Senior Postdoctoral Researcher: Margins

University Of Oxford; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry invites applications for a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher to join MARGINS (Mental health And Restrictions: Generating new INSights). Based at the Warneford Hospital, Oxford, the post-holder will provide senior quantitative and methodological leadership across three research streams, working with international collaborators.

You will lead development of research questions and analytical approaches, conduct complex analyses on large-scale

Qualifications

• You will hold a PhD/DPhil in health, behavioural or social science with post-qualification research experience.
• Experience of conducting research with adolescents aged roughly 12–18 years, focusing on mental health and wellbeing.
• Desirable: experience or interest in research relating to young people’s digital environments and population health.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of research questions and analytical approaches within the MARGINS programme.
• Develop and lead complex quantitative analyses using large-scale cross-sectional, longitudinal and international datasets.
• Contribute to interpretation and integration of findings and to high-quality research publications, reports and presentations.

Skills

Quantitative analysis

Research leadership

Grant applications

Adolescent health research

Education

PhD/DPhil in health, behavioural or social science

Job description

Location

Location: Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX

The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic.

The Department of Psychiatry is based on the Warneford Hospital site in Oxford – a friendly, welcoming place of work with an international reputation for excellence. The Department has a substantial research programme, with major funding from Medical Research Council (MRC), Wellcome Trust and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and provides highly rated medical training in psychiatry. The Head of Department is Professor Belinda Lennox.

We are looking for a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher to join MARGINS (Mental health And Restrictions: Generating new INSights) in the Department of Psychiatry.

About the Role

The post is full-time and funded for two years. It is based in the Department of Psychiatry at the Warneford Hospital. Applicants must be available to start by 1 February 2027 at the latest.

The postholder will normally be expected to work on site for a minimum of three days per week, reflecting the importance of close collaboration with the wider MARGINS research team. The remaining working time may be undertaken flexibly/hybrid, subject to agreement with the line manager and the operational requirements of the project.

MARGINS is part of a research programme investigating the impact of proposed policy changes to online technology on children and young people. This comprises three complementary research streams and you will work across all three, providing senior quantitative and methodological leadership across the programme.

Working closely with Professor Mina Fazel, Dr Holly Bear, Dr Emma Soneson, the project's statistical lead and international collaborators, you will lead the development of research questions and analytical approaches within the agreed aims of MARGINS, generating original ideas and identifying opportunities for further analyses.

In addition, you will lead and develop complex quantitative analyses, using large-scale cross-sectional, longitudinal and international datasets and contribute to the interpretation and integration of findings and to high-quality research publications, reports and presentations.

About You

You will hold a relevant PhD/DPhil in a health, behavioural or social science discipline (for example, psychology, epidemiology, public health or mental health research), with post-qualification research experience.

Experience of conducting research with adolescents aged approximately 12–18 years, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing and the ability is essential as is the ability to independently plan and manage a research project, including a research budget and to raise research funds through making grant applications.

Experience of, or demonstrable interest in, research relating to young people's digital environments and experiences, and/or population health would be desirable.

Diversity

Committed to equality and valuing diversity, our active Psychiatry People and Culture teams and initiatives including our values and behaviours framework, work to make the Department of Psychiatry as supportive, welcoming and inclusive as possible.

Application Process

You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application. Your covering letter/supporting statement should clearly demonstrate how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria separately. Please see the University pages on the application process at https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/jobs/explore-our-careers/applications-process

The closing date for applications is 12:00 midday on 16 November 2026.

£50,067 to £59,396 per annum. Grade 8