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Academic Associate

Department: School of Science, Technology & Health
Location: York
Salary: £33,882 to £39,105 per annum pro rata
Contract Duration: 4 years
Hours: 18.5
Closing Date: Wednesday 13 November 2024 at midnight
Interview Date: Wednesday 04 December 2024
Reference: 127-24

Part time fixed term

Location: York 

Salary: £33,882 to £39,105 per annum (£16,941 to £19,552 pro rata)

York St John is an ambitious, modern university at the heart of historic York and there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

As one of the fastest growing universities in the UK over recent years, we have a new strategy for the next decade, emphasising our commitment to widening opportunity through the power of education and contributing our talents to creating a fairer world, and a more prosperous region. We are putting inspirational learning and impactful research at the heart of this strategy, recognising our academic expertise as our greatest asset

The Team 

As part of our expansion, we are seeking to appoint one Academic Associate in one of three research groups. As an Academic Associate, you will complete your PhD in four years whilst contributing an average of 6 hours contact time per week to the taught curriculum on our sport and exercise science related programmes. 

The Role 

The role is designed to provide an opportunity for a mix of teaching and research. The successful candidate will support the delivery of teaching and learning related activities across our undergraduate programmes. This includes teaching and providing tutorial support, as well as any necessary preparation, assessment and marking of assessment as required by the School. The successful candidate will undertake a PhD in either our Motivation, Performance and Wellbeing (MPaW), Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health (PAtCH) OR Interdisciplinary Sports Performance and Injury Research (InSPIRe)  groups. Any appointment will be conditional upon acceptance to a PhD programme at York St John University. 

Key Requirements 

Successful applicants must have an honours degree (2:1 or above) and a postgraduate masters degree from a UK HEI, or an internationally recognised equivalent. The degree must be in a discipline that is relevant to the research. 

We are looking for a candidate who brings the following attributes to the position: 

•    Knowledge and experience to teach on Sports Science and/or Sports and Exercise Therapy modules  

•    Highly motivated with an excellent understanding of Sports Science and/or Sports and Exercise Therapy.  

•    Excellent understanding of research methodologies 

•    A proven ability to work well both independently and with others in a research environment  

•    A high standard of written English and the ability to communicate clearly in both academic (academic colleagues) and non-academic contexts (patients/subjects) where and when appropriate.  

The Research  

Question 4 of the application form asks you to submit your research proposal. In your proposal, please outline which of the three projects described below your research relates to.

1. (MPaW)  

Promoting positive sport experiences and healthy athlete engagement 

Despite increasing scientific interest in positive psychological states in sports, athlete engagement has received less empirical attention than more negative states like athlete burnout. This project aims to redress this balance by examining the correlates and consequences of, and/or environmental influences on athlete engagement at different developmental stages (e.g., youth to adult participation). It is anticipated the candidate will use a variety of contemporary research methods, including meta-analysis, longitudinal studies, and case studies, to explore these issues. Therefore, the project lends itself to someone with a with a strong background in sport and exercise psychology and an interest in applying varied methods to the sport context.   

For informal enquiries contact Dr Sarah Mallinson-Howard s.mallinson-howard@yorksj.ac.uk and/or Professor Daniel Madigan d.madigan@yorksj.ac.uk 

 2. (PAtCH) 

Improving the physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health of Fire Service staff 

The aim of this PhD will be to evaluate the physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health of UK Fire Service staff and to co-develop an intervention designed to improve their activity and health behaviours. This PhD will involve collaborating with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The candidate should have a background in Sport and Exercise Science with some underlying knowledge of physical activity and/or exercise for health improvement. It is anticipated that this project may use device-based methods to assess physical activity and sedentary behaviour and include assessments of physical health (e.g., blood pressure, cholesterol, vascular function (ultrasound), body composition), mental health, and work productivity. 

For informal enquiries contact Dr Sophie Carter s.carter@yorksj.ac.uk and/or Dr Amy Campbell a.campbell@yorksj.ac.uk and/or Dr Alex Beaumont a.beaumont1@yorksj.ac.uk  

3. (InSPIRe) 

Enhancing future health and injury outcomes with maturity-specific identification of risk factors in adolescent female athletes 

This project aims to explore the nature by which musculoskeletal properties are influenced by biological maturation in female athletes. Alongside this, the project intends to observe the interaction of biological maturity with injury experiences to develop breakthrough guidelines for practitioners working with female athletes in a development pathway. For this role, applicants must be: 

- Registered accreditation with a professional body (i.e., The Society of Sports Therapists [SST], Health and Care Professions Council [HCPC], British Association of Sports Rehabilitators and Trainers [BASRaT]) 

- Hold a current advanced trauma first aid qualification (e.g., ATMMIF, ITMMIF, PHICIS) or willingness to obtain upon commencement of the role 

- Be able to obtain a clear Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 

- Experience working in clinical settings with athletes 

For informal enquiries contact Dr Jamie Salter j.salter@yorksj.ac.uk and/or Dr Dale Forsdyke d.forsdyke@yorksj.ac.uk  

Further Information

It is anticipated that the selection process will involve a presentation and interview. 

Unfortunately, this role is not eligible for Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship however we welcome your application if you are able to evidence right to work in the UK via an alternative route.

We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive policies and facilities to support staff from different backgrounds. As part of our commitment to providing an inclusive working environment, consideration is given to all requests for job share or flexible working arrangements.

Application process support

We are keen to support you throughout the recruitment process.  Before starting your application please refer to the attached candidate guidance which provides advice about completing the application process.

If you require a reasonable adjustment in order to apply for this position please contact vacancies@yorksj.ac.uk.  Within the application form there is an opportunity for you to request a reasonable adjustment at the interview stage of the process, however if you wish to discuss this in further detail at any point  in the process please do not hesitate to contact us. The following resource may help you adapt the device you are using to apply to suit your needs My Computer My Way (abilitynet.org.uk)

Please note that CVs are not accepted in place of the application form.  Within the application process you will be asked to answer a selection of work-related questions. Our aim is to get to know you, and understand your individual skills and experience, and how you would apply these within the role.  We are aware that AI can assist you with this, but we would prefer you to share your answers in your own words.

Our benefits package

We offer a wide range of employee benefits including - 

- Excellent annual leave entitlement, including five discretionary university closure days over the Christmas period

- Disability leave (applies to staff who have disclosed a disability and is also available to staff with disabled dependants)

- Pension scheme

- Health Cash Plan after six months service

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists

- On-campus courses, one-to-one tutorials, and online resources to help you develop your digital skills and work with new software

- Relocation expenses package for certain roles

- Reimbursement of Skilled Worker Visa application fees and Visa loan scheme for additional costs (if applicable to the role)

Further information about life at YSJ

Our candidate brochure provides further information about our culture, achievements and testimonials from our employees. 

Further information about our working arrangements and the benefits of working for York St John can be found on our website  

The latest news, views and stories from our staff and students can be found here.  

We are committed to managing and reducing our environmental impact and to promoting sustainable development wherever we can, read more here.


Closing Date - Wednesday 13 November 2024 at midnight

Provisional Interview Date - Wednesday 04 December 2024

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