Research Fellow: University Social Impact
Join to apply for the Research Fellow: University Social Impact role at York St. John University
Pay Range
This range is provided by York St. John University. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.
Base Pay
Part time, Fixed term
Location: York
Salary: £39,906 to £48,822 per annum (£15,962 to £19,528 pro rata)
Introduction
York St. John is an ambitious, modern university at the heart of historic York and there has never been a more exciting time to join us. As one of the fastest growing universities in the UK over recent years, we have a new strategy for the next decade, emphasising our commitment to widening opportunity through the power of education and contributing our talents to creating a fairer world, and a more prosperous region. We are putting inspirational learning and impactful research at the heart of this strategy, recognising our academic expertise as our greatest asset.
Institute for Social Justice
The Institute for Social Justice was launched in 2020 to underpin York St. John University’s mission to ‘stand up for social justice'. We do so through developing collaborative research and practice that seeks to identify, expose and address some of the inequalities, injustices and challenges facing society today. At its core, the Institute seeks to work with people, partners and communities in a manner that sees participation, implementation and change as vital parts of its mission.
Role Overview
We are looking for an innovative and skilled researcher to work with the ISJ core team on an 18‑month project focused on ‘Evidencing University Social Impact’. This role will involve research, consultation and design to develop a bespoke definition and approach to evidencing social impact, in partnership with YSJ staff and students, external partners and the wider community.
Key Responsibilities
* Conduct consultation with YSJ stakeholders (internal and external)
* Desk research into existing models, University social impact evidence and possible external benchmarks (e.g. UN SDGs)
* Design and test approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods
* Develop action‑oriented insights and impact strategy
* Publish results to appropriate audiences
* Collaborate with the Director of the ISJ and a cross‑university working group
Required Skills and Experience
* Knowledge of approaches to understanding and evidencing social impact, ideally within education and higher education
* Experience of mixed methods and co‑productive research methods
* Creative and alternative uses of quantitative measures in social/community/education contexts
* Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to work well with diverse groups
* Alignment with the ethos of the Institute for Social Justice and its commitment to social, ecological and epistemic justice
Benefits Package
* Excellent annual leave entitlement, including five discretionary university closure days over the Christmas period
* Disability leave (applies to staff who have disclosed a disability and is also available to staff with disabled dependants)
* Pension scheme
* Health Cash Plan after six months service
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists
* On‑campus courses, one‑to‑one tutorials and online resources to develop digital skills
* Relocation expenses package for certain roles
* Reimbursement of Skilled Worker Visa application fees and Visa loan scheme (if applicable)
Supplementary Information
For informal enquiries please contact Matthew Reason (m.reason@yorksj.ac.uk). For further information visit our website. We welcome applications from individuals from under‑represented backgrounds and offer flexible working arrangements.
To apply, complete the candidate application form guidance attached to this advert. Requests for reasonable adjustments can be made to vacancies@yorksj.ac.uk.
Closing Date
Tuesday 25 November 2025 at midnight
Other Details
Seniority level: Entry level
Employment type: Part‑time
Job function: Other – Higher Education
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