Research Associate - Exploring Surplus Food Redistribution

Location: Hybrid, contractually aligned to the Milton Keynes office with some campus attendance required; occasional travel to East Sussex for interviews, data collection, and field observations.

Salary: £38,784–£42,254 pro rata; actual salary £15,513.60–£16,901.60.

Company

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

What you will do

• Support delivery of the Exploring Surplus Food Redistribution project and coordinate tasks with academics, project partners, and stakeholders.
• Map surplus food redistribution business models and local operational challenges involving food banks, community fridges, allotments, pantries, and larders.
• Organise and conduct approximately 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews with non-profit organisations.
• Support the organisation of two workshops with project partners.
• Analyse interview data and workshop notes, draft research findings, and communicate outcomes through appropriate media.
• Contribute, where appropriate, to conference papers, journal articles, dissemination materials, and research funding applications.

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent in business management, operations management, or supply chain management; final-year PhD candidates may apply.
• Experience reviewing academic or grey literature and reports.
• Experience conducting qualitative research interviews and analysing qualitative data.
• Ability to meet deadlines, work independently, and contribute to a multidisciplinary research team.
• IT skills including Microsoft Office, Teams, and NVivo.
• Ability to attend the Milton Keynes campus when required and travel to East Sussex for project activities.

Nice to have

• Experience with food-related projects and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of discrete-event simulation modelling.
• Experience converting qualitative findings into diagrams.
• Research or knowledge-exchange outputs commensurate with the position.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible working arrangements, including job sharing, part-time, and compressed hours options.
• Hybrid work combining home and office working.
• Expenses paid for required travel to East Sussex; expenses are not covered for occasional Milton Keynes office attendance.
• Benefits and policies supporting work-life balance.

Hiring process

• Submit a CV and a supporting statement of no more than 1,000 words.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview, expected to take place on 23 or 24 September.
• The six-month contract must be completed by 31 May 2027, and the successful candidate must start no later than 1 December 2026.