Research Associate

Job summary

We are seeking an ambitious, enthusiastic Research Associate (RA) with experience in public health research to join the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) for a fixed-term period of 12 months to support the delivery of the NIHR PHR study titled: A mixed methods realist evaluation of the MECSH parenting intervention investigating inequalities in access, engagement, retention and outcomes for Black and Asian birthing and non-birthing parents in England.

The post is available from February 2026 initially for a year but with a view to extending to cover the full 36 months of the study.

The postholder will work as part of a team alongside Dr Sharin Baldwin, who is Senior Health Visitor Research Lead at the iHV and Principal Investigator for the study.

The individual would need to be dynamic, proactive, flexible, have the ability to work independently and must be prepared to travel across the study sites, as necessary. They will be required to contribute to all elements of the research, including: helping to conduct literature reviews and evidence syntheses; supporting the development of study protocols and materials (e.g. interview topic guides and questionnaires); managing applications for ethical approvals; helping to deliver the training intervention; conducting data collection and analysis; contributing to research write up. Given the mixed-methods nature of the research, this post would suit someone with strong and demonstrable qualitative and quantitative research skills.

Main duties of the job

Key areas of responsibility:

• Support delivery of the research study under the supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI).
• Assist with ethics, HRA submissions, SOPs, and regulatory compliance (GCP, GDPR, research governance).
• Coordinate participant and site recruitment and support study data collection and secure data management.
• Support set-up of, and active participation in, the Service User Group (SUG) and Project Steering Group (PSG).
• Assist with stakeholder liaison, study meetings, project coordination, and engagement of healthcare professionals.
• Contribute to data collection, analysis, reporting, and preparation of publications.
• Attend relevant MECSH meetings and events to engage with teams and disseminate the study.
• Support dissemination activities including presentations, reports, and academic outputs.
• Assist with budget monitoring and core project administration, including scheduling and minute-taking.

About us

The iHV is the leading professional body for health visiting inthe UK. With a growing membership, we are an optimistic organisation, and wecan see a bright future ahead. This role provides a unique opportunity to joinus as we seek to strengthen health visiting across the UK and improve outcomesfor the babies, children, families and communities that we serve. This role is vitalto our work, supporting health visitors (and their teams) to deliver on theirkey purpose to improve health and reduce inequalities.

Research, evaluation and workforce development are key pillars of the Institute. We have successfully delivered training, research and evaluation projects aimed at empowering professionals who work with families in the early years of life.

We offer:

• A dynamic and supportive work environment - working with a team of people who are genuinely committed to our charity's core mission and values and making the iHV a 'great place to work'.
• Hybrid and flexible working options. This post will require some UK travel.
• Holiday - 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Workplace pensions - the IHV has a generous organisation pensions scheme, with 10% employer contribution and a personalised employee contributions to suit your needs.
• Team Away Days - we gather together as a whole team once a year for our 2-day away day and at regular intervals online and at our conference throughout the year.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To apply applicants must download and complete the application form and send this together with their CV to the email provided, please see this link for more info:

Job description
Job responsibilities

To apply applicants must download and complete the application form and send this together with their CV to the email provided, please see this link for more info:

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of conducting research in the public health field or with children and families
• Knowledge of a range of research methodologies
• Experience of recruiting and consenting participants to participate in studies
• Experience of recruiting vulnerable populations sensitively
• Strong data management and handling skills
• Qualitative interviewing, process evaluations and analysis skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Group facilitation skills including managing group dynamics and experience of handling disruptive or challenging group members
• Experience of participating in committees and working groups
• Evidence-based knowledge of babies, children and families preventative public health, and early intervention
• Experience in the delivery of high-quality improvement, policy development initiatives, including skills for collecting, critically appraising, synthesising, and presenting both quantitative and qualitative data and evidence
• Experience of service user/patient and public involvement - values the importance of lived experience and has experience of coproduction methods
• Experience of writing research reports/ articles.
• Able to negotiate and secure the co-operation of peers and senior colleagues in other organisations
• Skilled communicator
• Ability to build credible relationships with influencers.
• Able to work collaboratively with a wide range of individuals, work across organisations and within a team
• Excellent verbal and written communication, networking, and negotiation skills
• Confidence in presenting to small and large audiences (interpersonally; public speaking; writing, social media, networking, and negotiation skills).
• Confidence to chair large meetings and deliver training
• Manage challenging situations and conversations.
• A self-starter, with strategic thinking and problem-solving skills; the ability to work on own initiative, respond to sudden unexpected demands and manage a wide range of competing priorities effectively.
• Proven ability to think strategically with respect to planning training opportunities
• Outcomes focused
• Skills for delivering results through managing self and through others.
• Very organised with the ability to manage multiple competing tasks
• Confident in using virtual platforms
• Interested in research and evaluation, with a good understanding and ability to critically appraise research

Values, Behaviours and Other Criteria

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to and focus on quality and evidence-based preventative public health and early intervention, to promote high standards to consistently improve outcomes for babies, children, and their families
• Values diversity and difference; operates with integrity and openness
• Team player working flexibly across team boundaries, looking for collective success, listens, involves, respects, and learns from the contribution of others
• Commitment to, and focused on quality, promoting high standards in all they do
• Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same
• Personal drive, creative and significant energy, and enthusiasm for new challenges.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity, taking into account and being aware of how individual actions contribute to and make a difference to the equality agenda
• Strong commitment to the role, with alignment to the vision, values and Behaviours of iHV.
• Experienced in using all Microsoft Office applications, knowledge of Adobe programmes, and some knowledge/experience of platforms e.g., SurveyMonkey, Endnote, NVivo.
• Ability to travel as necessary access to a vehicle/good road and rail links
• Member of the iHV

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to a minimum of masters level, or equivalent proven track record of research in a health-related topic.
• Active NMC registrant as a SCPHN (Health Visitor)

Desirable

• Doctoral qualification or equivalent in health visiting or a related field

Person Specification
Experience

Essential

• Experience of conducting research in the public health field or with children and families
• Knowledge of a range of research methodologies
• Experience of recruiting and consenting participants to participate in studies
• Experience of recruiting vulnerable populations sensitively
• Strong data management and handling skills
• Qualitative interviewing, process evaluations and analysis skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Group facilitation skills including managing group dynamics and experience of handling disruptive or challenging group members
• Experience of participating in committees and working groups
• Evidence-based knowledge of babies, children and families preventative public health, and early intervention
• Experience in the delivery of high-quality improvement, policy development initiatives, including skills for collecting, critically appraising, synthesising, and presenting both quantitative and qualitative data and evidence
• Experience of service user/patient and public involvement - values the importance of lived experience and has experience of coproduction methods
• Experience of writing research reports/ articles.
• Able to negotiate and secure the co-operation of peers and senior colleagues in other organisations
• Skilled communicator
• Ability to build credible relationships with influencers.
• Able to work collaboratively with a wide range of individuals, work across organisations and within a team
• Excellent verbal and written communication, networking, and negotiation skills
• Confidence in presenting to small and large audiences (interpersonally; public speaking; writing, social media, networking, and negotiation skills).
• Confidence to chair large meetings and deliver training
• Manage challenging situations and conversations.
• A self-starter, with strategic thinking and problem-solving skills; the ability to work on own initiative, respond to sudden unexpected demands and manage a wide range of competing priorities effectively.
• Proven ability to think strategically with respect to planning training opportunities
• Outcomes focused
• Skills for delivering results through managing self and through others.
• Very organised with the ability to manage multiple competing tasks
• Confident in using virtual platforms
• Interested in research and evaluation, with a good understanding and ability to critically appraise research

Values, Behaviours and Other Criteria

Essential

• Demonstrable commitment to and focus on quality and evidence-based preventative public health and early intervention, to promote high standards to consistently improve outcomes for babies, children, and their families
• Values diversity and difference; operates with integrity and openness
• Team player working flexibly across team boundaries, looking for collective success, listens, involves, respects, and learns from the contribution of others
• Commitment to, and focused on quality, promoting high standards in all they do
• Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same
• Personal drive, creative and significant energy, and enthusiasm for new challenges.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity, taking into account and being aware of how individual actions contribute to and make a difference to the equality agenda
• Strong commitment to the role, with alignment to the vision, values and Behaviours of iHV.
• Experienced in using all Microsoft Office applications, knowledge of Adobe programmes, and some knowledge/experience of platforms e.g., SurveyMonkey, Endnote, NVivo.
• Ability to travel as necessary access to a vehicle/good road and rail links
• Member of the iHV

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to a minimum of masters level, or equivalent proven track record of research in a health-related topic.
• Active NMC registrant as a SCPHN (Health Visitor)

Desirable

• Doctoral qualification or equivalent in health visiting or a related field

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

Institute of Health Visiting
Address

Royal Society for Public Health

John Snow House 59 Mansell St

London

E1 8AN

Employer's website