Research Fellow NIHR Partnership Grant

This is a maternity cover fixed-term post for up to 1 year in the first instance starting ideally by 1^st March 2025. Both full and part-time applications will be considered. Remote or hybrid working could be discussed at interview.
We are seeking an experienced Research Fellow to work on a partnership project to with NHS and healthcare organisations to systemically improve the wellbeing of healthcare staff so that they can thrive.
The successful applicant will be responsible for the smooth running of this National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded research project that aims to improve the wellbeing of the UK healthcare workforce. This is critically important since the NHS is one of the world's largest employers, with 1.5 million employees, but there are currently 43,000 nursing vacancies, 11,000 medical vacancies and 71,000 'other' vacancies.
The reasons underpinning the current NHS workforce crisis are complex and nuanced and so we will take a mixed methods realist research approach to address knowledge gaps, and identify, develop and evaluate promising interventions. We are particularly interested in systems-level interventions that target multiple levels (e.g. individual, team, organisational) concurrently. We will use traditional and non-traditional approaches to develop interventions to improve staff wellbeing including co-design activities and will work with stakeholders including experts by experience to summarise and share our findings, to reach the widest possible audience, and optimise the likelihood of positive changes to practice, drawing on our collective national and international networks.
The successful applicant will work as part of a national team of Research Fellows and academics, across multiple UK universities, in partnership with NHS senior leaders, clinicians, patients and other key stakeholders with an interest in workforce wellbeing. They will be responsible for primary and secondary data collection and synthesis and ensuring the smooth running of key elements of this large-scale workforce research partnership project, with strong supervision and support from an experienced wider research team.
The successful applicant will be part of a vibrant wider research community at the University of Surrey through the Workforce Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW) expert group (https://www.surrey.ac.uk/school-health-sciences/research/workforce-organisation-and-wellbeing) and the Care Under Pressure research (https://workforceresearchsurrey.health/projects-resources/cup2/).

We are looking for a post-doctoral researcher with mixed methods research skills and (if possible) realist methodology experience, excellent project management and organisational skills to lead this large project. They will also need to be able to engage in deep critical thinking to develop theoretical insights, have excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as the ability to work independently but also create and nurture a remote team culture. The successful candidate will be individually responsible for undertaking data collection and synthesis and supporting write up and dissemination materials with support from other members of the team.

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research.
We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee.
Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively, and individually, make a real difference., In return we offer a generous pension, relocation assistance where appropriate , flexible working options including job share and blended home/campus working locations (dependent on work duties), access to world-class leisure facilities on campus, a range of travel schemes and supportive family friendly benefits including an excellent on-site nursery.

About the University of Surrey and School of Health Sciences
In addition to salary, you will receive a generous annual leave entitlement and excellent development opportunities. Benefits package includes salary, relocation (subject to meeting certain criteria), childcare assistance and discounted membership to our world-renowned Surrey Sports Park.
Sitting within the University's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, the School of Health Sciences has achieved substantial success and is a leading provider of undergraduate and postgraduate education and is in the top 10 in the UK for research following the recent Research Excellence Framework assessment.
As a Silver Athena SWAN award holder, Stonewall Diversity Champion and Disability Confident employer, we are committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion.