Research Assistant

University of Oxford - Faculty of Classics - Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies

Location:66, St Giles’, Oxford, OX1 3LU

The Faculty of Classics seeks to appoint a Research Assistant to support a major research initiative on the archaeology and urban heritage of cities affected by disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, and other environmental events in Türkiye. Combining archaeological, architectural, and digital methods, the project documents and preserves heritage revealed or threatened by such events, offering new perspectives on urban resilience and cultural memory across the Eastern Mediterranean. The postholder will be an active member of the research team and contribute to both academic and public-facing outputs.

This is a fixed-term, part-time (0.5 FTE) post for 48 months, reporting to the Principal Investigator and based in the Faculty of Classics, with fieldwork and research visits in Türkiye. Flexible working arrangements are possible.

About the role

The Research Assistant will play a key role in an exciting international project exploring the archaeology and urban heritage of cities affected by disasters in Türkiye. Working at the intersection of archaeology, architecture, and digital humanities, they will help collect and organise archaeological and archival materials in both English and Turkish, develop digital archives and mapping resources, and lead the creation and maintenance of the project website.

They will support fieldwork and post-excavation research, manage digital datasets, and coordinate team activities, meetings, and communications. The postholder will also assist with project administration, contribute to academic publications and reports, and help deliver engaging public outputs such as online exhibitions and social media content.

We are looking for someone motivated, organised, and collaborative, with strong IT and digital documentation skills. Experience in fieldwork, project coordination, or managing archaeological, photographic, or GIS datasets will be an advantage. The role offers the chance to contribute to meaningful research and creative outreach, and fluency in English with good proficiency in Turkish is highly desirable.

What we offer

Your happiness and wellbeing at work matters to us, so we offer a range of family-friendly and financial benefits, including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days’ annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

Application process

You will be required to upload a supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application. Please ensure that your supporting statement explicitly explains how you fulfil the selection criteria detailed in the job description.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday, 02 December 2025. Only applications received before this time can be considered.

Shortlisting is expected to take place the following week, and interviews are expected to take place in mid-December.

The University of Oxford is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals regardless of their background. Applications are encouraged from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts at Oxford.