Research Associate in Glasgow

The School of Law is inviting applications from highly motivated and ambitious candidates for the position of Research Associate. The Research Associate will work closely with Professor Javier Solana (Professor of Law and Finance) and other members of the Civic Finance team, engaging with a small interdisciplinary group of world‑leading scholars who sit on the project’s Advisory Board.

Civic Finance is an ambitious research project led by Professor Solana and funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. The overarching objective of Civic Finance is to develop a complexity‑informed theory of law and finance that can underpin the foundations of a civic financial system; in particular, a financial system that refrains from enabling unsustainable levels of CO2 emissions.

To achieve this objective, the successful candidate will be responsible for collecting and analysing qualitative data on the decision‑making processes at relevant actors in the financial system, particularly in relation to environmental sustainability considerations, and for presenting these analyses in high‑quality academic papers that will be submitted for publication at top‑tier academic journals. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to the formulation and submission of research publications and research proposals relevant to Civic Finance.

The Research Associate will have ample opportunities to plan and develop their career while in post. The University of Glasgow is a signatory to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, which commits 10 days pro‑rata for professional development to all research staff. As part of that commitment, the successful candidate will have access to a wide range of opportunities designed by the University of Glasgow to support its postdoctoral researchers.

Candidates should have experience collecting and analysing qualitative data on the decision‑making processes at companies and/or financial institutions. This full‑time position is available from June 2026 until May 2029. Hybrid working arrangements will be welcomed in line with the University’s flexible working policy.

Qualifications:

• Normally Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12 (PhD) plus track record of emerging independence within a research/professional environment or alternatively possess professional qualifications and experience equivalent to PhD level plus the requisite experience.
• Familiarity with sustainable finance policy debates in the EU and/or the UK.
• Knowledge of complex systems theory and its application to the study of economic and social systems.
• Foundational knowledge of microeconomic theory and core macroeconomic concepts relevant to modelling economic systems.

Skills:

• Ability to communicate material of a specialist or highly technical nature, both orally and in writing, to academic and non‑academic audiences.
• Capacity for bold and innovative research.
• Effective organisation skills to manage, prioritise and deliver own research, teaching and administrative responsibilities.
• Ability to plan and progress work activities within professional guidelines or organisational policy, applying initiative and independent judgement.
• Strong project management and teamwork skills.
• Ability to contribute ideas for new research projects and research funding applications.
• Commitment to open research, as appropriate to the discipline, through open data, open code, open educational resources and practices that support replication.

Experience:

• Experience collecting and analysing qualitative data on the decision‑making processes at companies and/or financial institutions.
• Track record of emerging independence within a relevant area or in a relevant professional environment.
• Experience of presenting research findings in peer‑reviewed research articles for publication.
• Experience researching environmental sustainability considerations of business activities.
• Experience with agent‑based modelling or other computational research methods relevant for the study of complex behaviour.
• Experience of independently managing a discrete area of a research project.
• Experience working collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.