Research Associate, Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE)

Research Associate, Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE)

Cardiff University School of Social and Spatial Sciences is seeking to recruit a Research Associate to work within the Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE) that is located within the school. This is an exciting opportunity to be a full-time researcher on a new study into how carers needs are assessed and addressed by Local Authorities.

The main function of the post is to conduct research within adult social care and contribute to the overall research performance of the School and University, carrying out research leading to the publishing of high-quality outputs. The applicant will pursue excellence in research and to inspire others to do the same.

The study’s overarching aim is to understand and delineate the varying approaches to carers’ assessments for adults being undertaken in Wales, as well as how they are experienced by carers through qualitative and quantitative methods. Using this information, the research team will map out how services and interventions can be evaluated at national level with available and future routine data. The post holder will be primarily supporting this project and leading on qualitative data collection and analysis (documentary analysis of local authority information to carers, interviews with local authority carer leads and interviews with social workers and family carers).

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), fixed term from 1st September 2026 until 31st August 2028.

Salary: £41,064 - £46,049 per annum (Grade 6), with annual increments up to final salary at top of grade. New appointments are usually made at the starting point of the salary scale.

Responsible to Dr Jeremy Dixon, Principal Investigator, CARE

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Jeremy, DixonJ7@cardiff.ac.uk or Fiona Lugg-Widger, LuggFV@cardiff.ac.uk

Candidates with personal lived experience of social care services are especially welcome. Note that applicants will not be expected to disclose, evidence or demonstrate this either at application or if selected for interview.

From the 1st August 2026 the School of Social Sciences and the School of Geography and Planning will come together to create the new School of Social and Spatial Sciences, building on and strengthening existing interdisciplinary research and education

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (including bank holidays), blended working (meaning you will be able to work from home for some of your time), a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments up the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

As the biggest university in Wales – and a major employer, with more than 7,700 staff – we are an ambitious and innovative university located in a beautiful and thriving capital city. We can offer you the chance to work in a vibrant organisation, with great benefits and opportunities for progression.

Date advert posted: Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Closing date: Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We especially welcome and encourage applications from those under-represented groups within the University workforce, such as those who identify as LGBT+, Ethnic Minority or those with disabilities. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University