Senior Research Fellow

The Senior Research Fellow will play a pivotal role in advancing psychological and multi-disciplinary research, audit, and quality improvement (QI) within the Children and Young People's Gender Service (CYPGS) and Psychological Health Services (PHS). Working under the leadership of the Deputy Research and Quality Improvement Director, the postholder will contribute to the design, delivery, and dissemination of high-quality studies that address key clinical, psychosocial, and developmental questions for children, young people, and their families.

Please note, there is scope to discuss additional extra clinical sessions within CYP Gender Services, in addition to the research 0.5 WTE sessions, should that the preference of the postholder.

Further information is available in the attached Job Description & Person Spec.

Main duties of the job

Interpersonal and communication skills

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• PhD in Psychology or closely related discipline

Desirable

• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice or equivalent (e.g. eligibility to join the Higher Education Academy at Fellow level)
• Doctorate in clinical psychology or equivalent (e.g. DCounsPsy) with current registration as a practitioner psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council

Knowledge

Essential

• Proven ability to design, lead, and manage complex research and/or quality-improvement projects across multidisciplinary or multi-agency settings, from inception through governance approvals, delivery, and dissemination
• Demonstrated experience of developing, managing, and supporting health research, fostering collaborative working and shared learning across clinical and academic environments

Track record of peer-reviewed publications & conference presentations at national or international level

Demonstrable understanding of research governance, ethics, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) principles within NHS and academic contexts

Evidence of substantial engagement with applied psychological or health research, showing commitment to advancing evidence-based care

Understanding of safeguarding, consent, confidentiality, data protection, and the legislative frameworks governing research involving children and vulnerable adults

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with capacity to interpret and synthesise complex, multi-source data.

Proven ability to work autonomously while maintaining accountability for research quality and integrity.

ost-doctoral or equivalent experience in psychological, health, or social-science research relevant to gender and gender diversity

Desirable

• Experience of building collaborations and networks with NHS, HEI, and third-sector partners.
• Knowledge of the UK health and research landscape, including NHS, NIHR, and UKRI funding structures and research networks, with a track record of successful funding bids
• Experience of preparing and delivering research proposals, fellowships, or grant applications as lead or co-applicant, including post-award project and budget management
• Evidence of providing formal teaching, supervision, and mentorship in research or technical skills to staff and students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels
• Evidence of leadership and training experience, including development of research colleagues and supervision of junior staff
• Participation in peer-review processes for journals, funding panels, or ethics committees

Completion of a recognised management or leadership qualification or equivalent experience.

Experience of introducing or implementing new technologies or digital research tools (e.g. e-consent, electronic data capture, or analytic software

Experience of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in health or psychological sciences

Skills

Essential

• Ability to design, conduct, and interpret complex psychological or health research, including assessment of psychosocial needs using validated measures and structured data collection tools
• Advanced competence in quantitative and qualitative analysis, including use of software such as R, MATLAB, Python, SPSS, Stata, or NVivoi, with experience handling large, longitudinal, or multi-site datasets and integrating mixed-methods evidence.
• Proven ability to manage and analyse data securely and transparently, maintaining accurate, reproducible records in compliance with NHS, university, and UK GDPR standards
• Skilled in research design, statistical modelling, and data visualisation, with commitment to open-science and reproducible research practices
• Ability to integrate and synthesise complex quantitative and qualitative findings to generate evidence-based interpretations and recommendations that inform research and service development.
• Ability to lead and manage research or quality-improvement projects, ensuring adherence to governance, ethics, and data integrity standards while coordinating timelines, staff, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise multiple workstreams and deliver to agreed deadlines with minimal supervision
• Demonstrated understanding of project management processes, including goal monitoring and reporting

Proven ability to work collaboratively and respectfully across multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams, promoting a psychologically safe and research-positive culture.

Broad and applied understanding of research methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and data analysis approaches within psychological and health research

Capacity to travel to regional or national research meetings and participating sites as required

Desirable

• Demonstrated competence in teaching and training, including delivery of workshops or seminars to clinical, academic, or service teams, and supervision of MSc, DClinPsy, or PhD students in applied research
• Skilled in identifying and applying principles of clinical and research governance, including risk management, safeguarding, and ethical oversight in studies involving children and vulnerable groups
• High level of digital literacy and IT proficiency, including use of electronic health records (EHRs), databases (e.g. REDCap, Medrio), and data-visualisation platforms (e.g. Tableau, ggplot2, MATLAB).
• Evidence of translational capability, applying research evidence to improve service models, clinical pathways, and policy development.
• Experience of engaging with children, young people, families, and public contributors to co-design, refine, or disseminate research
• Experience of psychometric, neuropsychological, or developmental assessments relevant to health or psychosocial research
• Experience of psychometric, neuropsychological, or developmental assessments relevant to health or psychosocial research
• Ability to supervise and develop junior researchers or assistants, supporting their skill acquisition and project delivery

Experience of implementing innovative or digital research technologies, such as e-consent systems, app-based data capture, wearable sensors, or AI-assisted analytics

Aptitudes

Essential

• Emotional intelligence and resilience in managing emotionally demanding or sensitive material, such as work involving trauma, self-harm, or identity-related distress
• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in all aspects of research and collaboration
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing high-quality reports, peer-reviewed publications, ethics submissions, and presentations at local, national, and international levels
• Capacity for long and intense periods of concentration during data analysis and interpretation
• Proven capacity to communicate complex and sensitive information clearly and compassionately to diverse audiences, including clinical populations, families, clinicians, researchers, and policy stakeholders, adapting to emotional, cognitive, and cultural needs.

About the employer

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit andretaina workforce whichrepresentsthe rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your applicationin order toensurewe'remeeting our pledge.