Senior Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Fellow: (Knowledge Mobilisation & Community Connector) in Southampton

Knowledge Mobilisation and Community Connector Fellow – NIHR ARC Wessex 1x0.6FTE post (0.4FTE KM/0.2FTE Community Connector). FTE flexibility may be possible depending on priorities. 18-months Fixed-Term with the possibility of extending subject to funding.

The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex is one of ten ARCs across England awarded a total of £157 million funding over five years from April 2026 to deliver applied health and care research that improves patient outcomes, enhances service delivery, and supports sustainable health and social care systems. Our vision is to lead transformative applied health and care research, building on regional strengths while delivering scalable, inclusive solutions nationwide.

Across our themes, Healthy Communities and Prevention, Mental Health, Living Well with Long-Term Conditions, Integrated Care, and Data and Technology, we aim to create care that is inclusive, community-based, preventative, digitally enabled, and equitable. We support the Government’s ambition for a future-fit NHS, focusing on healthier lives, reduced inequalities, and resilient systems with a workforce ready to drive change.

This fellowship offers individuals interested in Knowledge Mobilisation the opportunity to work within NIHR ARC Wessex and support our research and its engagement with communities and neighbourhoods, while developing their academic careers. Knowledge Mobilisation focuses on getting the right information to the right people, in the right format, at the right time to support the use of research. Knowledge Mobilisation works across themes to produce accessible, practical, and tailored outputs for local and national needs.

Activities include engaging with non-academic partners, co-production, evidence synthesis, dissemination, implementation, and influencing policy and decision-making. The postholder will specifically champion resources that are accessible, relevant, widely used, grounded in lived experience, accessible to all, and deliver meaningful improvement across the region.

The opportunity is aimed at individuals with the potential to become leaders in Knowledge Mobilisation who are health and/or care professionals, with a publication track record or equivalent, well-developed communication, relationship building skills, and willingness to build skills in Knowledge Mobilisation, implementation, or research engagement. Applicants will be ambitious individuals with confidence and experience engaging with collaborators and stakeholders at all levels across different geographies and sectors of the health and care system; a willingness to work with ARC Wessex research partners across local health and care systems.

You will be self-motivated, have excellent communication and writing skills, ability to meet project milestones, produce work of high quality. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge mobilisation expertise, through targeted training opportunities and their own practice, and will support capacity building in Knowledge Mobilisation among researchers and organisations working with ARC Wessex.

As part of this role, you will have the optional opportunity to join the NIHR Academy if: The post fulfils at least 25% of your total working week. A formal training and career development plan is developed and incorporated within the post, agreed with support from your line manager within three months of commencing. Postholders will be based at Chilworth and employed by University of Southampton. Secondments may be considered.

For informal discussions, please contact ARCWessex@soton.ac.uk.

As a university we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work. With a generous holiday allowance as well as additional university closure days open to a flexible working approach.