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

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £42,254.

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2028

Closing date: 14th September 2026

Background

We invite applications for a Research Fellow to work on a qualitative study exploring the pathways to diagnosis of breast cancer in black women in the UK. The post holder will conduct literature review(s), arrange and conduct interviews with patients and analyse qualitative data. The post holder will be responsible for arranging and conducting the interviews. The research will be conducted in Birmingham and London, and the Research Fellow will be expected to travel to these sites to conduct the interviews.

This is a full-time and 18 months fixed term opportunity. The successful applicant will:

• Work closely with the Principal Investigator to undertake the project
• Contribute to the delivery of the project
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as literature reviews and research interviews
• Work with research nurses in participating sites to recruit patients to the study
• Play a key role in coding and analysing research data, including secondary analysis of data
• Contribute to public engagement and dissemination activities
• Be responsible for data management and administrative tasks relating to the project

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader

Person Specification or Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications
• Demonstrable experience in qualitative research, including interviewing patients Experience of qualitative data analysis using NVivo software
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Desirable

• Experience of working with women from minority ethnic groups
• Experience in recruiting and interviewing patients in the NHS
• Experience in conducting interviews on sensitive topics
• Experience in conducting systematic reviews

Note – The role involves interviewing patients in the NHS, as such a DBS will be required (prior to starting)

OH&DBS required

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Occupational Health and DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Patricia Apenteng, email: p.n.k.apenteng@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 everyoneon our website