Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Principal Investigator: Prof Xiaolan Zheng)

Nottingham University Business School China, Prof. Xiaolan Zheng's research team is seeking an outstanding Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the postdoctoral research station in business administration for the development of University of Nottingham Ningbo China research agenda.

Your key responsibilities include:

- To formulate and articulate research objectives, alongside developing proposals for both individual and collaborative projects, utilizing established methodologies and techniques to execute research effectively within the specified area;
- To analyze data meticulously, interpret findings, evaluate scholarly texts, and contribute innovative insights, while adhering to project deadlines and collaborating seamlessly with team members and partners;
- To write up research work for publication and/or contribute to the dissemination at national/international conferences, resulting in successful research outputs;
- To identify opportunities and assist in writing bids for research grant applications;
- To build relationships with both internal and external contacts in order to exchange information, to form relationships for future collaborations and identify potential sources of funds and/or opportunities for collaboration.

About You:

- The candidate must have obtained a PhD in Finance or Accounting within the past three years.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including the ability to communicate with clarity on complex information. Excellent communication skills in Chinese is a plus.
- High analytical ability to analyse and illuminate data, interpret reports, evaluate and criticise texts and bring new insights.
- Ability to creatively apply relevant research approaches, models, techniques and methods.
- Ability to assess and organise resource requirements and deploy effectively.
- Ability to build relationships and collaborate with others, both internally and externally.
- Some practical experience of applying the specialist skills and approaches and techniques required for the role.

About the Project:

This project investigates the integration of non-financial factors into core corporate decision-making processes through three primary research objectives. First, this project examines how firms integrate non-financial factors into core corporate decision-making processes, focusing on the internalization of environmental and social considerations, exploring how these forces shape resource allocation, risk management, and strategic priorities within organizations in an increasingly digitalized environment. Second, the project aims to employ rigorous empirical methods to uncover the causal mechanisms through which non-financial dimensions interact with and reshape traditional business models, examining how organizations strategically respond to evolving institutional pressures and stakeholder expectations. Third, the project seeks to generate novel insights into the real economic implications of sustainability, contributing to a deeper understanding of modern corporate behavior by revealing how firms navigate complex trade-offs in a globalized landscape.

Approximately two-thirds of this postdoctoral position's responsibilities center on developing teaching cases in sustainable finance. The successful candidate will contribute to both educational resources and scholarly publications that examine innovation and organizational dynamics within the field.

The postdoctoral researcher will be based at the Nottingham Global Case Centre (NGCC), the only center within the University of Nottingham's three-campus system dedicated exclusively to teaching case development.

About the Research Station:

The Postdoctoral Research Station in Business Administration was approved to establish in November 2023. It is UNNC's first postdoctoral research station. UNNC's undergraduate programme of Business Administration was launched in 2004 and the doctoral programme in 2009. The subject has been listed among the world's top academic subjects by Shanghai Ranking for four consecutive years.

Remuneration and Benefits:

You will be offered a fixed-term contract with University of Nottingham Ningbo China for 2 years. You will be offered a minimum annual salary package of RMB 272,606 with a competitive benefits package. Postdoctoral Research Fellows are also able to apply for RMB 50,000 research funding after they start their research.