Department of Psychology

Location:      Egham
Salary:      £29,159 to £34,370 per annum - including London Allowance
Closing Date:      Sunday 12 May 2019
Interview Date:      Thursday 23 May 2019

Fixed term, Full time

Applications are invited for the post of ‘Researcher: Audience Insight’ to join the Psychology Department in the new Centre for Digital Creativity at Royal Holloway, University of London.

The Centre for Digital Creativity (CDC) is an exciting new initiative to link cutting-edge research and teaching across Media, Computer Science, Drama, Psychology, Management, Geography and Electronic Engineering with high profile creative industries partners. StoryFutures Academy is an ambitious project within the Centre that will foster inter-disciplinary approaches to immersive content production in tandem with creative technology, building capacity for immersive excellence in the UK screen industries. This marries next generation storytelling productions with both audience insight and business model innovation to catalyse and support commercial growth.

The successful candidate will form part of a new research team working closely with colleagues across the Centre. You will work in collaboration with some of the world’s leading creative companies. This post relates to ‘Audience Insight’, a work stream that runs throughout the StoryFutures Academy plans, specifically focusing on responses of audiences to new story experiences created by commercial partners. The role will interface between Psychology, Electronic Engineering, Media Arts and our diverse partner organisations across the creative screen and technology industries. The post holder will design, run and write up research into a range of different aspects of audience insight, developing innovative methods for understanding audience responses to new storytelling experiences driven by immersive technologies in particular.

The post holder will have a good honours degree in psychology or a related discipline, with a strong understanding of psychology audience research methods. IT and interfacing skills, including programming experience, are a key asset, and a postgraduate qualification and/or some practical experience of working with the creative industries would also be an advantage. Good communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with academic, industrial and Governmental partners are essential, as are strong writing skills for a variety of audiences.

This is a full time post, available from 3rd June 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter until 31st August 2021.

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Training and Development opportunities
• Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing.
• Free parking

The post is based in Egham, Surrey where the College is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Professor Polly Dalton at polly.dalton@rhul.ac.uk

To view further details of this post and to apply please visit https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk. For queries on the application process the Human Resources Department can be contacted by email at: recruitment@rhul.ac.uk.

Please quote the reference: 0419-151

Closing Date: Midnight, Sunday 12th May.

Interviews: Thursday 23rd May

Shortlisted candidates will be required to make a 10 minute presentation to a group of staff and industry partners outlining how their research methods can provide insight into audience behaviours and what value this can bring to industry partners.

Please note that it will not be possible for the College to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for successful candidates as this role does not fall into one of the standard occupational codes deemed eligible for sponsorship by UK Visas and Immigration and the pro-rata salary will not meet the minimum threshold set by UK Visas and Immigration. Successful candidates will therefore need to be eligible to work in the UK or have limited leave to remain in the UK and associated right to work for the duration of their employment with the College, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.