Postdoctoral Research Associate - Management - Smart and Scale

Working at Durham University   

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a warm and friendly place to work, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. 

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 
Dynamic and vibrant, Durham University Business School is one of Durham University’s four Faculties and is comprised of four research-intensive departments: Accounting, Economics, Finance, and Management and Marketing. Known for its global reputation, its impact on policy and practice and its strong focus on ethics, responsibility and sustainability, the school aims to be a leading European business school with a strong global presence by 2027. The school currently has 180 academic and teaching staff, with plans and resource commitments to grow to 230 by 2027. In addition, 11 funded research centres (https://www.dur.ac.uk/business/research/research-centres/ ) blend leading theoretical perspectives with a strong emphasis on impact and engagement with practice, noted in www.durham.ac.uk/business . The school’s student population is around 4,000, across undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes. 

Our vision is to lead business thought and practice to improve global wealth and well-being. Our associated mission is to create, share and use knowledge to deliver equitable and sustainable futures around the world. We pursue this mission by advancing world-changing knowledge and securing global impact through increasingly collaborative research across disciplines and around the world.  

Our department is part of the triple-accredited Business School, home to academics whose research is internationally renowned for intellectual rigour and for the benefits it brings to the society. We work closely with business partners around the world, sharing insights, supporting innovation, and educating tomorrow’s leaders. More details about our research, teaching, and business connections can be found on our website https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/research/ . 

The Role 

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the Contribution of Scale-ups to the North East Economy research project. Specifically, we are seeking an individual with advanced qualitative training and skills to support a multi-stage investigation into how business support organisations aid scale up activity in regional economies. 
The successful applicant will work alongside the project Co-Investigator, Dr Stephanie Scott, and the project partners (industrial and academic) to conduct impactful and engaged research. The post-holder will be employed to work on an established research project, with clearly defined timelines and objectives. Whilst the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that the successful associate will possess knowledge, skills, and experiences to contribute creatively and professionally to the advancement of the project, i.e., through theoretical development, methodological or analysis skills, and/or contextual knowledge. The post-holder will also be required to translate academic research findings into practitioner implications for the benefit of the project partner (i.e. via report writing and external engagement). 

The role is funded by Durham University Business School’s Smart & Scale initiative which is an interdisciplinary impact-driven research programme in smart and scale-up activities, focusing on innovation and business development of SMEs in the North-East of England. 

Key responsibilities:

• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that lead 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 Grant-holder. 

• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.  

• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Grant-holder.  

• To work with the 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 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 contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect. 

This post is fixed term for 15 months of external funding, which is available from July 2026 for this fixed period only.
The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst 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 the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols. 
Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by July 2026. 
Working at Durham  
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:  
 

• You’ll receive 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, and 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 ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance. 

• We have 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.  

• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. 

• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. 

• Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). 

• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. 

• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.  

• Various salary sacrifice schemes are 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. 

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: Dr Stephanie Scott, [email protected] . 

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 [email protected]   

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: [email protected]

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. 

• Please include an explicit statement of your experience in conducting, designing, and analysing qualitative research and developing outputs within your cover letter. 

•  

Next Steps  

Short-listed candidates will be invited to the University, either virtually or in-person. The assessment for the post will normally include a presentation followed by an interview and we anticipate that the assessments and interviews will take place in June.

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. 
 

Essential Criteria:
 

Qualifications 

2. A PhD (or be close to submission) in Management Sciences or a similar relevant subject (e.g, Sociology, Entrepreneurship, Innovation). 

Experience 

Desirable Criteria:

• A track record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career. 

   

• Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics. 

   

• Experience of developing high quality impactful research through collaborative projects with external organisations. 

Skills 

• Demonstrable ability to plan and manage independent research.  

• Knowledge of trends and dynamics of North-East SMEs. 

SECONDMENT 
The post is full time fixed term for a 15 month period and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager.