Research Fellow

About Us

The Policy Institute at King's College London works to solve society's challenges with evidence and expertise. We combine the rigour of academia with the agility of a consultancy and the connectedness of a think tank. The Institute is an exciting, fast-moving environment for a motivated and quick-learning applicant looking to pursue a career in policy research. We expect applicants to draw on many disciplines and research methods, making use of the skills, expertise and resources of not only the institute, but the university and its wider network too. Our research is complemented by extensive communications, impact and engagement activities.

About the role

The successful applicant will work on a range of cross-cutting health and social policy research projects requiring policy research, analysis and engagement work. The post reports to the Director of Research Alex Pollitt, and requires significant collaboration across the Institute, the wider university and with external partners.

The successful candidate will work to advance the policy and societal impact of a range of research projects and will be expected to conduct research and engagement activities including 'Policy Lab' workshops with high-level policy and practice stakeholders, and producing accessible engagement materials such as evidence briefs. The post-holder will be expected to liaise with leading stakeholders in relevant fields of research, including academics, national policy makers, leads from national charities and other third-sector organisations, and those with lived experience.

Applicants will be expected to deliver research, written materials and engagement events to an exceptional standard, and contribute to the wider culture of the Policy Institute.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract of 13 months from contract start date.

Research staff at King's are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• PhD qualified in relevant subject area
• Understanding of (and demonstrable commitment to) the role of research evidence in creating real-world impact
• Demonstrable research skills in some of the approaches/methods relevant to the institute's work, including conducting policy analysis in health and cross-cutting social policy areas
• Experience of contributing to project development and/or funding applications
• Experience of running large, impactful workshops
• Excellent written and oral communication, including the ability to adapt for, and work effectively with, people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Competence in MS Excel, PowerPoint and Word
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage time effectively

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in a policy-related role
• Evidence of collaborating with non-academic partners
• Evidence of producing accessible outputs for a wide range of audiences

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ' How we Recruit' pages.

Interviews are due to be held mid January 2026.