Job Description

Position Details

Health Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy and Society in the College of Social Sciences


Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK


Full time starting salary is normally in the range 36,636 to 46,049 with potential progression once in post to 48,822


Grade: 7


Part Time (30 hours per week)


Fixed Term contract up to February 2029


Closing date: 5th November 2025


Interviews Scheduled: 25th November 2025

Background

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an NIHR funded research project - a randomised controlled trial of a digital parent support programme for parents of children with intellectual disabilities: The Digital Family Support study.


The post is situated in the Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS) in the School of Social Policy and Society. IDRIS is an applied cross-University research institute established in October 2024 with the appointment of Professor Richard Hastings as 125th Anniversary Chair and Professor of Psychology Health and Social Care. IDRIS also includes, in Social Policy and Society, three other professorial staff, an associate professor, two senior research fellows, a full time manager, a full time administrator, and a number of research fellows, research associates, and PhD students. Most staff are employed on/funded through external research grants especially from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Other members of IDRIS are based in Schools and Departments across the Colleges of the University. IDRIS works in close co-productive relationships with people with intellectual disabilities, family carers, and with disability advocacy and professional organisations. IDRIS's research and policy/practice impact is across the lifespan and across sectors (education, health, social care). IDRIS staff are engaged mainly in research on the development and evaluation of interventions and services to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.


This role will be supporting a funded NIHR funded research project - the randomised controlled trial of a digital parent support programme for parents of children with intellectual disabilities: The Digital Family Support study, which is an evaluation of the Stepping Stones Triple P Online programme for parent carers.

Role Summary

Work within the specified research grant Operate within area of specialism Analyse and interpret research findings and results

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.


Participant recruitment and data collection Data analysis and interpretation Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods Undertake management/administration arising from the research project Contribute to Research Institute/School research-related activities and research-related administration Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as, literature reviews, and research interviews Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Honours degree (minimum upper second) and/or Master's degree in psychology/health or social care A PhD, or be close to completing a PhD, in applied research in psychology/health or social care, or equivalent level and length of research experience Experience working with families who have a child with intellectual disabilities in a research capacity Good knowledge of research in the field of parenting/family interventions Demonstrated commitment to working with PPI ("patients" and public) partners in research Good understanding of quantitative and qualitative methods applied to psychology/health/social care research Experience of multi-level or linear mixed effects modelling to analyse research data with variability at different levels or clustering Evidence of contributing to high quality research outputs including papers in peer review journals Ability to work as part of a team with other researchers Good communication skills, and the ability to adjust communication depending on the needs of the recipient Highly organised, with the ability to remain self-motivated in keeping to project deadlines Ability to work on several tasks in parallel and to manage competing demands Understanding of equal opportunity issues as they may impact on areas of research content.

Desirable Criteria

Practice/clinical experience of working with parents and children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities Experience of supervision of other staff Experience of working on randomised controlled trials or other large mixed methods externally funded research in health or social care Knowledge of missing data analysis using multiple imputation Experience of training research staff in research project protocols such as data collection Training and/or experience of using behavioural parent training with families of children with learning disabilities

Please ensure your application addresses both the essential and desirable criteria, as these will form the basis of our shortlisting process.

Informal enquiries to Kylie Gray, email: k.m.gray@bham.ac.uk

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can