Social Scientist in Sustainable Farming Systems

The work undertaken by The James Hutton Group is at the top of the global agenda tackling problems such as the impact of climate change and threats to food, biodiversity, soils, and water security.

The Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department includes over fifty researchers using a range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method techniques and often taking interdisciplinary and/or participatory perspectives. We address major contemporary social and economic research challenges, including investigation of sustainable behaviours, place-based policy, natural resource governance, ecosystem services valuation, community vibrancy, and wellbeing and socioeconomic transitions.

We are looking to recruit a Social Scientist in Sustainable Farming Systems on a three year full time contract.

Main Purpose of Job 

National policy requirements for achieving net zero by 2050, along with food security and biodiversity restoration in landscapes, necessitate land use strategies to be designed and implemented locally. However, local perspectives and perceptions on land use changes may not align with national priorities. In particular, farming communities are being asked to help achieve net-zero while still putting food on the nation’s table. Pathways for change that integrate priorities across spatial and socio-political scales, and are considered just, are crucial for success. 

The exciting newly funded JUSTLANZ project aims to develop pathways for a just transition to net zero for the UK farming-food sector adopting participatory, transdisciplinary, holistic research approaches. JUSTLANZ works with farmers, their communities, sector and policy experts, academics, agricultural and conservation organisations, to develop aspirational scenarios at the local, regional, and national level, and define how to achieve them. We will work in a pastoral landscape in each UK nation (Lough Erne, Northern Ireland; Upper Clyde Valley, Scotland; Gwent Levels, Wales; Somerset Levels & Moors, England). 

We are looking for an enthusiastic social scientist to support this work, conceptually and empirically. The postholder will lead analysis on the adaptive capacity of farmers and the food-farming system to net zero, through the collection of primary qualitative data and the identification and systematisation of data on UK farming-food systems at local, regional, and national level. They will also co-lead incorporation of this knowledge as well as elements from other parts of the project into “bottom-up,” aspirational scenarios, to be compared with “top down,” plausible scenarios developed from project’s work on climatic and land use trends.

The postholder will also be responsible for implementing the rest of JUSTLANZ’s research in the Lough Erne (Northern Ireland) case study area, in collaboration with local project partners. This will include collaborating with three other post-doctoral researchers in the other UK case studies on understanding values and attitudes of farmers and sector representatives on land use for meeting net zero targets as well as food, and biodiversity ambitions; and on mapping out potential land management measures for livestock farmers to transition to net zero.

The role entails developing and nurturing relationships of trust with the farming community and sector representatives, and therefore requires substantial time spent on-site, for which a working space will be provided. It is expected that the postholder will live close to the research location, with travel to Aberdeen and Leeds for project meetings. However, flexible working arrangements will be considered.

The work will be developed in close collaboration with researchers across the natural and social sciences. Besides The James Hutton Institute, project partners include RSPB (project lead), Leeds University, Cranfield University, University of Cambridge, Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group SW (FWAG SW), the Living Levels Partnership, Nature Friendly Farming Network, and SAC Consulting, which offer excellent opportunities for networking and developing a profile in research related to net zero and land management. The postholder will also be supported in their career and professional development through training, line management and mentorship opportunities at The James Hutton Institute.

Main duties of postholder

• Co-lead the design and implementation of research for analysing the adaptive capacity of farmers and the food-farming system to net zero, merging qualitative and quantitative data, including secondary data, as appropriate.
• Lead the identification and systematisation of secondary data on UK farming-food systems at local, regional, and national level, including for instance UK food imports, which could inform scenarios.
• Work with the project’s farming community and sector representative, to lead implementation of the above research in the Lough Erne case study, while coordinating to ensure consistency and quality across all four case studies.
• Co-lead on incorporating the above theoretical, empirical, and policy knowledge into “aspirational scenarios,” and on identifying trade-offs and synergies with “plausible scenarios.”
• Support a review and synthesis of the academic and grey literature on current and potential policy and land management measures that are relevant to a net zero transition by livestock farming.
• Collaborate in the design of research for eliciting values and attitudes of the farming community, using a variety of social sciences methods (interviews, focus groups).
• Prepare papers for publication in leading international journals and disseminate research results through outputs accessible to non-academic audiences.
• Contribute to generating and pursuing original research ideas in the above subject areas.

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post.

Education/Experience/Skills

Essential

• A completed PhD (the initial thesis must be submitted before application) in a social sciences discipline (such as Economics, Ecological Economics, Social Anthropology, Political Ecology, Sociology, Human Geography, etc.) with an environmental or agricultural focus.

• Experience of designing, implementing, and analysing primary data collected using qualitative social science methods (e.g., via interviews or focus groups).
• Ability to work with databases (e.g., agricultural census, etc.) and summarise quantitative data.
• Experience in engaging with non-academic stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to write and present to non-academic audiences.
• Ability to produce manuscripts for peer-reviewed academic publication.
• Good time management and planning skills, with the ability to meet tight deadlines, and proactively manage competing demands.
• A proven ability to work well both individually and in a team.
• Ability to occasionally travel, e.g., for data collection, project meetings, conferences.

Desirable

• A record of peer-reviewed publications in high quality academic journals.
• Experience of participating in interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research projects.
• Experience of engaging with farmers, rural communities, and/or land managers in the UK or similar contexts.
• Experience of developing and administering questionnaire surveys and of analysing the resulting quantitative data.
• Experience in integrating quantitative and qualitative data, including through semi-quantitative approaches (such as scenario planning using the morphological matrix or Bayesian Networks).
• Familiarity with the UK and/or Northern Irish land management and farming contexts.
• Familiarity with UK net zero, justice, food security, and biodiversity policies.
• Familiarity with research and data management in accordance with Open Science and ethical standards.
• Experience of pursuing external funding to support research.
• Driving license valid in the UK.

Interview Information

Please note that the interviews for this post will take place on 12 September.