Research Associate in the Department of Addictions

About us

The National Addiction Centre (NAC), incorporating the Addictions Department at King\’s College London, is one of the most productive addictions research groups in Europe. We also explore an important area of health-related study as the Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG) within King\’s Health Partners, and form one of the core areas of the Academic Health Science Centre that brings together university partners King’s College London with the NHS from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital, and Guy’s and St Thomas’. RAND Europe rated our work on Substance Abuse Research as leading in the field, and Substance Use is one of the identified themes of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health which is based at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and skilled Post-doctoral researcher to join the BUILD2depot study, a mixed-methods project evaluating the clinical implementation and outcomes of low-dose buprenorphine induction for opioid use disorder. This role provides an opportunity to contribute to translational research focussed on improving access to evidence-based addiction treatment.

The successful candidate will be centrally involved in all stages of the study, from development and ethics applications to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. You will support the design of study materials including questionnaires, assist with training clinical and research staff, and liaise with NHS services to facilitate participant recruitment and ensure protocol compliance. The post also includes conducting remote research interviews with participants via telephone or remotely, managing and reporting serious adverse events, and ensuring data integrity through accurate entry and cleaning.

You will work closely with a multidisciplinary research team and the Principal Investigator, contributing to outputs including peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. The role includes supervising junior research staff, attending regular team meetings, and contributing to teaching activities where appropriate.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD (or near completion, i.e thesis submitted) in psychology, psychiatry, public health, or a related field, and demonstrable experience in applied clinical or health services research. Strong communication and organisational skills, alongside the ability to work independently and to tight deadlines, are essential. Some travel to community addiction services may be required, and flexibility is needed for conducting out-of-hours interviews.

This position offers an excellent opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher seeking to apply their skills to a study with the potential to shape future clinical practice and improve outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder.

This is a full time post, and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31/7/27.

Research staff at King\’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata for professional development). This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD qualified in relevant subject area (Addictions research or related discipline)
2. Understanding of the issues involved in working with addictions clinic staff and service users and ability to show empathy to those with problems around taking opioids
3. Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and excellent attention to detail and accuracy, with strong administrative and record-keeping skills
4. Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team, with strong problem-solving skills and ability to take initiative
5. Qualitative interviewing and analysis skills
6. Computer literate with advanced Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint (or Apple equivalent) and SPSS/STATA skills
7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including concise report writing and the ability to engage effectively with colleagues and service users
8. Experience of working with people with substance use problems and in or alongside clinical addiction teams

Desirable criteria

1. Knowledge of opioid substitution treatment (e.g. methadone, buprenorphine)
2. Ability to adhere to study protocol and maintain study deadlines
3. Experience of preparing academic papers for publication and ability to conduct and present scientific research in the form of posters and oral presentations
4. Experience of working on research on opioid use or dependence
5. Experience running a Clinical Trial of an Investigative Medicinal Product (CTIMP) or acceptability studies of novel interventions

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King’s.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our \’How we Recruit\’ pages.

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearances.