile local and national events, conferences and meetings
• To evaluate the roll-out of the DataPortal / Data Navigator and provide support for its continued sustainability within the data communities in Wales and the UK
• To undertake administrative tasks associated with the research project, including the organisation of project meetings and documentation and the implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting
• To provide oversight and guidance as required to the WISERD data team working on WISERD data projects
• To write up independent research results and communicate research results within the research group and other groups in WISERD, at meetings through publications and other recognised avenues as appropriate
• To publish high quality journal articles related to the DataPortal / Data Navigator and its development
• To review and synthesise existing research literature within the field
• To prepare reports for steering groups and other bodies as required
• To participate as a member of a research team, attending and contributing to relevant research meetings
• To provide support to other research colleagues on routine research activities and techniques
• To assist in WISERD’s training and capacity building programme in relation to improving spatial and statistical literacy amongst Civil Society researchers using the DataPortal and other WISERD data platforms
• To analyse and interpret the results of own research and generate conclusions
• To update continually knowledge and understanding of DataPortals / Data Navigators, data sharing and data integration and translate knowledge of advances into research activity

• To engage effectively with industrial, commercial and public sector organisations, professional institutions, other academic institutions etc., regionally and nationally to raise awareness of WISERD’s profile, to cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to WISERD and the enhancement of its regional and national profile
• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

• Experience of contributing to publications in the field of research 
• Experience of delivering presentations at conferences / meeting.
• Experience of geospatial analysis methodologies and open-source web frameworks, such as Django, and data management systems, such as CKAN.
• Experience of developing web applications using free open-source web software, such as Ubuntu, Nginx, Postgres, and Python.
• Experience of working with data in a Higher Education environment, particularly in the social sciences disciplines such as geography or sociology.
• Experience of working towards compliance with GDPR / the UK Data Service’s policies and procedures relating to data.
• A flexible and adaptable approach to work, a willingness to learn and apply new skills.
• Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

Additional Information

The Wales Institute for Economic Research, & Data (WISERD) has been awarded £8m of funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and a further £4.6m of funding from its partner Universities to undertake a five-year programme of policy relevant research addressing Civil Society, Civic Stratification and Civil repair in Wales, the UK and Internationally. Research will be inter-institutional and multidisciplinary and will aim to produce new evidence on the changing nature of civil society.
As well as the five WISERD partner institutions of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Swansea, and South Wales universities, WISERD Civil Society also includes co-investigators from Roehampton, Manchester, Manchester Met, Staffordshire and UCL universities as well as international collaborators from Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

Job Category

Academic - Research