Research Officer

University of Essex - Essex Business School

Location:	Colchester, Hybrid
Salary:	£35,116 per annum, pro-rata - in line with grant funding.
Hours:	Part Time
Contract Type:	Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On:	7th January 2026
Closes:	21st January 2026
Job Ref:	REQ09766

Department/Project

The project, Transforming Responsive and Relational Autonomy in the Garment Sector of the UK and Bangladesh (THRREADS), is being led by Dr Shoba Arun and is based in the Centre for Work, Organisation and Society (CWOS), part of Essex Business School (EBS). Essex Business school is home to a vibrant and thriving international community, with campuses in Colchester and Southend. We offer five broad subject groups: Accounting, Business and Management, Marketing, Finance and Banking, and Entrepreneurship. Our mission is to provide transformative education and research excellence that positively impacts both business and society. We push the boundaries of knowledge, helping organisations and society innovate and thrive. We undertake theoretical and applied research to investigate key issues and contemporary challenges within businesses, the public sector, not-for-profits and the wider world. The Centre for Work, Organisation and Society (CWOS) where the project will be based in, aims to support cross-disciplinary research on work, society and organisational life.

This three-year THRREADS project (2023-26) will aim to achieve economic and social sustainability in the ready-made garment and fashion sector and improve autonomy in the workplace. The team of inter-disciplinary researchers – from the University of Essex, University of Derby, Manchester Metropolitan University and Universal College Bangladesh – plan to encourage positive long-term changes within the industry and to find ways to support garment sector employees, suppliers and workers in order to foster conditions for autonomy and economic justice in their workplace.

Duties of the Role

The post holder will be based in the Centre for Work and Organisation Studies (CWOS Research Centre in the Essex Business School, and working across teams. They will work on the Transforming Responsive and Relational Autonomy in the Garment Sector of the UK and Bangladesh (THRREADS) Project, and expected to work across all aspects of the project, assisting the PI, Dr Shoba Arun.

The work involves leading a comparative and international study in achieving sustainability in the garment sectors of Dhaka and Leicester and requires substantial knowledge and experience of independently leading mixed methods research. This involves undertaking large scale quantitative survey and analysis, engaging in co-production methods and qualitative methods, analysis and synthesising findings to a very high standard.

Qualifications and Skills

Applicants will hold a relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, a relevant postgraduate level degree, and a relevant doctoral level qualification (or be working towards this).

You will have evidence of an emerging research agenda, engagement in high-quality research activity and a developing research profile. In addition, you will have experience in the fields of interdisciplinary sustainable work and organisation practices, and of quantitative social science.

A full list of requirements can also be found within the job pack, under the Person Specification section. Your application will need to address the essential criteria at the very least.

This is a fixed-term, part-time post (28.8 hours per week) until 30 October 2026.

Please use the 'Apply' button to read further information about this role including the full job description and person specification which outlines the full duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed for this role. You will also find details of how to make your application here.

Our website http://www.essex.ac.uk contains more information about the University of Essex. If you have a disability and would like information in a different format, please email resourcing@essex.ac.uk.