Research Associate in Green Infrastructure and Housing

Heriot-Watt University

Location: Edinburgh

Salary: £37,694 to £47,389 Grade 7

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On: 14th October 2025

Closes: 2nd November 2025

Job Ref: 4503

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

The Research Associate will work on the EPSRC funded BuildWell Network: Reimaging Future Housing Developments for Health and Sustainability project which aims to connect diverse disciplines and industries relating to residential housing development and the benefits of Green Infrastructure and Space on health, wellbeing, water management and other multiple benefits. The project is a collaboration between Heriot Watt University and the University of York and Northumbria University.

The successful applicant will be based at the Institute of the Sustainable Built Environment at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. They will be responsible for co-ordinating the network, organising workshops and network activities, as well as conducting research on the outputs and wider literature. They will learn a range of novel participatory methods including housing estate site visits, and plug and play scaled models to work with network members to think about how housing developments are designed and built for health, wellbeing and sustainability benefits. They will be responsible for producing a range of project outputs, including journal papers, gap analysis and policy briefs.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Assist in building the BuildWell network, and responsibility for coordinating network activities.
• Conduct and disseminate original research aligned with the project and in collaboration with the team, consisting of literature reviews and network activity outputs analysis.
• Work closely with senior decision makers in the industry to enable a programme of work and the measurement of this.
• Work as part of the broader BuildWell team to help organize events and/or support the work of the team as needed.
• Contribute to outreach and impact engagement activities of the project.
• Identify appropriate sources of funding and help prepare research proposals for funding bodies.
• Demonstrate initiative in making routine decisions in order to manage and achieve project deliverables and deadlines.
• Participate in, and develop, networks and collaborations both internally and externally to the Division/School/University.
• Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant discipline (or close to successful completion).

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Evidence of a developing publication record.
• Experience or desire to work with those from other disciplines.
• Evidence of excellent administrative and project management skills.
• Evidence of self-motivation and the ability to work independently.
• Evidence of excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills including the ability to prioritise workload.

Desirable Criteria

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Evidence of success in attracting research grants/external funding and delivering on externally funded research projects.
• Evidence or knowledge to support international activities.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 21st October 2025. Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment. We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.