Research Associate in Community Health and Fitness Programmes (Qualitative)

About the role

The main purpose of this current role is to, as an employee of the University, lead the curation and analysis of existing and new datasets held by Nuffield Health from a qualitative perspective to understand, through narrative and ethnographic analysis, the barriers and facilitators to the adoption of more active lifestyles in various patient populations. A key component of this analysis will be to understand these determinants from an EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) perspective in order to address issues of health inequality and access. This analysis will also involve understanding how such insights relate to various metrics and health outcomes to assess the efficacy of the interventions. Learning from these thematic approaches will be used to inform new iterations of the interventions. The role will also require the supervision and mentorship of a small team of post-doctoral research assistants (x2) focused on qualitative data analysis, the publication of high-quality research outputs, and the ability to capture external research income. We expect a presence on campus and immersion within Nuffield Health structures.

About the candidate:

The candidate will have extensive experience in qualitative data analysis, ideally within the context of public health, physical activity, and behaviour change. Ideally, the candidate will have a thorough and extensive grounding in exercise and health psychology and be highly proficient in qualitative data using methods such as thematic analysis, content analysis, or grounded theory. An ability to utilise qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, Atlas.ti, or MAXQDA) to organise and interpret findings, identify patterns, themes, and narratives that address research questions and project objectives, is essential. The role requires someone capable of working independently to develop and test new frameworks that can be developed to grow capacity through the capture of external funding. The person will be required to oversee the submission of protocols for ethical submission, research papers for publication, and have experience of leading a small team that integrates into a much wider structure that sits within two organisations. The postholder will therefore require significant interpersonal skills.