Research Associate ALIGN in Sheffield

Are you an experienced health services researcher who would like to lead focused ethnography related to care for people living with MND? Join a world-leading team developing life-changing treatments and improving care for people with MND. We’re looking for a passionate qualitative researcher with expertise in ethnographic methods to lead the delivery of an NIHR-funded project looking at advance care planning for people with MND.

You will use your qualitative research skills to collect and analyse data, and embed your findings into the delivery of the later stages of the project. The focus of this role will be delivering focused ethnography in three NHS sites, exploring advance care planning and discussions about future care for people with MND and their families. This will include data collection, data analysis, and leading the development of outputs and dissemination strategies.

The researcher will also lead the day-to-day running of the project's PPIE activities and support PPIE activities for other Better Outcomes in MND projects. We are looking for a researcher with a strong background in qualitative methodologies, specifically focused ethnographic research, who possesses the ability to work independently and within a team to collect data, analyse and report data.

The role will involve travelling to three NHS sites across North England, which will consist of focused ethnography, qualitative interviews and reviewing relevant medical notes. There will also be opportunities to support other research projects in long-term neurological conditions which use similar methodologies. The role will be based at SITraN (University of Sheffield), and regular travel will be required for data collection.

There are 3 NHS Trust sites across North England, each requiring multiple in-person visits, which will need to be delivered flexibly in line with clinical appointment scheduling. In-person activities may also comprise patient engagement and dissemination. Hybrid, part-time and flexible working is welcome and can be discussed at interview; however, it is expected that staff are regularly on site as required to support the project and the wider research community.

What We Offer: The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university. We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and University. We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.