Adapting Together: Building Local Resilience through Lived Experience and Partnership uses participatory methods to explore community vulnerability and adaptation to extreme heat in Crawley, West Sussex. You will work closely with the University and WSCC to undertake community-based work to achieve the project aims. This role involves the development of appropriate strategies for inclusive community engagement and data gathering, including targeted outreach to identify and recruit under-represented Crawley residents for participation in the project, thus ensuring diverse voices are represented. As Research Officer, you will: 

• Lead the design and implementation of participatory mapping tools to capture lived experience of climate change-related heat stress, and the facilitation of community-based co-design of locally appropriate strategies to mitigate exposure to heat;
• Facilitate the transition from gathering insights to developing a concrete community-focused adaptation project (e.g., green shading, cooling centres, or communication networks) for Crawley 
• Lead the creation of a reproducible community engagement framework for heat adaptation that could be utilised by other UK local authorities. 
• Participate in interim reporting to the project funder, lead on analysis of project data and contribute substantially to report-writing and output development. 

 In order to be successful in this role, you should have:

• A degree preferably in a social science subject relevant to researching community experiences of climate change impacts. 
• Sufficient, up to date breadth or depth of specialist knowledge in the discipline, which should include a basic understanding of climate change impacts, urban heat stress and social vulnerability.
• Some research experience, and developing further skills in and knowledge of research methods and techniques, including the design and implementation of participatory mapping, Photovoice, or similar community-led data collection methods.
• Familiarity with the Crawley area and/or experience working within West Sussex community structures.
• Proven ability to engage "seldom-heard" groups or residents facing socio-economic barriers. 
• Strong written and oral communication skills in order to liaise with stakeholders, attend and contribute to meetings associated with the project/

This is a part-time position (0.4FTE) for a duration of six months, based at the University of Brighton and with significant “on-the-ground” presence in Crawley. You will be expected to work flexibly to accommodate project participant schedules (e.g. weekends or late afternoons in Crawley libraries).

The nature of this role will mean that a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required.

As this is a short-term fractional appointment, job-sharing is not possible for this role. 

Closing Date: 05 May 2026

Team/Division: Academic

Salary: £36,636 to £39,906 pro rata