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PG Researcher

Details


1116862


University of Northampton


02/09/2026


1 - 2 Weeks


20 hours covering preparation, event day, and post-event analysis support


Casual

Pay


£16.63


£2.42

Description

Role

The Researcher will support delivery of the research strand of the Northampton Highways AI Hackathon 2026, a civic innovation event run in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council on 8 September 2026. The role covers qualitative and non-participant observation during the event and supports the analysis and reporting that follows, working under ethics approval ETH2526-0173.

The purpose of the role is to assist in the collection of data from a funded research project and in accordance with the project’s deliverables as specified in the project contractual arrangements. The research assistant will be tasked with coding qualitative data from survey and recorded semi-structured interviews. Once data is collected, the research assistant will then code transcripts based on a coding manual. 

Duties and responsibilities
Key responsibilities

• Act as a non-participant observer within team workspaces during the innovation sprint, recording observations in line with the approved research protocol
• Operate the colour-coded lanyard consent system on the day, ensuring data is only collected from participants who have consented
• Support audio recording and transcription processes, including flagging non-consenting contributions for redaction
• Assist with cleaning and preparing transcripts for thematic analysis
• Contribute to thematic analysis of research strand one data under the direction of Dr Michael Maher
• Support drafting of sections of the Highways Insight Report for West Northamptonshire Council
• Maintain accurate, ethically compliant records throughout, in line with the approved Data Management Plan
• Liaise with the wider project team, including the facilitation and events teams, to ensure research activity does not disrupt the participant experience
 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

•Assist Researchers in the conducting of Faculty research and evaluation.

•Responsibility for establishing effective systems for collection of data, and subsequent recording and collation of data.

•Organise and support qualitative research and evaluation.

•Develop and maintain working relationships within the institution and externally.

•Work both independently and as a member of a team.

•Compile reports and other written information as required.

•Support at workshops, conferences and other dissemination events.

Generic Duties and Responsibilities

•The post holder will be expected to undertake other responsibilities and tasks as reasonably requested by the Principle Investigator.

•The post holder will be responsible and accountable for ensuring all employment legislative requirements are adhered to including equality and diversity and health and safety issues

•The job description may be altered at any time in the future in line with the level of the post to meet changing institutional requirements, but only in full consultation with the post holder

Skills and experience
Person specification

 
Essential:
• Understanding of research ethics and confidentiality requirements
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to translate research notes into clear, client-facing outputs
• Ability to work calmly and unobtrusively in a fast-paced, public-facing event environment
• Available for the full event day (8 September 2026) plus preparation and post-event analysis sessions on the 2nd September 2026 and the 14th September 2026
 
Desirable:
• Experience conducting observational or qualitative research, ideally in a live or field setting
• Familiarity with thematic analysis methods
• Experience with transcription and qualitative data management tools
• Interest in civic innovation, public sector engagement, or knowledge exchange practice

Location
Waterside Campus

Additional information
This role is for a total of 20 hours covering preparation, event day, and post-event analysis support. The Researcher will need to be available for the full event day (8 September 2026) plus preparation and post-event analysis sessions on the 2nd September 2026 and the 14th September 2026.

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