Research and Innovation Fellow (Nature-Based Learning)

Location: Hybrid role contractually aligned to the Cardiff Office, with expected office attendance approximately two days per week and travel across Wales for fieldwork, meetings, workshops and stakeholder engagement.

Salary: £38,784–£46,049 per year.

Company

hirify.global is a UK university focused on widening access to higher education, flexible learning and research excellence.

What you will do

• Lead literature, policy, comparator and provision reviews covering nature-based learning, eco-literacy, youth participation, skills pathways and nature recovery.
• Design, deliver and evaluate qualitative, participatory and mixed-method research, including interviews, focus groups, workshops, case studies, surveys and documentary analysis.
• Plan and facilitate stakeholder engagement, co-design and knowledge exchange with youth groups, education providers, employers, local authorities, policymakers and environmental organisations.
• Analyse and synthesize evidence to develop conceptual models, practical recommendations, national pathways and recognition frameworks.
• Produce reports, briefings, presentations, decision papers and other outputs for academic, policy, practice and partnership audiences.
• Manage agreed workstreams, milestones, records, data and reporting while supporting pilot concepts, scaling recommendations and future funding proposals.

Requirements

• Postgraduate or doctoral study, or equivalent professional research experience, in a relevant discipline such as social science, education, youth studies, environmental social science, sustainability, public policy, geography or community development.
• Experience with qualitative, participatory, applied or mixed-method research, including systematic scoping and narrative reviews, critical appraisal and evidence synthesis.
• Experience designing and facilitating participatory or co-design research with young people, communities or other non-academic stakeholders.
• Experience of ethical research involving young people or underrepresented groups, including informed consent, safeguarding, confidentiality, accessibility and data protection.
• Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder engagement, project planning, problem-solving and data-management skills.
• Ability to attend the Cardiff office and travel across Wales as required.

Nice to have

• Experience with accreditation, digital badges, micro-credentials, skills frameworks, progression models or mapping formal, non-formal and informal learning routes.
• Experience contributing to research funding bids or using digital and technology-enabled engagement and data-collection approaches.
• Knowledge of the Welsh education landscape or nature sector.
• Ability to communicate in Welsh or support bilingual engagement.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid work, job share, part-time work and compressed hours by discussion.
• Supportive, collaborative work across academic, public, community and environmental partners.
• Benefits and policies designed to support work-life balance.
• Applications may be submitted in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Hiring process

• Submit a supporting statement of up to 1,500 words and a CV.
• Interviews are likely to take place in late October or early November.
• The appointment is contingent on securing external funding; recruitment will end if the funding does not proceed.