Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG
Applications are invited for a Qualitative Research Assistant to join the Medical Sociology and Health Experiences Research Group (MS&HERG) within the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford.
The post is funded for 21 months, from 1 January 2027, by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Reproductive Health. The study aims to explore adolescent reproductive health needs and interventions to address these. The Principal Investigators are Dr Abigail McNiven and Professor Katy Vincent, with the wider PRU led by Professor Jenny Hall and Professor Judith Stephenson at University College London (UCL).
The post-holder will work closely with Dr Abigail McNiven and Professor Katy Vincent, a post-doctoral researcher at UCL, and the wider PRU team. They will contribute to all aspects of the research study, including ethics and research governance, study recruitment, data collection, qualitative analysis and reporting. Through qualitative analysis, the post-holder will explore adolescent reproductive health concerns through existing literature, survey data and focus groups. There may be opportunities to contribute to additional PRU projects.
You will be a qualitative or mixed methods social scientist with a MA or MSc in a relevant social science subject (e.g. sociology, social policy, social geography), demonstrable experience in qualitative and mixed methods, and who is able to use social science theory-driven approaches to analysis. Previous experience of research in reproductive health and/or with young people and/or with policy would be advantageous. The role requires you to have a high level of communication and writing skills appropriate for different audiences. You should have the ability to work autonomously, while collaborating effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team across institutions. The ability to work sensitively and develop rapport and trust with research participants from different backgrounds is also essential.
The successful candidate must be able to start in post no later than January 2027.
You will be based in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG as your normal place of work. Consideration may be given to some remote working days, where appropriate. We expect data collection to be largely face to face, so the research will involve visits to participants across the UK and the necessary travel and overnight stays to enable this.
Committed to equality and valuing diversity
The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 27 November 2026.
Interviews are expected to be held during the week commencing Monday 14 December 2026.
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Qualitative Research Assistant in Oxford employer: University of Oxford
The Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford is an exceptional employer, offering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment where finance professionals can thrive. With a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, along with generous benefits such as 38 days of annual leave and a robust family leave scheme, employees are supported in both their professional and personal lives. This role not only provides the opportunity to influence strategic financial decisions within a world-renowned department but also fosters continuous growth and development in a vibrant academic community.
