King's College London
Qualitative Research Associate
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About us
The successful candidate will become a member of the Qualitative Applied Health Research Centre (QUAHRC) within the Health Services & Population Research Department, and will also be affiliated with the Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, both within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London.
The post provides an exciting opportunity to join a thriving centre for qualitative research that uses rigorous and innovative methods to understand and improve the experiences of people with mental health problems. The postholder will work closely with Professor Vanessa Lawrence, Professor in Qualitative Health Research and Head of the QUAHRC at Kings and Professor Cynthia Fu, Professor of Affective Neuroscience & Psychotherapy and Principal Investigator of HOME and BDEP.
About the role
We invite applications for a Qualitative Research Associate to contribute to two NIHR-funded clinical trials investigating home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for depression (the “HOME” Trial) and bipolar depression (“BDEP”) within the NHS. HOME aims to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of home-based tDCS for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), while BDEP will evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and implementation of home-based tDCS for individuals experiencing bipolar depression.
Both studies include a qualitative process evaluation to explore participants’ experiences of home-based neuromodulation, examine mechanisms through which the intervention influences outcomes, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and adherence within NHS care settings. The successful candidate will conduct qualitative interviews with trial participants and clinicians and lead the analysis of the qualitative data to inform interpretation of trial outcomes and planning of future implementation strategies. Key responsibilities include:
- Recruit participants to the qualitative process evaluations, liaising closely with the trial manager, research staff and clinical teams.
- Conduct in-depth, sensitive qualitative interviews with people with major depressive disorder participating in HOME, individuals experiencing bipolar depression participating in BDEP, and clinicians involved in delivering the interventions.
- Lead the analysis of qualitative data to develop an in-depth understanding of participants' expectations and experiences of home-based tDCS and to inform the interpretation of trial findings.
- Attend and contribute to study meetings, presenting updates on research progress and qualitative findings to the wider study team.
- Prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and contribute to reports, conference presentations, seminars and other dissemination activities for academic, clinical and public audiences.
- Contribute actively to the vibrant research culture of the QUAHRC, bringing ideas and enthusiasm to its programme of research, methodological development and knowledge exchange through initiatives such as research group meetings, the Qualitative Special Interest Group, the Qualitative Open Mic podcast, the Qualitative Summer School, the Qualitative Impact Blog and other collaborative activities.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed-term contract for 18 months.
Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.
About you
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
- PhD awarded in a relevant social science subject.
- Enthusiasm for using qualitative methods that prioritise the lived experience of people with mental health problems and those that support them.
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems.
- Experience of recruiting participants to research studies.
- Experience of conducting qualitative interviews.
- Knowledge and skills in analysing qualitative data.
- Ability to write high-quality peer-reviewed publications.
- Understanding of ethical and research governance requirements for mental health research.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of conducting qualitative interviews with people with mental health problems.
- Experience of using the Framework Approach.
- Experience of working in or alongside clinical teams in the NHS.
- Skills in using qualitative software (e.g. NVivo).
Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Further information
At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.
The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.
We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.
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 person specification section of the job description. 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.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment.
We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.
We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location