Job Description

Salary

Research Assistant: £34,630 - £36,320 per annum

Research Associate: £37,369 - £41,885 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 01 December 2026

The role

We are seeking to appoint a Research Assistant/Associate (RA) with a specialism in qualitative research methods to work on an interdisciplinary project entitled, The Night Shift 1850-present: Reimagining Sleep, Work and Wellbeing for Healthcare Professionals in English and Scottish Hospitals, led by PI Dr Kristin Hussey and funded by the Wellcome Trust. The project is hosted in the School of History, Classics & Archaeology, which has a vibrant and active research culture: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/hca/about/

The Night Shift is an ambitious project which aims to radically re-imagine sleep work and wellbeing for healthcare professionals working at night in England and Scotland. The project examines how longstanding workplace cultures and professional identities have normalised unsafe and unsustainable working conditions. Working with healthcare professionals at NHS Trusts, the postholder will use qualitative methods—including interviews, focus groups and witness seminars—to explore how staff experience and manage night work. The role will contribute to developing interventions to improve staff wellbeing.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early career researcher to develop experience in interdisciplinary research, scholarly editing, project management, impact and public engagement, and sole-authored publications. The RA will be provided with academic and pastoral support within the School, and training will be provided to develop their competencies. Newcastle University is a signatory to the Concordat to support researchers’ career development which entitles researchers up to 10 days annually of personal CPD activities.

This post is a (maximum) 60-month fixed term Research Assistant/Associate in History, and a full-time appointment. The successful candidate will start work as soon as possible after 1 March 2027, ending no later than April 18, 2032. Flexible working is welcome, but the postholder must be willing to travel for fieldwork and other research/engagement activities.

Applicants with minority and/or host community backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply. Should the successful applicant require a UK Visa for this role, they will be eligible to apply under the Endorsed Funder Route of the Global Talent Visa. The University will support the applicant through this process.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Newcastle University is committed to the responsible use of research metrics as part of our research culture and research strategy. We advocate for the transparent, appropriate, and inclusive use of metrics, guided by expert judgment, to support high-quality, impactful research that is open, collaborative and sustainable. Click here for our full policy statement on the Responsible use of Research Metrics.

Contact for the post is Dr Kristin Hussey: kristin.hussey@newcastle.ac.uk

To apply, please upload an up-to-date CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the essential job criteria. Please also upload one writing sample (e.g. journal article, book chapter, or thesis chapter) that you feel best reflects your research (10,000 words max).

Key Accountabilities

• Work closely with the project PI and others in the team to carry out research relating to The Night Shift 1850-present: Reimagining Sleep, Work and Wellbeing for Healthcare Professionals in English and Scottish Hospitals
• Work closely with the PI and NHS Research and Development Teams to develop recruitment materials and obtain ethical permissions for semi-structured interviews and focus groups with healthcare professionals and nursing students
• Conduct interviews and focus groups with night workers at North East NHS Trusts (in person and online), and analyse the data collected
• Undertake two periods of knowledge exchange at the National Center for the Working Enviornment (NFA) in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Collaborate with the project team and partners to deliver public and policy outputs including an exhibition, training materials and a policy toolkit

Research Assistant

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

Research Associate

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Research Assistant

• Experience of recruiting, conducting, transcribing and analysing interviews with participants
• Experience of carrying out research in healthcare settings andfamiliarity with ethical approvals processes
• Experience of developing and organsing and/or contributing towards the organisation of public engagement events
• Outstanding communication skills for realising research aims, public engagement and outreach, as well as those necessary to work successfully as part of a team
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications and with experience with NVivo software desirable
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

In addition for Research Associate

• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high-quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Willingness to work flexibly, responsively and sensitively to the needs of project participants
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Research Assistant

• Masters Degree in Sociology, Geography, Medical Humanities, History or another relevant subject or discpline or PhD in progress

In addition for Research Associate

• Awarded PhD in Sociology, Geography, Medical Humanities, History or another relevant subject or discpline

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 29790