Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position to support a Leverhulme Trust–funded research project on structural complexity and firm green innovation. The project will examine how firms’ internal organizational structures shape their capacity to generate green innovation. The study will develop an objective, structure–based measure of firm complexity using information from U.S. firms’ 10–K filings, particularly subsidiary and affiliate disclosures, and links this measure to patent–based indicators of environmental innovation.
Job Purpose
The Research Assistant will play an important role in the empirical development of the project. The work will involve collecting, cleaning, harmonizing, and managing large–scale firm‑level datasets, including information from SEC filings, Compustat, patent databases, and other relevant public or proprietary sources. The RA will also assist with preliminary descriptive analysis and econometric tests that will form the empirical foundation of the project.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Perform the following activities in conjunction with and under the guidance of the Principal/Co Investigator:
1. Plan and conduct assigned research individually or jointly in accordance with the project deliverables and project/group/School/College research strategy.
2. Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate.
3. Develop and enhance your research profile and reputation and that of The University of Glasgow/School/Research Group, including contributing to publications of international quality in high profile/quality refereed journals, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.
4. Contribute to the presentation of work, at internal and external seminars, colloquia and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.
5. Collaborate with colleagues and participate in team/ group/ meetings/ seminars/ workshops across the research Group/School/College/University and wider community.
6. Perform administrative tasks related to the activities of the research group and School, including Budgets/Expenditure.
7. Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field/discipline.
8. Engage in continuing professional development activities as appropriate.
9. Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Head of School/Director of Research Institute.
Key responsibilities
* Collect and organize firm‑level data from SEC filings and other public or proprietary sources.
* Extract and structure information from 10‑K filings and Exhibit 21 subsidiary disclosures, including subsidiary names, legal entity types, ownership relations, and geographic locations.
* Implement rule‑based and BERT‑based text‑extraction procedures.
* Validate extracted information through manual checks and clear documentation.
* Construct firm‑year measures of structural complexity, including subsidiary breadth, ownership depth, geographic dispersion, and legal‑form heterogeneity.
* Merge structural complexity measures with financial, organizational, and green innovation datasets.
* Clean and manage large panel datasets.
* Conduct preliminary descriptive statistics and econometric analysis.
* Prepare tables, figures, and other research outputs, ensuring that code and workflows are clearly documented and reproducible.
Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Knowledge & Qualifications
Essential
* A1 SCQF Level 10 (Honours degree) in a relevant subject or cognate discipline, or equivalent experience.
* A2 Practical knowledge of empirical research methods relevant to the project.
* A3 Good knowledge of a relevant subject area, such as finance, accounting, economics, sustainability, innovation, data science, or applied econometrics.
Desirable
* B1 An awarded, recently submitted, or near‑completion PhD in a relevant subject area, or equivalent experience.
Skills
Essential
* C1 Careful attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
* C2 Ability to work independently, document code clearly, and deliver high‑quality outputs to agreed deadlines.
Experience
Essential
* E1 Relevant research experience, or equivalent experience, appropriate to an early‑career researcher.
* E2 Strong quantitative, data‑management, and programming skills, including proficiency in Python.
* E3 Experience working with large‑scale datasets.
* E4 Familiarity with panel data methods and applied econometrics.
Desirable
* F1 Experience with Python‑based text analysis or natural language processing;
* F2 Familiarity with BERT, FinBERT, or other transformer‑based models;
* F3 Experience working with SEC filings, 10‑K reports, or other semi‑structured textual data;
* F4 Experience with patent data or innovation‑related datasets;
* F5 Familiarity with Compustat, WRDS, CRSP, or similar databases;
* F6 Knowledge of corporate finance, sustainability, ESG, or green innovation.
Project context
The project is based at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. It contributes to ongoing debates in corporate finance and sustainability by examining whether structural complexity acts as a barrier to green innovation through coordination and accountability frictions, or whether it facilitates green innovation by giving firms access to broader resources, technologies, and regulatory environments.
Appointment details
The position is suitable for candidates with strong empirical, data‑management, and programming skills. The precise workload, duration, and start date will be agreed depending on project needs and the candidate’s availability. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the appointment.
Informal enquiries are welcome. Contact Dr Pantelis Kazakis, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, email: pantelis.kazakis@glasgow.ac.uk
Terms and Conditions
Salary will be Grade 6, £33,951 - £37,694 per annum pro rata.
This post is part time (14 hours per week) and fixed term for up to 6 months.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
1. A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2. An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3. A flexible approach to working.
4. A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6‑month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under‑represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
Closing date : 1 June 2026 @23:45
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