Research Associate in Perinatal Mental Health

Location: Based at Saint Mary's Hospital on Oxford Road in Manchester, with collaboration across Manchester, Sheffield, and Newcastle.

Company

hirify.global is an academic institution conducting multidisciplinary research and education in health, psychology, and maternity care.

What you will do

• Contribute to the design, planning, and delivery of an NIHR-funded research study on perinatal mental health pathways.
• Apply the four stages of appreciative inquiry: Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny.
• Conduct interviews, focus groups, desk research, and fieldwork.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative research data and support data amalgamation.
• Co-produce a culturally appropriate, efficient, and equity-informed perinatal mental health and psychosocial wellbeing intervention.
• Collaborate with researchers and healthcare professionals across Manchester, Sheffield Hallam University, and Newcastle University, and contribute to publications and dissemination.

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant topic or discipline.
• Recent experience conducting qualitative research, including participant recruitment, data collection, and data analysis.
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and analytical approaches.
• Ability to independently manage a complex workload with multiple competing priorities.
• Strong communication, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team and maintain relationships with colleagues and healthcare professionals.

Nice to have

• Experience with appreciative inquiry.
• Published research contributions.
• Knowledge of perinatal mental health care pathways.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment focused on reducing maternity inequalities.
• Inclusive workplace that values diverse perspectives, transferable skills, and real-world experience.
• Generous employer pension contribution.
• 29 days of annual leave plus bank holidays and Christmas closure.
• Ride-to-work and electric vehicle schemes.