Research Dietitian

Overview

About the role: The Diabetes Research Centre are looking for a talented, motivated Research Dietitian to join the Leicester Lifestyle Health and Research Group (LLHRG) at the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, contributing to a diverse research portfolio investigating how 24-hour lifestyle behaviours including diet, nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep can be optimised to prevent and manage obesity and long-term conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, in multi-ethnic populations.

The post holder will provide dietetic expertise to support the delivery of clinical research trials in populations with long-term conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, both directly and through the supervision and direction of others. This will include leading dietetic consultations and related activity for participants undertaking a variety of dietary or nutritional interventions, occurring in isolation or alongside other clinical interventions such as weight-lowering pharmacotherapy, exercise training programmes or as part of multi-factor complex clinical interventions. The post holder will also lead the measurement and analysis of dietary/nutritional habits and responses to laboratory-based meals in various research designs, and will support the general operations of the research portfolio, including contributing to funding applications or protocols, coordinating participant visits, and leading other measurements of cardiometabolic health such as resting metabolism and body composition. They will contribute to the oversight of the safe and effective running of related research spaces, including a new state-of-the-art metabolic kitchen.

Located within the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) at Leicester General Hospital, the post-holder will work with a multidisciplinary team and contribute to the daily supervision of junior research delivery staff, PhD students, and placement students or other visitors. They may also support data cleaning, collation, and analysis under the guidance of senior researchers, contributing to research outputs.

Please see the accompanying job summary form for full details of the role and responsibilities.

About you

As a Grade 6 Research Dietitian, you will have a relevant undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in Dietetics along with HCPC registration. Practical experience of working clinically in the NHS, in long-term conditions, and/or in a research setting are desirable but not essential. You will have good depth of knowledge in dietetic practice, including delivery of dietetic/nutritional interventions and measurement of habitual diet, and demonstrable commitment to continued professional development. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with a multidisciplinary team. You will also have excellent oral and written communication skills, along with the ability to problem-solve and multi-task.

A full list of essential and desirable criteria can be found in the accompanying job summary form.

Additional information

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Jack Sargeant on the contact email available in the job summary form.

Applications for job share will be considered. As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role will also be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Please ensure this is discussed with your line manager prior to applying. More information regarding secondments can be found here.

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive.

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond. We offer a competitive salary package, excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance, along with opportunities to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Vacancy terms

Full-time, or job share considered, fixed term contract for 24 months with possibility of extension subject to funding.