Postdoctoral Researcher in Quantitative Sociology

Overview of the role

The Department seeks an enthusiastic quantitative researcher to work on an EU-funded project to evaluate the health effects of economic and political factors on global health. This offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of a world-leading research programme in the political economy of global health at the University of Oxford.

The successful candidate will be working with Professor David Stuckler to assess resilience to health effects of economic and social changes in the context of recessions and natural policy experiments worldwide. They will take responsibility for leading several cross-national and multi-level analyses using secondary datasets. They will also be engaged in writing research proposals on related topics. Researchers will be encouraged to further their research portfolios and publication outputs, and to develop their academic career potential.

The appointment will be on the University’s salary grade 7, currently £30,434 - £37,394 per annum, and is available as a full time appointment for a period of 30 months, to begin as soon as possible. Candidates will be eligible for consideration for appointments to non-stipendiary research fellowships in Nuffield and other colleges.

Key responsibilities:

• To undertake research within the context of the HRES research programme including to prepare working theories, analyse quantitative data and develop and test new research methodologies, reviewing and refining theories as appropriate;
• Lead several cross-national and multi-level analyses using secondary datasets, including the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), American Life Panel, the British Household Panel Survey data, among others;
• Generate regular scholarly papers and maintain a strong research profile at conferences;
• Manage own academic research and administrative activities. This involves small scale project management, to co-ordinate multiple aspects of work to meet deadlines;
• Participate in the dissemination of the project’s results to academics, policy makers and the public;
• Carry out collaborative projects with colleagues in other University departments and in partner institutions
• Some limited teaching may be required for the Department


Selection criteria
Candidates will be judged on the basis of the following criteria and should ensure that their covering letter shows how they meet the criteria in their own words.

Essential
• A completed PhD in sociology, social epidemiology, social demography, or related subject
• Advanced skills in using secondary data
• Strong quantitative analysis skills in econometrics
• Proficiency in using STATA and EndNote
• Evidence of developing a track record of excellent quality publications in highly-ranked peer-reviewed academic journals and / or major presses
• Ability to innovate and work effectively with colleagues
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal communication and organizational skills
• Excellent attention to detail

Desirable

• Knowledge of, and experience in, a range of social science data collection techniques.
• Skills in the preparation of large-scale data for distribution and dissemination to the research community.