Senior Research Assistant (Vital and Viable project)

Apply

Business School

£17.12 hourly pay + £2.07 per hour holiday pay

Short term role

Manchester campus (Jobs4Students)

29 Apr 2026

Home
Vacancies
Senior Research Assistant (Vital and Viable project)

Job Description

The current opportunity is available for current Manchester Met students, to apply you must be based in the UK for the duration of the role.

The main purpose of this role is to provide research support to colleagues and support staff for the Vital and Viable project by assisting, and where necessary taking the lead, with research data collection and analysis, and the dissemination of findings to appropriate groups related to the project.

Support the development of new areas in the field of place management.

Dates: from 5 May to 3 July 2026
Hours: up to 16 hours a week
Location: Business School/Hybrid

Key Tasks
Research Activities
Undertake a scoping literature review of academic research published since 2019, to identify factors that affect the performance of high streets and town/city centres.
Assist with the design of a Delphi Survey based on the factors identified by the scoping review.
Use initiative and judgement to develop appropriate techniques in order to facilitate research work and resolve problems affecting the achievement of objectives and deadlines.
Plan, prioritise and organise own work or resources, and the work of Research Assistants and students where appropriate, in order to achieve agreed objectives.
Write up results of own research and prepare for presentation to research team and relevant stakeholders.
Contribute to the production of research reports and publications.

Liaison and Networking
Participate in internal and external partnerships and networks in order to aid the dissemination of research findings, to share best practice, and to enhance the reputation of the University.
Present research to the team and in appropriate articles for publication, such as academic/professional journals or conferences.
Service Provision.
Develop own and/or joint research objectives, budgets, and project proposals with senior research staff which meet funding criteria and benefit the department.
Proactively and effectively engage with quality assurance procedures to ensure that University standards are upheld.
Collaborate with academic colleagues on research development and future direction.

Team Working
Actively participate as a member of the research team, offering general help and guidance to others and PhD students who may be assisting with the research project.
Attend Faculty, Department and Programme meetings/boards as appropriate to proactively contribute to decision making.
Introduce new starters to the area, giving training on basic skills and activities to assist their induction to the team.
Assist senior staff in the guidance and support of new research assistants or members of staff within the department as appropriate.
Supervise the work/projects of taught postgraduate and/or research students as required to support the development of students’ research skills.

Other
The successful candidate must be able to work independently.

Miscellaneous
You have a legal duty, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure that you do not endanger yourself or anyone else by your acts or omissions. In addition, you must cooperate with the University on health and safety matters and must not interfere or misuse anything provided for health, safety and welfare purposes.
You are responsible for applying the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy in your own area of responsibility and in your general conduct.
You have a responsibility to promote high levels of customer care within your own areas of work.
Such other relevant duties commensurate with the grade of the post as may be assigned by the Manager in agreement with you. Such agreement should not be unreasonably withheld.
You have the responsibility to engage with the University’s commitment to Environmental Sustainability in order to reduce its waste, energy consumption and carbon footprint.
You have the responsibility to engage with the University’s commitment to delivering value for money services that optimise the use of resources and therefore should consider this when undertaking all duties and aspects of your role.

Person Specification

This role is only open to current Manchester Met students who meet the criteria below:

Essential

* Studying for, or holding a post graduate degree, equivalent qualification or substantial relevant experience, and evidence of continuous professional development.

* Ability to use initiative, creativity and judgement to develop appropriate approaches in order to further research and scholarly activities..

* Experience of prioritising work independently and as part of a team in order to deliver individual and team objectives.

* Experience in conducting rigorous literature searches, data extraction across multiple academic databases, and in conducting quality appraisals.

Desirable

* Knowledge of high streets and town centre revitalisation or place management.

* Use of software to conduct systematic literature reviews such as NVivo or Covidence.

How to Apply

Please apply via the Apply button, completing the form on the next page and attaching your covering letter and CV, as a single document, in either .docx (preferred for accessibility) or .pdf format.

The deadline for applications is 11:59pm on Wednesday 29 April 2026.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

We are committed to providing accessible and inclusive recruitment. If you require or would benefit from support or reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in work, please contact us by e-mailing [email protected]. This information will only be used and shared with those who require it to implement any change(s) and only at the point this is required.

If you have any queries, or need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Apply

Other jobs like this

Similar