Research Assistant (Fixed term)

Nottingham; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

NIHR MindTech HealthTech Research Centre in Nottingham is seeking a Research Assistant for a fixed-term, 2-year post to work across digital interventions for children and young people with mental health difficulties, including the ORBIT project.

You will develop intervention content, support end-user testing, and create implementation resources, while engaging with patient and public involvement activities and families.

Qualifications

• Candidates must hold a degree or equivalent in psychology or health sciences.
• Experience of health research methodologies and techniques.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; experience of working with children/adolescents in mental health or research settings is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop content for the ORBIT digital intervention across multiple projects.
• Support end-user testing and contribute to implementation resources.
• Support patient and public involvement activities and liaise with families.

Skills

Health research methodologies

Communication skills

Experience with children/adolescents

Education

Degree in psychology or health sciences

Job description

Salary
£32,080 to £35,608per annum pro-rata depending on skills and experience.

Closing Date
Thursday 15 October 2026

Reference
MED135826

We are currently seeking to appoint a Research Assistant to join our vibrant and multidisciplinary team at NIHR MindTech HealthTech Research Centre. The role holder will work across multiple research projects focused on digital interventions for children and young people with mental health difficulties. A major focus of the role will be working on the ORBIT project (Online remote behavioural interventions for tics), which is exploring how to develop our ORBIT digital intervention into an NHS clinical service.

You will work closely with the ORBIT project team, led by Principal Investigator, Dr Charlotte Hall and co-investigators Kelly-Marie Prentice, Dr Camilla Babbage and Dr Bethan Davies. You will help to develop the content of the intervention, support with end user testing and create implementation resources. You will also support our patient and public involvement activities which will involve working closely with very closely with children and adolescents with tic disorders and their families.

Candidates must hold a degree or equivalent in psychology or health sciences, have experience of health research methodologies and techniques. Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential and experience of working with children/adolescents in mental health or research settings is desirable. This role would be ideally suited to someone wishing to pursue a PhD or Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. We have an excellent track record of supporting research assistants to successfully secure places on doctoral programmes and are committed to providing mentorship and career development support.

This is a full-time post (36.25 hours) and will be offered on a fixed term contract for 2 years. The expected usual working pattern is Monday to Friday however there is potential for flexibility. The post also requires the ability to work out of hours on occasion to support involvement activities.

This role will involve some contact with young people and their families and therefore the post holder will be required to obtain satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), in line with the University’s code of research conduct and research ethics.

We offer:

• A friendly, diverse, and supportive working environment
• A hybrid working arrangement with a blend of home and office working each week
• Generous holiday entitlement of 30 days (or pro rata) plus standard bank holidays and five university closure days including closure between Christmas and New Year.
• Access to training, continued support, and career development opportunities
• A range of benefits and rewards, including fitness and health facilities, staff discounts, travel schemes and much more (see our benefits website for details)

MindTech is committed to ensuring that the perspectives of those with lived experience are at the heart of everything we do, and we welcome applications from people with personal lived experience of mental health problems. We offer a friendly, diverse and supportive working environment and the opportunity for flexible and hybrid working arrangements.

It is a condition of this post that satisfactory enhanced disclosure is obtained from the 'Disclosure and Barring Service'.

Our university is a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs – indeed this very diversity is vital to our success, it is fundamental to our values and enriches life on campus. Visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion website.

To help you succeed, we published Candidate Guidance to provide support on the application and interview process.

We welcome applications from UK, Europe and worldwide and aim to make your move to the UK as smooth as possible. Visit the Moving to Nottingham page for details.

Your application will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as set out by UK Visas & Immigration .