Research Associate

The University of Manchester - School of Biological Sciences

Are you a qualitative or mixed methods researcher? Do you want to work with an enthusiastic group of world-leading researchers on a new Arthritis UK Consortium to address critical gaps in existing knowledge? Do you want to work at an institution where flexible working and hybrid working is a possibility, with generous annual leave allowance? If so, keep reading…

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a friendly and inclusive team that values diverse perspectives and supports career development.
• Contribute to a nationally significant research programme with real-world impact.
• Help build and support communities of practice, engage with patient partners, and contribute to knowledge mobilisation across the consortium.
• Work in a role that offers variety, autonomy, and the chance to grow, with opportunities to shape how the role evolves over time.

As a Research Associate, you’ll be part of a collaborative, supportive, and forward-thinking team based at the University of Manchester. You’ll work alongside researchers, clinicians, patient partners, and knowledge mobilisation specialists to help shape the future of musculoskeletal research.

The research associate will be working in Workstream 1 to investigate ‘Health Inequalities - Identifying and addressing disparities in access to musculoskeletal care and outcomes’. There is increasing evidence that socioeconomic status drives differences in outcomes for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Key research from centres within the Consortium has demonstrated examples of this, including differential outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on rural vs urban living, and less frequent hip replacements for people with osteoarthritis (OA) from more deprived backgrounds, despite similar or greater levels of disease severity. These data suggest there are groups of people with RMDs who are more likely to experience fragmented and poorly coordinated care. However, the intersection between these inequalities and other health determinants and outcomes, and the mechanisms underlying this, is poorly understood. We aim to address this gap, and further, provide a health inequalities lens across the consortium, leading to vital improvements to the design and delivery of services for all people with RMDs.

We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher with a PhD (or equivalent experience) in psychology, sociology, public health, or a related discipline. The successful candidate will contribute to priority-setting activities to identify areas of unmet need and support the development and delivery of focused qualitative research projects addressing health inequalities.

Working closely with patient partners and the wider consortium, the postholder will help ensure that qualitative research is well aligned with consortium priorities and informs the focus of related quantitative work, bringing a clear health inequalities perspective. For this project, the Research Associate will be based at the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research (CfMR), Centre for Epidemiology, University of Manchester, UK.

There is a choice of three FTE options for this post: Option 1: 0.2 FTE for 3 years; Option 2: 0.4 FTE for 18 months; Option 3: 0.5 FTE for 1 year. We have a genuine commitment to equality of opportunity for our staff and students and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse community we serve. As a global institution, situated at the heart of a lively, culturally diverse city, we welcome applicants of all nationalities.