The Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex is seeking to appoint a highly talented and motivated researcher to join a Horizon Europe-funded project called, Past and Current Transitions: A new pact for fair and resilient European regions (PACT). You will work under the joint supervision of Dr Carolin Ioramashvili, Professor Maria Savona and Professor Daniele Rotolo.
The PACT project aims to analyse the social and economic consequences of the so-called ‘twin transition’ towards digitalisation and green transformation in European regions; regions already shaped by earlier socio-economic transformations, notably moves from manufacturing to service economies. The project mixes quantitative and qualitative methods in a combined historical and contemporary study that will generate knowledge and insight for a more just twin transition. Your contribution will include:
- studying historical shocks to regional economies, including from technological change and global trade;
- analysing business and employee data to trace the economic impacts of shocks;
- Natural Language Processing (NLP)-based analysis of large-scale textual data (for example, data extracted from the Global Database of Events, Language and Tone, GDELT) to identify policy actions and responses
As well as working within the project team, you will communicate and collaborate with PACT partners at leading European universities and research institutions (alphabetically ordered): Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (Greece), Centre for European Policy Studies (Belgium), Centre For Economic And Regional Studies (Hungary), Complexity Science Hub (Austria), Gran Sasso Science Institute (Italy), Universiteit Maastricht (Netherlands), University of Ferrara (Italy), and University of Gothenburg (Sweden).
About you
Ideally you will hold or be close to completing a PhD in a relevant field, such as economics, innovation studies or economic geography. You should have excellent skills in quantitative methods but also some experience in combining qualitative research methodologies with quantitative approaches. You will have the skills to manage your own workload and at times, support other colleagues. You will communicate clearly with the team, line management, and stakeholders. Specifically, you should be able to:
- Work with large, business and individual level datasets to identify economic shocks, and analyse changes in industry and employment structures.
- Use causal inference methods to identify the impacts of shocks on businesses and individuals, including productivity, employment and labour mobility.
- Process large-scale text corpora using NLP and related techniques to classify content and extract entities and relations among them.
- Contribute to the writing of academic papers and shorter outputs such as reports and blog posts.
About our Faculty
As a pioneering research-driven and interdisciplinary Faculty, the University of Sussex Business School offers an inspiring and supportive environment for impactful business and management research and scholarship. Our five dynamic Departments—Accounting and Finance, Strategy and Marketing, Management, Economics, and the renowned Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU)—are dedicated to advancing academic excellence and practical insights to inform policy and drive responsible business solutions.
With a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability, the School shapes the future of business education, producing research and scholarship and graduates that make a difference in the UK and globally. By joining us, you will be part of a distinctive, future-focused community influencing real-world practices and promoting sustainable development. The strength and relevance of USBS’s innovation- and policy-focused research portfolio is underscored by its ranking as the UK’s leading institution for business and management research income by CABS, securing £17.4 million in external funding from 2021/22 to 2023/24.
Please find further information regarding the University of Sussex Business School on our website.
Why work here
Our university is situated just outside the vibrant city of Brighton, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.
Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
Find out more about our reward and benefits package.
Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion.
Further Key Information
Please contact Carolin Ioramashvili (c.ioramashvili@sussex.ac.uk), Maria Savona (m.savona@sussex.ac.uk) or Daniele Rotolo (d.rotolo@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.
Please include a motivation letter, CV, contact details for two referees and a writing sample, such as a journal publication or draft PhD chapter with your application.
The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Eligibility
Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code and meets the salary requirements for Skilled Worker Sponsorship if full time and appointed at Grade 7.4. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.