Research Assistant in Geography

Brighton, UK

0.4 FTE / 14.6 hours per week. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).

Grade 6 starting at £34,610 to £38,784 per annum, pro rata if part time.

Fixed Term Contract

About the role

Applications are invited for a Project Manager for the project "strengthening PAStoral livelihoodS in the African Greater horn through Effective anticipatory action (PASSAGE)". Funded through the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) programme, the project aims to enhance operational early warning and anticipatory action systems for drought risk in pastoralist livelihood systems across Greater Horn of Africa to enhance climate-resilient and sustainable livelihoods, especially for the most vulnerable. We are entering the final year of this project and are looking for a project manager who can guide us and enable us to achieve our ambitious goals and maximise the impact this project can have in the Greater Horn of Africa. Therefore, the project manager will play a central role in managing this large and complex programme of work, with a particular focus on all the activities of the Sussex team. The post holder will have a leading role in planning, coordinating and completing the research project.

About you

You will be highly motivated and dynamic, a natural leader with excellent communication and presentation skills, together with the ability to organise and motivate others. You must be able to work with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines and cultures and be able to take responsibility. You will demonstrate flair, enthusiasm, innovation and leadership when faced with challenges and will provide strategic, tactical and operational management skills in the planning and execution of the project. You must demonstrate an understanding of, and interest in, disaster risk management, early warning systems for drought, and humanitarian action.

As a minimum, candidates should be qualified to first degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant area, or have significant work experience. Preferably you'll have a proven track record in project management. Good verbal and written communication skills are essential and you must be able to work within a multidisciplinary team.

About our School

We are a global hub at the heart of Sussex University. Our engaged research and critical pedagogy addresses the most pressing global issues of our times – global social justice, environmental change and climate justice, war and peace, migration, global health, human rights, identity, and inequality. Our mission is to generate transformative research and real-world teaching that equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to work towards a fairer, safer, more sustainable and more inclusive world.

We are committed to inspiring and curiosity-driven teaching and research that strives to find creative solutions for the social, environmental, economic and political poly-crisis facing the world today. Global Studies stands out for its interdisciplinarity across our departments, courses and research centres; our ambitious global outlook; and our decolonising, anti-racist and reparative justice approaches to teaching, research and civic engagement.

Why work here

Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.

Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it's our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion.

Further Key Information

Please contact Pedram Rowhani – for informal enquiries.

For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.

Visa queries: While the matching SOC code of the above post is 2119 Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified, unfortunately due to the part time hours, this post is not eligible for visa sponsorship via the Skilled Worker visa route. The part time salary would not meet the salary required even if the successful candidate were to use tradeable points.

November 16, 2025 5:59 PM

December 2025

Fixed term until 31st December 2026