Associate Professor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health

University of Worcester - Department of Nursing

Location:St John’s Campus

About Us

The University of Worcester is a forward-thinking institution with a strong reputation for teaching excellence, research impact, and an inclusive culture. Our School of Nursing and Midwifery is committed to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities through education, research, and collaboration.

The Role

We are seeking an exceptional academic leader to join our team as Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape research, teaching, and knowledge exchange in a critical area of health and wellbeing.

You will provide strategic leadership and discipline-specific expertise across child and adolescent mental health, supporting the NIHR-funded THRIVE programme (Tackling Health Inequalities and Unmet Rural Mental Health Needs in Vulnerable Communities across Herefordshire and Worcestershire). Working collaboratively with partners, you will champion impactful research that informs policy and practice locally, nationally, and internationally.

In addition to research leadership, you will make a significant contribution to School leadership, supporting strategic initiatives and mentoring colleagues. You will also play a key role in advancing learning and teaching, ensuring our programmes are innovative, research-informed, and aligned with professional standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and advance research and knowledge exchange activities in child and adolescent mental health.
• Develop and secure major research funding bids.
• Supervise doctoral students and mentor colleagues across the research career pathway.
• Contribute to innovative teaching and curriculum development at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.
• Engage with NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, and voluntary sector partners to translate research into real-world impact.
• Provide academic leadership within the school, contributing to governance, policy development, and staff development.

About You

We are looking for an academic with:

• A strong track record of internationally excellent research in child and adolescent mental health.
• Experience of leading research projects and securing external funding.
• A commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
• Excellent leadership and mentoring skills.
• A passion for developing future health professionals through research-informed teaching.

What We Offer

• Annual incremental increase up to £66,537, with the opportunity to progress to £70,579 subject to performance and the university reward scheme
• 47 days of leave per year (inclusive of bank holidays and University closure days)
• Access to a range of benefits such as our Staff Retail Benefits Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and Tusker Car Leasing
• Wellbeing advice and support through our Employee Assistance Programme
• In-house training and development support
• A friendly, inclusive and supportive culture and work environment

For an informal discussion, please contact Jo Rouse, Interim Head of School: Nursing and Midwifery at j.rouse@worc.ac.uk.

Please note that if not already an employee of the University of Worcester, the appointed candidate will be employed through our subsidiary company Uniworc Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of University of Worcester. Appointees of Uniworc Limited will automatically be enrolled into the Aviva FlexHE defined contribution pension scheme (subject to earnings and other eligibility criteria).

Closing Date:Wednesday 11 March 2026

Interview Date:Friday 27 March 2026