Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)

We are inviting applications for two Research Fellow posts in the School of Geography.

These appointments are being made in relation to a £1.6 million UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship entitled “Invisible Women, Invisible Workers: Focusing a gendered lens on health and safety in the global garment industry” (2022-2026). The Fellowship explores the health and safety of workers in garments and footwear manufacturing, focusing on four countries: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Jordan, and the UK. Health and safety is an urgent concern for female workers, in particular. Women comprise a majority of the workforce in the sector, yet a lack of gender-disaggregated data combined with the predominance of gender-blind programming means that workplace protections often miss key threats to women’s wellbeing. The research aims to understand and communicate how women in the garment industry experience health and safety, and identify strategies to better protect their wellbeing and security.

The postholders will work with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Lawreniuk, and other members of the research team including external partners and stakeholders.

The successful applicants will conduct substantive fieldwork with female garment workers in one of the project’s four sites (either Ethiopia or Jordan), using feminist, creative, and participatory methods including institutional ethnography, qualitative interviews, counter-mapping, and Photovoice. They will analyse qualitative data, and disseminate findings by developing articles for peer-reviewed publications. They will generate impact-focused material to influence non-academic audiences, as well as coordinate relationships and events with external stakeholders to deliver knowledge exchange towards impact. They will provide administrative support to the Principal Investigator and research team, as required. Each role has dedicated funds to support the postholder’s professional development, including tailored training, mentoring, international research visits, and conference attendance.

We welcome applications to join our diverse and interdisciplinary team from recent PhD graduates (or near to completion of a PhD) in human geography or cognate fields (including sociology, anthropology, development studies, health humanities, etc.), as well as from applicants with postdoctoral experience, or those who do not hold a PhD but have equivalent research experience and expertise. Applicants must have experience of undertaking fieldwork in low or middle-income countries and must have sufficient knowledge in fields of work, labour, or employment. We welcome applicants who are able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in one or more areas: gendered work relations; (feminist) political economy; social reproduction; gendered health and wellbeing; and/or ethnographic, participatory and creative methods.

The School of Geography is committed to high-quality research and knowledge transfer, and we have a strong culture of interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Postholders will benefit from intersecting interests across the School’s Economic Worlds research theme and Health Geography Hub, as well as the University’s Rights Lab.

Posts are full-time (36.25 hours), fixed term from 1st November to 31st July 2026. Arrangements for job share would be considered.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr. Sabina Lawreniuk, email [email protected] . Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

Please contact me directly should you have any questions regarding this matter.