Research Lead, Mental Health

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships. We are committed to spend £16bn in the ten years to 2032, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.

We are looking for a Research Lead to join the Mental Health Team on a Fixed Term Contract (end Date: December 2027).

The role will support the Mental Health team to increase the impact of its portfolio of psychological and social interventions in the UK. The postholder will develop a strong understanding of the evidence, delivery models and systems needed to make effective interventions available to people who could benefit from them, and work with researchers, health systems and other partners to identify and support pathways to adoption, implementation and scale.

What will I be doing?

• The role will take a portfolio perspective, helping Wellcome understand where barriers to access and uptake exist, what is needed to overcome them, and where Wellcome can add value beyond research funding.
• This will include supporting the development and management of existing and new investments, building relationships with relevant UK partners, and identifying opportunities for collaboration, implementation and further evidence generation.

As a Research Lead, Mental Health, you will:

• Develop a strong understanding of Wellcome's psychological and social intervention portfolio in the UK and the evidence, delivery models and populations it covers.
• Identify the key barriers to access, adoption, implementation and scale of promising psychological and social interventions, including workforce, commissioning, delivery, regulatory and system barriers.
• Work with grant holders and relevant NHS, government, academic and third-sector partners to develop realistic pathways from research to impact.
• Support Wellcome's existing and new investments to maximise their potential for impact, including helping teams think through implementation and uptake from an early stage.
• Build knowledge and relationships across the UK mental health system to understand where Wellcome can best contribute to improving access to effective psychosocial interventions.
• Contribute to wider Mental Health strategy and portfolio management, bringing insight from the UK into decisions about future investment and priorities.

Is this job for me?

Are you passionate about improving mental health outcomes in the UK and excited by the opportunity to contribute to Wellcome's mission? This role is ideal for someone with significant experience in mental health and psychosocial interventions, who enjoys leading complex strategic initiatives, building influential partnerships, and working across multidisciplinary teams to deliver meaningful impact. You'll thrive in this role if you're comfortable managing multiple priorities, navigating ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders, and turning ambitious ideas into results through collaboration, innovation and excellent delivery.

Minimum Criteria:

• Proven significant experience and knowledge of psychosocial interventions and innovation for mental health with a UK focus.
• Experience of setting up and delivering high profile, strategic initiatives with multi-disciplinary teams at a variety of scales.
• Experience of managing projects and/or people across different areas of expertise.

Our Hybrid Way of Working

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best. At Wellcome we have a hybrid way of working which is 3 days in our Euston Road offices (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.