Research Support Officer

Grade UE05: £29,588 - £33,951 per annum

CAHSS / School of Economics

Full-time: 35 hours per week

Fixed-term: 12 months contract 

We’re unlocking Edinburgh’s potential. Join us.

With roles from hospitality to research, there’s a career for everyone at the University of Edinburgh. We can offer opportunities for you to develop in your career and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large. 

The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We are a large University covering a wide range of activities. In Professional Services, we support the University’s research and teaching, offering many career and role specialisms.

The Opportunity:

The School of Economics is seeking to recruit a full time, fixed-term Research Support Officer.

The successful post holder will play a vital role in ensuring effective research grant management across the School of Economics, while also supporting KEI activities. 

They will act as a key point of contact liaising with Principal Investigators from across the academic community, supporting bid development and aiming to enhance the Schools’ research culture, funding opportunities, and overall profile.

The role will solely support the School of Economics but work alongside the team in the University of Edinburgh Business School based in Buccleuch Place. We are open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working. However, please note that some on campus working will be required at around 40%-60% of time.

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• Vocational qualifications (N/SVQ 3, ONC or equivalent) plus broad work experience in a relevant role; Or, School education to standard grade or equivalent plus significant relevant work experience.
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail in both written and figure work, as well as excellent time management in terms of task prioritisation.
• Excellent IT skills, especially Microsoft Office/excel.
• Previous experience of university finance and research management systems such as People and Money, PURE and Worktribe would be highly advantageous, as would knowledge and experience of research grant processes and end-to-end management. 

Full job description can be found here

How to apply

We ask you to include a current CV and cover letter with names of three referees who may be contacted at a later date (please note if you do not wish for anyone to be contacted until after an offer has been made).

As a School we acknowledge that people’s career paths are rarely linear and welcome applicants to expand on their professional and personal journeys where appropriate.

More information on how to submit your application can be found here. 

As a valued member of our team, you can expect: 

• A competitive salary. 

• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 

• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.

• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits. 

   

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality. 

We particularly welcome applications from eligible candidates from under-represented groups, including racially minoritised individuals and all gender identities.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages.

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.   

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 21 August 2026.

Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm (UK time). If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone.

Edinburgh has long been associated with economics. In the eighteenth-century, Adam Smith lived and worked in the city. His first lectures to young lawyers in 1748–51 were delivered near where the South Bridge now stands. In his later years, he continued to revise his principal books The Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Wealth of Nations, and a substantial portion of Smith’s personal library is held by Edinburgh University Library. His friend David Hume, a resident of Edinburgh, noted in his day as a historian and now as a leading empiricist philosopher, wrote much acclaimed essays on economics. 

Today, the School of Economics includes 56 academic staff and team of 29 administrative and technical support staff, as well as visiting Professors and other associates. The academic staff include eleven professors, six senior lecturers, three senior teaching fellows, fourteen lecturers, one reader, and one teaching fellow.

The School is characterised by its cohesiveness and informal research-led collegiality, with high quality research seminars and workshop programmes running on a weekly basis. The School has special research strength in economic theory, labour economics and applied econometrics in addition to an array of more dispersed expertise. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), the School of Economics was placed 1st in Scotland and 8th in the UK by overall rating. In terms of the proportion of publications that are classified as world-leading, the School is ranked 1st in Scotland and 7th in the UK. Ranked by research environment (which includes PhD completions and grant income), the School is 1st in Scotland and 6th in the UK.