King's College London

About Us

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Mental Health (MHPRU) is a joint initiative between two world-leading universities - KCL and UCL- and various collaborators. It has been running since 2017, with further funding secured until the end of 2028. The MHPRU conducts rapid mixed-methods mental health research to address policy gaps and inform policy makers in developing nationwide mental health service plans. The unit works to make evidence and expert views available to policymakers in a timely way and to carry out research that is directly useful to inform policy.  Our recent work includes research on the remote delivery of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, an evaluation of strategies to improve mental health care for autistic people, and the experiences of mental health peer support workers.  Further details about our work can be found here:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/research/mental-health-policy-research-unit

About The Role

We are appointing a post-doctoral (or close to completion of a PhD programme) Research Associate to work on the MHPRU.  The post provides an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated mixed-methods researcher to collaborate with policy makers to generate rapid and robust evidence on a range of priority policy areas. 

The successful candidate will work closely with Prof Alan Simpson, Co-Director of the MHPRU and Professor of Mental Health Nursing, and Dr Kylee Trevillion, Deputy Director of the MHPRU and Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Services Research, joining a multidisciplinary team of applied mental health researchers across KCL, UCL, and other UK universities.

The successful post-holder will be a mixed-methods researcher in public health, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, or other relevant disciplines. They should have experience of conducting and analysing quantitative and qualitative research methods in an applied health research context, and experience of conducting systematic reviews. They will be experienced in managing research project meetings with a diverse group of stakeholders and have experience of conducting research in a rapid manner. Experience of co-production and/or working collaboratively with service users is highly desirable, as is experience of quantitative analysis of healthcare datasets.

We have funding for the equivalent of a full 1.0 FTE post (5 days per week). The post will be offered on a fixed term contract until 31 December 2028.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for a candidate to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD awarded in a relevant discipline, or PhD in a relevant discipline near completion
2. Ability to conduct robust research in a rapid manner
3. Excellent communication and rapport-building skills, and experience of managing research project meetings with research colleagues and diverse stakeholders (including policy makers, lived experience researchers, mental health service users and staff)
4. Experience of conducting and analysing quantitative research and systematic reviews
5. Experience of conducting and analysing qualitative research, including detailed research interviews with mental health service users and staff
6. Experience of undertaking research activities to ensure adherence to ethical, governance, and data protection requirements
7. Ability to write high-quality peer-reviewed publications
8. Demonstrable interest in mental health policy and service provision in a UK context.  

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of coding and analysis of healthcare datasets
2. Experience of co-producing research with lived experience researchers       

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. 

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held on 14th January 2025

We are not able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.