Research Associate

About the role

How does the invisible work of managing household and family life shape who participates in politics?

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to help develop a new programme of research on the domestic mental load, gender inequality and democratic participation. You will join the Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies at the University of Bath, working with Dr Ana Catalano Weeks on the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project, Invisible Burdens, Visible Gaps: The Mental Load and Gendered Citizenship.

The domestic mental load involves anticipating needs, planning and coordinating everyday family life. Women undertake a disproportionate share of this work, yet its consequences for political engagement remain poorly understood. Through research in Brazil, Iceland, Italy, Japan and the UK, the project investigates how household responsibilities, gender norms and policy environments shape the mental space available for political life.

Joining at the outset, you will have an opportunity to shape the project’s qualitative research and help develop new explanations of the relationship between private life and democratic inclusion. Working closely with the principal investigator and researchers in the five countries, you will:

• Help develop and refine semi-structured interview guides and creative visual methods, including participant-generated photographs (Photovoice).

• Support cross-national data collection and collaboration with locally based researchers.

• Lead thematic coding and analysis of interview and visual data, contributing to the project’s theoretical framework.

• Develop academic publications and conference presentations, and contribute to public engagement activities.

This is an opportunity to combine substantive research leadership with close collaboration and mentoring. You will be supported to develop both collaborative and independently authored publications arising from the project, build international research relationships, and strengthen your skills in research methods and public engagement.

About you

We welcome applicants from across the social sciences. You will bring:

• A PhD in political science, sociology, social policy, public policy, economics or a related discipline.

• Strong qualitative research skills, including experience of interviewing and systematic coding and analysis.

• An interest in gender inequalities, household labour, political engagement or related questions, and the ability to connect empirical findings to theoretical debates.

• The ability to take responsibility for research tasks while working collaboratively with colleagues across countries.

• Strong written and spoken English, organisational skills, and a thoughtful approach to research ethics and participant confidentiality.

Experience of comparative research, creative visual methods or qualitative analysis software such as NVivo would be an advantage. 

We welcome candidates whose expertise brings a fresh perspective to the project; prior research specifically on the mental load is not required.

Additional information

The position is full-time and fixed-term for 24 months, with scope for hybrid working. Working arrangements will be agreed with the principal investigator, balancing flexibility with in-person collaboration, participation in the department’s research community, and project activities.

As a member of Research Staff at the University of Bath, you will be encouraged to take up a minimum of 10 days professional development pro rata per year.

A lower grade offer may be made (Grade 6) with comparable reduction in responsibilities and amendment in job title to Research Assistant, if a suitable applicant cannot be found to fill the Grade 7 position. Applicants will need to be within six months of their course completion date and will be promoted to Research Associate once their PhD has been awarded. 

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equity and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We're very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. an accredited Disability Confident Leader; autism friendly university, committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff. 

What we can offer you 

We're continually expanding our benefits package to better support you and enhance your experience with us and the below is just an example of some of the many great benefits we offer:

• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff benefits include discounted postgraduate tuition and language courses, alongside a wide range of personal and professional development opportunities such as apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning, and more
• Local discounts, including free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• A family-friendly workplace 
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest-Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses
• Employee assistance services through Health Assured, including access to the Wisdom app

Find out more about our benefits and watch the video to hear from our staff about what makes the University of Bath a great place to work as well as following us X and LinkedIn.

Be Well at Bath

We’re committed to creating a health-supporting working environment where everyone can thrive and be at their best. We offer a range of resources to enable you to do that from your first day here, including:

• Staff support groups