Job Description

Position Details

School of Social Policy and Society

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to February 2028

Closing date: 21st June 2026

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 7 July 2026

Background

Are you a qualitative researcher with an interest in applied health research and implementation science?

You will be joining the College of Social Sciences to support a dynamic team of senior academics in the Centre for Evidence and Implementation Science (CEIS). You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of methodological innovation and policy and practice change and will be based within the Centre’s Evidence Based Surgery Group. CEIS also encompasses: a National Institute for Health and Care Research funded Evidence Synthesis Group and a Policy and Methods Group.

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic researcher to deliver a recently awarded high-profile national Randomised Controlled Trial funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The applicant will be responsible for the successful delivery of a recruitment optimisation and implementation-focussed process evaluation to improve the successful delivery and translation of study findings into surgical and perioperative practice. The main elements of this role will be undertaking data collection and analysis of qualitative data. Data collection will include: interviews with clinical and non-clinical staff, leading equipoise meetings, analysis of trial documentation and development of recruitment and implementation strategies. You will also be required to write for publication, work closely and collaboratively with researchers from other institutions and be confident in articulating and disseminating findings to key stakeholders.

You will have previously undertaken qualitative research within the NHS and have knowledge of clinical trials. The successful candidate will be expected to spend approximately two days per week on campus.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 7 July 2026

• Work within specified research grants and projects.
• Contribute to writing bids and other academic and non-academic outputs.
• Conduct research under the supervision of senior colleagues.
• Collect qualitative data with patients and healthcare professionals.
• Work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Produce academic outputs

Main Duties

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

• Support applications for NHS research governance approvals and local data collection.
• Be confident in communicating research findings and articulating interim findings and feedback to the wider research team and clinical collaborators.
• Undertake the process evaluation, coordinating multi-site data collection analysis and stakeholder engagement
• Apply implementation science approaches to inform study design, analysis and translation of findings into practice
• Engage with clinical teams, patients and public contributors to co-produce insights and ensure relevance of findings
• Work closely with NHS partners and policymakers to ensure findings are contextually grounded and actionable
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret qualitative data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• 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
• Collect research data using qualitative research methods.
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in qualitative research, clinical trials and implementation science. ,
• 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

Informal enquiries regarding this post may be made to Dr Arabella Scantlebury, a.l.scantlebury@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