Research Associate

Job reference: BMH-028315
Salary: £37,174 - £40,497 per annum, dependent on relevant experience
Faculty/Organisational Unit: Biology, Medicine Health
Location: Manchester
Employment type: Fixed Term
Division/Team: Division of Psychology and Mental Health
Hours per week: Full time (1 FTE)
Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 07/04/2025
Contract duration: 30 Months
School/Directorate: School of Health Sciences

Job purpose and scope

The University of Manchester has a vacancy for an experienced Research Associate to join our team, working full-time on a research project funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Our project seeks to understand how to increase engagement in care and build relationships with healthcare providers. Intentional efforts to foster trusting relationships and build rapport between providers and CYP living with SCD and their families have been highlighted consistently as pathways to eliminate racism. Critically, we have involved healthcare professionals and NHS managers to provide a roadmap for communal gatekeeping and team accountability to mitigate discriminatory effects. We hope that by understanding whether listening to patient stories or encouraging familial and community support are identified as culturally responsive practices, we can work to shift the organisational culture within the transition process.

The aims of the project are to co-develop recommendations for culturally responsive healthcare transition services for CYP living with SCD in England. The Research Associate will support the Principal Investigators (Dr. Anna Hood and Dr. Brenda Poku) and other co-investigators to ensure the project milestones are successfully achieved. Your role will include conducting a systematic scoping review, recruiting and conducting qualitative interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, including children and young people living with SCD, caregivers, educators, and healthcare professionals. The successful applicant will also facilitate coproduction workshops with stakeholders and work alongside our PPIE researchers and advisory group, actively engaging with them throughout the project.

The post requires expertise and experience in research (data collection, supervised project management, literature reviews, data analysis) and a strong understanding of qualitative methodologies. You will be a talented, self-motivated, independent researcher with drive, enthusiasm, and exceptional communication skills. You will possess excellent written, verbal, and numeracy abilities, along with a strong capacity to work both independently and as part of a team while managing key milestones and objectives. You will demonstrate outstanding organisational skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks with tight deadlines. Based at the University of Manchester, you will need to travel nationally, so independent travel arrangements are preferred.

The post is subject to an Enhanced DBS.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Dr Anna Hood Email: anna.hood@manchester.ac.uk

General enquiries: Email: People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

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