Job Description

Position Details

Department of Applied Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

Grade: 6

Part Time (0.35 FTE)

Fixed Term contract up to August 2028

Closing date: 6th October 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The Department of Applied Health Sciences undertakes a broad portfolio of diabetes and endocrine research, ranging from clinical studies through to health services and behavioural research. Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is central to the design, conduct and dissemination of this work. We are seeking a Research Associate to support PPIE activity across our diabetes and endocrine research programmes, including planning and facilitating PPIE events and groups, gathering and analysing qualitative feedback from patients and the public, and ensuring their voices meaningfully shape our research.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and/or projects
• Operate within area of specialism
• Support the design, delivery and evaluation of PPIE activities across diabetes and endocrine research projects, working closely with patients, carers and the public
• Contribute to publications

Main Duties

• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Plan, coordinate and facilitate PPIE activities and groups (e.g. workshops, focus groups, advisory panels) with people affected by diabetes and endocrine conditions
• Conduct qualitative research with patients, carers and the public, including interviews and focus groups, and undertake thematic or other qualitative analysis of the resulting data
• Analyse research data as directed
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Develop or adapt techniques, models and methods
• Provide guidance as required to support staff and any students who may be assisting with research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Carry out administrative tasks related directly to the delivery of the research
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Experience of conducting qualitative research, for example interviews, focus groups or surveys, and analysing qualitative data (Essential)
• Experience of interacting with Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) groups, or of working directly with patients, carers or members of the public in a research context (Essential)
• MBChB or equivalent medical qualification (Desirable)
• Ability to analyse information and communicate effectively
• Ability to access and organise resources successfully
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Punith Kempegowda, email: p.kempegowda@bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.