Academic R&I Senior Research Associate

Salary: £47,389 to £56,535 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: 22 October 2026

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced mixed-methods researcher to join the Maternal and Child Health Group in the Population Health Sciences Institute led by Professor Judith Rankin. You will be joining a diverse community of multidisciplinary colleagues based in Newcastle and committed to improving the health of women and infants.

The postholder will contribute to the design and delivery of research in applied reproductive health, collect and analyse data, write findings up for publication, lead/contribute to funding applications, and present at conferences/meetings. Current areas of work within the group include the health of vulnerable and underserved maternal populations, maternal nutrition, conditions in pregnancy, perinatal mental health, impact of climate change, and reproductive loss.

The postholder will work closely with other members of the group, many of whom hold leadership roles within a number of NIHR’s infrastructure and consortia, as well as collaborating with those working in other HEIs, the NHS, local authorities, VCSFE and industry partners. The role also involves developing your own research in applied reproductive health which leads to a fellowship or project applications.

This post is based in Newcastle and you will be expected to spend the majority of your time on site.

This post is full-time, fixed term for a period of 5 years.

At Newcastle University, we follow the Researcher Development Concordat: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/research/support/development/. We enable all colleagues to fulfil their research potential regardless of career stage. This commitment secures our thriving research culture and vibrant research environment. Our offer to each individual and their researcher development includes mentoring, annual research planning discussions, pooled research funding to support career development and research activities, peer review support for the development of research and innovation funding applications.

We want you to feel confident when applying for a position with Newcastle University. If you’d like an informal discussion to clarify any points, please contact [email protected]. We are committed to making the process accessible to everyone and can provide additional support to adjustments to meet your needs.

To apply, we require a cover letter and CV. In the cover letter, you should outline how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

Interviews will be arranged with advanced notice.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institutes here:

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed three levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and undertake research in reproductive health that supports the narrowing of health and care inequities
• Contribute ideas including on appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Lead, coordinate and guide day-to-day project activity, anticipating risks, resolving issues and supporting colleagues to achieve research objectives
• Attract funding for research from a range of peer reviewed external sources
• Lead on and support academic outputs and dissemination, including preparing publications, presenting findings at conferences, and public dissemination approaches
• Lead on, and contribute to, knowledge mobilisation activities to ensure research impact
• Build and maintain effective relationships with health and care partners, public contributors and community stakeholders, ensuring their perspectives shape research design and impact
• Lead on, and contribute to, public involvement, community engagement and research inclusion activities
• Identify and undertake a programme of professional development, including further training in research methods and other transferable skills
• Develop and maintain regional and national collaborations
• Attend meetings and other events appropriate to the group’s work
• To contribute to the group’s wider activities, including with other relevant research infrastructures regionally and nationally
• Provide supervision and support to students and early career researchers
• Undertake other activities as directed by the group’s lead
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Track record of leading/contributing to mixed methods research projects in applied reproductive health, with a wide range of external partners
• Proven ability to analyse mixed methods data
• A strong publication record in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
• Track record of securing external research funding as PI and co-I
• Evidence of delivering research projects to agreed timelines, meeting milestones
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity to a range of audiences
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems
• Good understanding of the research environment
• Clear understanding of the current UK health, public health and social care system
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect research/personal data. according to protocols and principles of good research practice. Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• Experience of delivering presentations at meetings and conferences

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team
• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Motivation to secure a personal fellowship or external funding from an external, national panel
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

• PhD in a subject related to applied reproductive health

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 GoldAthena 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: 29766