Postdoctoral Research Associate in Energising Landscapes

Salary: £34,866 - £39,105 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 11 December 2024

 The Role

We are seeking a dynamic Postdoctoral Research Associate with knowledge and experience in geospatial visualisation, participatory mapping and an interest in energy studies. The applicant will contribute for 12-months to a British-Academy-funded project ‘Energising Landscapes: lands, livelihoods, and energy infrastructures in Ghana’.

‘Energising Landscapes’ seeks to explore the multidimensional land and livelihood challenges linked to large scale energy infrastructures in Ghana. The local impacts of energy projects are generally approached from specific resource types (petroleum, hydro-electric, solar, nuclear, etc), and in the African context, they are further hindered by limited information access regarding highly politicised infrastructures. This research, focusing on three case study sites in Ghana, takes an integrative approach to examine the multifaceted impacts of various energy projects on neighbouring communities.

The successful applicant will work with Dr William Otchere-Darko and Dr Raymond Abdulai (at Newcastle University) to deliver one of the project’s three work packages and will join an international and interdisciplinary project team (geography, engineering, anthropology and development studies).

We are looking for a self-motivated and adaptable researcher to join the team in conducting participatory and co-creative mapping workshops with communities on their everyday experiences of and interactions with energy infrastructures and landscapes in Ghana

Experience of and capability in geospatial visualisation, participatory mapping and/or counter-cartography methods are essential. Knowledge, experience or background in geography, geoscience or geomatic engineering is also welcome. Knowledge of energy and land use studies is welcome but not essential.

The applicant will have responsibility for systematically reviewing masterplans and maps generating technical and non-technical maps as well as contributing to drafting papers and reports. The applicant will be required to travel to Ghana for empirical fieldwork.

Please submit the following:

• Curriculum vitae and Covering Letter outlining your experience, strengths and capabilities for the position.
• A sample of writing (e.g. research article, dissertation chapter) evidencing mapping skills.

The post is full time and fixed term for 12 months, starting in April 2025. The nature of this role will require the successful candidate to work in Ghana and the UK (Newcastle University campus). Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates.

Informal queries to: Dr William Otchere-Darko, william.otchere-darko@newcastle.ac.uk  
 

As part of our commitment to career development for research staff, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

1. Lead the systematic review of masterplans, maps, environmental and social impact reports, resettlement action plans and other documents detailing territorial transformations linked to energy infrastructures.
2. Contribute to organising and facilitating participatory workshops with selected communities in Ghana to map their reported experiences of and interactions with energy infrastructures (e.g., changes in the natural and built environments, shifts in access regimes, common resources, local benefits, ‘hotspots’, ‘adaptations’, and aspirations)
3. Prepare ‘technical’ and ‘non-technical’ maps by consolidating results from the activities above using GIS or other software.
4. Conduct targeted literature reviews and desk top research in relation to the work package.
5. Contribute to the production of written research outputs and presentations for a range of audiences.
6. Collaborate in publishing original research.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Evidence of strong written and oral communication skills (Essential).
• Knowledge of and experience in geospatial visualisation, participatory mapping and/or counter-cartography methods (Essential).
• Experience in gathering data using a range of tools (e.g. literature reviews, policy analysis, participant observation) (Essential).
• Experience in publishing research through papers and other outputs (Desirable).
• Knowledge of energy and land use studies (Desirable).
• Relevant research or work-experience in undertaking interdisciplinary research in multidisciplinary teams (Desirable).

Attributes and Behaviour

• Good communication and engagement skills and ability to describe complex concepts to non-experts (Essential).
• Good team working ability, in particular an ability to work productively with people across different disciplines (Essential).
• Flexibility and adaptability to respond to the needs of the project (Essential),
• Willingness to travel where required (Essential).

Qualifications

• A PhD in geography, geoscience, geomatic engineering or related field (Essential).  

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27749