Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Exeter; Exeter; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in Exeter is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Health Economics to develop an open-source health economic model in R. This full-time position offers opportunities for research that shapes real-world healthcare policies, with flexible working arrangements. Candidates should have a strong background in health economic modelling, and the role is funded by the NHS Cancer Programme. Salary from £43,482 annually.

Benefits

Maternity/adoption/shared parental leave

Paternity leave

Flexible working arrangements

Career progression opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong background in health economic modelling and cost-effectiveness analysis.
• Experience conducting economic evaluations.
• Passion for research influencing policy and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead the production of economic analysis including input data analysis.
• Develop research objectives and identify funding sources.
• Publish research in journals and attend conferences.

Skills

Health economic modelling

Cost-effectiveness analysis

Economic evaluations

Research influencing policy

Education

PhD in health economics or related field

Tools

R

Job description

Overview

Join Us as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Health Economics and Public Health!

The Faculty wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to produce an open-source health economic model in R to assess the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of a new intervention to increase the chance of an early cancer diagnosis.

HELP Flag applies age and sex specific cut-offs to platelet tests carried out in routine practice to flag early warning signs of potential cancers. Along with a carefully designed pathway to guide GPs on next steps for investigation, use of HELP Flag is expected to result in:

• Expedited cancer diagnosis for patients with raised platelets who would not otherwise have been investigated, with the resulting benefits to patient quality of life and survival and reduced cost to the NHS from the more expensive treatments required to treat later stage cancer.
• Reduced emergency presentations and commensurate capacity and resource use savings.
• More effective use of existing pathology services, representing excellent value for money

This full-time post is funded by the NHS Cancer Programme with support from SBRI Healthcare and the Accelerated Access Collaborative and is available from 05 January 2026 to 08 June 2027 on a fixed-term basis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the production of the economic analysis including analysis of input data via the secure data environment
• Develop your own research objectives and identify sources of future funding
• Have the opportunity to publish your research in high quality journals and to attend a conference to present the results of your research

What We Offer

• The ability to deliver research which shapes real-world healthcare policies.
• On-the-job training to develop world-class expertise in health economics.
• A collaborative, supportive research environment with opportunities for career progression.
• Flexible working arrangements: office-based, hybrid, fully remote and part-time options available on a case-by-case basis.
• Sector-leading benefits, including up to 26 weeks full maternity/adoption/shared parental leave and up to 6 weeks paternity leave.
• Work in the stunning surroundings of Devon, home to one of the UK’s fastest-growing tech hubs!

About You

We\'re looking for someone with:

• A strong background in health economic modelling and cost-effectiveness analysis.
• Experience conducting economic evaluations
• A passion for research that directly influences policy and decision-making.

Join a Leading Research Institution

As a Russell Group university ranked among the top 200 in the world, Exeter is a powerhouse of world-class research and teaching excellence. We support academics in achieving their full potential through initiatives like Exeter Academic and an Innovation, Impact & Business directorate dedicated to external engagement.

Interested?

Read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details. For further information contact Prof Dawn Lee, e-mail [e-mail].

The closing date for completed applications is 16 October 2025. Interviews are expected to take place soon after.

Salary will be from £43,482 on Grade F, depending on qualifications and experience.