Salary: £35,116 to £37,174 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: 08 July 2025
The Role
Applications are invited for a talented and ambitious Research Associate to work within the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences. Working with Professor Gillian Vance and Dr Bryan Burford, the post holder will be expected to deliver a range of mixed methods projects as a member of the Partnership for Workforce Sustainability.
The Partnership is a new venture, funded by the NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme, aimed at addressing workforce sustainability challenges in underserved areas of health and care. Over 5 years, the Partnership will bring together researchers from across five universities, and will work with policymakers, health and care professionals and system leaders to develop evidence-based actionable solutions to workforce challenges in primary care and maternity services.
The successful candidate will have (or have already submitted) a doctorate in a relevant topic (such as workforce development or healthcare inequalities) and possess experience in mixed methods research. Required skills will include evidence synthesis; development of data collection methods and analysis plans; qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis; the ability to publish work in a range of formats and for a range of audiences; a willingness to work with research partners across multiple universities and engage with external partners, public and practice contributors.
The School of Medicine is committed to supporting equality and diversity for all staff and students. Applications for part time/flexible working will be considered. Please state your desired working arrangements in your application.
Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/
100% FTE for the duration of partnership
Key Accountabilities
• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value'
• Develop and carry out projects within the work of the Partnership using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and 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
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute.
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
• Contribute to study design and collect, organise and analyse data relating to various projects focused on addressing health and care systems that affect workforce development in underserved communities
• Lead on development of application(s) for ethical approval and other governance requirements, and assurance of compliance research governance and Data Protection legislation
• Work with relevant stakeholders, including members of the public, to ensure research is relevant to their needs
• Attend meetings and other events as appropriate, including presentation of research updates and findings, to internal and external Partnership meetings, national and international meetings, workshops and conferences, and publication in high quality peer reviewed journals
• Carry out administrative tasks and other duties to support the projects as required by the project leads
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge, such as in healthcare workforce, education or training,
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• Experience of conducting high quality, mixed methods applied research and/or evidence synthesis relevant to organisational settings
• Experience of carrying out research project work within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and producing high quality outputs
• Ability to work independently as part of an interdisciplinary project team
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect research/personal data according to protocols and principles of good research practice
• Excellent record keeping
• Evidence of potential to develop own programme of work and apply for external funding with support
Desirable
• Knowledge and experience of working or undertaking research in primary care and/or maternity services
• Experience of work within a context of Public Involvement and Engagement
• Experience of co-production approaches and/or creative methods
Attributes and Behaviour
• Ability to prioritise key tasks
• Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work flexibly and under pressure
• Ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems.
• Conscientious, enthusiastic and inquisitive.
• Good interpersonal skills; able to effectively work with others, including colleagues, staff, patients and public, and professional stakeholders
Qualifications
• A PhD awarded in a relevant subject (e.g. public health, sociology, psychology or clinical education)
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 silver 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: 28204