Qualitative Research Associate in the Department of Psychological Medicine

King's College London; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in London is seeking a Qualitative Research Associate to join a significant research project aiming to address racial inequity in health and social care systems. The role includes exploring how racism intersects with care delivery and requires strong qualitative research skills. Ideal candidates will hold a PhD or be in the final stages of their doctoral studies, with experience in qualitative methods and a track record in academic research focused on race and health.

Benefits

10 days professional development per year

Inclusive and welcoming workplace culture

Qualifications

• PhD (awarded or thesis submitted) in a relevant discipline.
• Advanced qualitative research experience focusing on race and ethnicity.
• Track record of academic publications examining racial inequities.

Responsibilities

• Explore how racism affects healthcare delivery and outcomes.
• Conduct a realist review of anti-racism policies.
• Contribute to data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Skills

Qualitative research methods

Data analysis and interpretation

Time management

Presentation skills

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Education

PhD in Sociology, Psychology, Health Inequalities, or related field

Job description

About us

In January 2025, researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) and the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at King's College London in collaboration with Black Thrive Global and two international partners in the United States and Sweden received funding for a new study aiming to advance race equity in health and social care structures.

This bold research programme, titled Collective Action for Race Equity in Health and Social Care (CARE-HSC), aims to address and dismantle structural factors that perpetuate racial discrimination and harassment within care systems.

About you

We are seeking an enthusiastic Qualitative Research Associate to join CARE-HSC, specifically working on 'Workstream 1: Formal (Workforce) Carers' co-led by Professor Stephani Hatch and Dr Rebecca Rhead.

This workstream focusses on a collaboration with NHS peer researchers to uncover mechanisms through which racial inequities persist within care systems, exploring how racism affects care delivery and health and social outcomes, using qualitative and quantitative methods.

The successful candidate will qualitatively explore how sources of racism (i.e., institutional, interpersonal [experiencing, witnessing and anticipating], and internalised) intersect and develop over time for healthcare staff and students. They will explore how these experiences influence education, teamwork, and outcomes, with a focus on discrimination, disciplinary processes, and institutional responses. In addition, the candidate will also conduct a realist review of anti-racism policies across the NHS and higher education.

The aim of this work is to investigate the impact of racism and racialisation on teamwork and care delivery, alongside compliance with and outcomes of the NHS's Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and other oversight functions across the health and social care system.

The postholder will contribute to data collection, analysis, publications, and dissemination, and support training and supervision within the team. They will work closely with CARE-HSC colleagues and stakeholders to produce meaningful, inclusive research and contribute to the overall coordination of the programme.

This is a full-time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract from 1st October 2025 until 31st December 2031.

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

1. PhD (awarded or thesis submitted) in a relevant discipline, such as Sociology, Psychology, Health Inequalities, Population Health, Race and Ethnicity Studies, Occupational Health or a related field, with strong qualitative research experience and a focus on race and ethnicity at the intersection of other social identities, and health and/or social care systems.
2. Advanced knowledge about a range of qualitative research methods, including participatory approaches, interviews, focus groups, and analytic approaches.
3. Track record of academic publications examining racial and ethnic inequities in discrimination, mental health, occupational health, and health care services.
4. Demonstrated ability to analyse data and interpret results of qualitative research.
5. Demonstrable experience in preparing ethical, research and development, and research governance applications, with a strong working knowledge of data confidentiality and security practices.
6. Proven ability to manage time effectively and organise workload across competing priorities, demonstrating excellent organisational and time-management skills.
7. Strong ability to present complex information clearly to academic, policy, and public audiences, with clear examples from previous roles.
8. Demonstrated experience working effectively within interdisciplinary teams and with non-academic partners, including public health entities, people with lived experience and volunteer and community sector organisations.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience engaging with wider audiences through accessible and creative outputs (e.g. blogs, community events).
2. Experience with co-production or participatory methods in research and engagement.
3. Experience supervising researchers or students and delivering seminars or training to diverse audiences.

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.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

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 advert. 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.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ' How we Recruit' pages.

Interviews are due to be held on W/C 21st July 2025