Researcher in Public Health

College of Health, Psychology and Social Care

We are seeking to appoint a Researcher in Public Health to lead a collaborative research programme in Derby and the wider Derbyshire area on the socioeconomic determinants of health inequalities and their impact on non-communicable diseases.

Job details

Responsible to

Professor of Public Health

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Closing date

Sunday 13 April 2025

Salary

£29,179 to £44,128 per annum

Job grade

Researcher

Reference

0008-25

Contract type

Fixed term contract until 28/02/2027

Post type

Full-time

Adaptive working type

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

The College of Health, Psychology and Social Care has a clear vision – to make a REAL difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities within our region. To be the University of choice for our Health and Social Care partners’ education needs across the region; and to provide an excellent student experience, delivered by highly credible and well qualified lecturers and researchers.

The school of Allied Health and Social Care sits within the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. Our school embraces the professions associated with Occupational Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging and Social and Community Studies. We have a very experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic group of academics and professionals who work with students to ensure they have a positive experience as a student and prepare them for their chosen profession in the best possible way.

We are seeking to appoint a Researcher in Public Health to lead a collaborative research programme in Derby and the wider Derbyshire area on the socioeconomic determinants of health inequalities and their impact on non-communicable diseases. Our strategic aim is to conduct excellent, multidisciplinary research at the intersection of two growing areas of public health priority.

The programme involves multisectoral collaboration with regional, national and international organisations. The example of the local stakeholders includes the University of Derby's School of Allied Health and Social Care, the Derbyshire NHS Integrated Care System, Derby City Local Authority, Derbyshire County Council, and Derbyshire Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise.

Our target populations include underserved populations living in poverty and minoritised groups facing issues related to substance misuse, mental health disorders, and homelessness. The collaboration aims to how socioeconomic factors such as access to health and social services, income levels, social deprivation, affordable housing, education, and environmental conditions influence non-communicable diseases prioritised in UK public health. Additionally, we will also examine behavioural factors such as gambling, alcohol, and drug addiction, as well as adverse childhood experiences. 

The successful candidate will have the freedom to develop the project with support from Professor Mzwandile Mabhala and other leading experts in public health. This role involves working within a collaborative team that includes both established and early-career researchers, as well as public health practitioners and policy leaders, on a regional, national, and international scale.

Day to day elements of the role include:

  • Engage in networking activities to make internal and external contacts develop knowledge, and form relationships for future research collaboration.  
  • Identifying opportunities for "bonding networks" to enhance collaborative efforts in advancing the research and development agenda related to health inequalities and vulnerable groups.
  • Developing capacity within the wider public health workforce, particularly in non-traditional public health organisations and roles not specifically identified as public health.
  • Leading efforts to identify external funding opportunities and develop grant proposals involves conducting literature reviews, preparing research plans, and contributing to budget justifications.
  • Preparing research manuscripts for publication in high-impact scientific journals and presenting findings at conferences and seminars.
  • Contributing to departmental teaching activities, including supervising PhD and MSc students.

The anticipated interview date is Thursday 1st May 2025.

To succeed in this role, you should have proven experience leading research on public health issues that affect vulnerable populations. A strong understanding of various research methodologies and techniques relevant to public health is essential. Additionally, you should have experience in conducting impactful research and developing innovative public health interventions specifically for underserved communities. 

You will be expected to collaborate across multiple disciplines to effectively address challenges related to population health. A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion is crucial, along with active efforts to confront potential biases.  Lastly, candidates should demonstrate the ability to work independently while consistently delivering high-quality results on time.

  1. Under the direction of the Principal Investigator, contribute to the development of new knowledge and techniques to the research project(s).
  2. Contribute to the determination of appropriate research methodologies for the project(s).
  3. Analyse research findings and determine the need for further investigation.
  4. Contribute to the writing up of research findings and dissemination through publications or seminar and conference presentations.
  5. Assist with the preparation of proposals and applications to both external and/or internal bodies for funding, contractual or accreditation purposes.
  6. Support the supervision of undergraduate projects and postgraduate research students in conjunction with other staff, and provide training and limited teaching as appropriate.
  7. Plan and manage own research activity and initiate research relevant to the discipline or research project(s).
  8. Where opportunities exist within the research project(s), support the development and delivery of business engagement activities, developing entrepreneurial links with external organisations.
  9. Contribute to the writing of collective bids for funding, and, where funders permit, write individual bids for funding with appropriate support.
  10. Undertake appropriate training and staff development.
  11. Provide guidance as required to other colleagues working on related research project(s).
  12. Assist and help informally students working in the public health research.
  13. Develop internal and external contacts with other academic staff to form collaborative relationships and assist with their research project(s).
  14. Understand own development needs and formulate a personal development plan.
  15. Observe and implement University policies and procedures.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • PhD or equivalent qualification (pending or awarded) in a public health-related subject

Experience

  • An appropriate level of digital capability with practical experience of applications
  • Evidence of sufficient breadth or depth of research methodologies and techniques to work in public health research
  • Evidence of engagement in high-quality research activity

Skills, knowledge & abilities

  • Developing research skills, with the ability to creatively apply relevant research approaches, models, techniques and methods
  • Ability to communicate complex information clearly both in writing and presentations
  • Analytical ability to facilitate conceptual thinking, innovation and creativity
  • Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with colleagues, internally and externally
  • Ability to use initiative and creativity to solve problems in a research context
  • Self-motivated and able to work independently and as part of a team

Business requirements

  • Demonstrate competences, core behaviours and supplementary behaviours that support and promote the University’s core value
  • Flexible to the needs of others
  • Committed to ensuring a high quality student experience
  • Committed to a high-performance culture, fostering continuous improvement and driving quality
  • Able to take a flexible approach to work
    • Travel between sites and occasionally overseas for work
    • Some evening and occasional weekend work

Desirable Criteria

Qualifications

  • Fellowship Status with the Higher Education Academic (HEA)

Experience

  • Experience of assisting with grant applications
  • Experience of writing publications for journals and presenting research at conferences
  • Experience of generating research or knowledge exchange income
  • Generous annual leave entitlement of 47 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
  • Teacher’s Pension Scheme
  • Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
  • Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
  • Discounted onsite gym
  • Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • A flexible working environment
  • A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Mzwandile Mahala, Professor of Public Health via m.mabhala@derby.ac.uk

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

This role is eligible for sponsorship by the University, however, your individual circumstances must meet the criteria set out by UKVI; this includes meeting the English Language requirement and earning a salary that meets the highest of either the going rate for the SOC code or the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route (£38,700 per annum).

If the role is eligible, but the offered salary is less that the going rate for the role, you may still be able to apply for a Skilled Worker visa if:

  • Your job is on the Immigration Salary List

  • You’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training

  • You have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job

  • The role you are applying for is a postdoctoral position

Please note that the University cannot confirm your eligibility for sponsorship until an offer is made and your individual circumstances have been considered.

For more information, visit Applying from Overseas.

 

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.

 

A university that celebrates you

Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2040.

 

Environment and sustainability

Achieve your academic ambitions, apply today at University of Derby.

How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

The University reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

Further details

Download Researcher in Public Health job descriptionDownload Researcher in Public Health job description

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.

Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy.