Post Doctoral Research Associate (Policing)

TL;DR

Post Doctoral Research Associate (Policing): Conducting empirical research on deepfake-enabled violence against women and girls (VAWG) with an accent on qualitative data collection, ethnographic observation, and stakeholder engagement. Focus on generating evidence for policing responses, developing practitioner-facing resources, and synthesizing findings for academic and public impact.

Location: Must be based in the UK, with hybrid attendance required at the Milton Keynes office (approx. once per month).

Salary: £15,513.60 – £18,416.60 (pro-rata actual).

Company

hirify.global is the UK’s largest university and a world leader in flexible education, dedicated to research excellence and widening access to higher education.

What you will do

• Organize and manage sensitive project data in compliance with ethical and legal standards.
• Conduct ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews with policing contacts.
• Perform qualitative data analysis and contribute to research procedure development.
• Synthesize findings into analytical reports, academic publications, and practitioner-facing outputs.
• Collaborate with project partners, police forces, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Support stakeholder engagement, impact evaluation, and knowledge exchange activities.

Requirements

• Completed PhD in Policing, Criminology, Sociology, Psychology, Cybercrime, or a related discipline.
• Expertise in qualitative research, including sensitive data analysis and ethnographic methods.
• Knowledge of technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TFVAWG), online harms, or cybercrime.
• Experience in data management and research software such as NVivo.
• Ability to translate research findings into accessible outputs for practitioners and the public.
• Must be based in the UK and able to attend the Milton Keynes office as required.

Nice to have

• Experience conducting research with policing organizations or criminal justice agencies.
• Background in developing research-informed training toolkits or learning resources.
• Experience co-designing knowledge exchange workshops.

Culture & Benefits

• Commitment to work-life balance with flexible working arrangements available.
• Opportunity to work on a high-profile, interdisciplinary research project with real-world impact.
• Access to university staff benefits and professional development resources.

Hiring process

• Submission of CV and a supporting statement of up to 1000 words.
• Interviews expected to be held in early August 2026.