Research Assistant: Physical Activity and Wellbeing in Children and Young People

Fixed term for 18 months

Make a difference, every day, to the lives of our students.

About you

As a Research Assistant in Physical Activity and Wellbeing in Children and Young People, you will have previous mixed-methods research skills and experience acquired in physical activity, exercise, or health research or related disciplines (e.g., sports and exercise science, health, epidemiology, psychology). In addition, you will have experience of working with children and using qualitative methods, questionnaires, accelerometers, and related quantitative data analysis applications (e.g., R, SPSS), with further experience of working in schools with stakeholders to develop intervention programmes.

In this role, you will be able to operate flexibly and reliably and work well as part of a team whilst being able to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders to develop and maintain effective working relationships. You will further hold the ability to work independently to organise and prioritise work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines all whilst maintaining accuracy.

It is important to note that the successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure for you from the Disclosure and Barring Service and that this will form part of the conditions of offer of employment.

At Edge Hill University we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

About the role

Edge Hill University in partnership with the Together an Active Future (TaAF) team in East Lancashire aims to work with school and community stakeholders, such as children, teachers, community leaders, and physical activity specialists to co-develop and evaluate physical activity promotion approaches to promote health and wellbeing in children and young people. 

The successful applicant will be based in the Department of Sport and Physical Activity at Edge Hill University's Ormskirk campus. In addition, a unique aspect of this role is that they will be integrated into the TaAF team and have access to a workspace at the TaAF offices in Rossendale. The overarching aims of the project are to [1] co-develop and evaluate approaches for the promotion of whole-school physical activity, and [2] identify, though co-creation, components of physical activity approaches for Islamic Religious Settings that are culturally and religiously sensitive and combine the scientific evidence of physical activity systems approaches. This post is an opportunity to work with an experienced research and practitioner team to co-develop and evaluate physical activity promotion approaches to promote East Lancashire children and young people’s health and wellbeing.

Rewards/Benefits

• A minimum of 36 days annual leave per annum, pro rata (inclusive of bank holiday and University closure days) 
• Discounted membership to our onsite state-of-the-art sport and leisure facilities
• Staff benefits scheme, which provides you with discounts across the high street, supermarket shopping, cinema tickets, dining out and more
• A wide range of development programmes to enhance your career
• Beautiful award-winning on-campus working environment
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme with our employer contribution of 16.3%

About us

At Edge Hill University we believe in the life changing opportunities knowledge can create. Since 1885, we’ve been creating access to knowledge for those who may not have had the opportunity to before. 

Today, the effect we have has a far-reaching impact, not just for those who come to study here but for those who work, invest in, and live in our local communities too. So, if you’ve ever wondered if one person can make a difference, simply speak to our alumni, students, and award-winning staff.

Because for us education isn’t about how much you take in. It’s about what you take out into the world. 

Inspiring minds and changing futures since 1885, Edge Hill University is “A great success story… an institution that improves and impresses year after year” – Times Higher Education. 

For informal enquiries about this vacancy you may wish to contact: Professor Stuart Fairclough, at stuart.fairclough@edgehill.ac.uk 

Internal staff wishing to apply for a fixed term role as a secondment opportunity must discuss this with their existing line manager before applying.

At Edge Hill University we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

Further details:

Staff Recruitment, Payroll & Pension Services Helpdesk
Edge Hill University
SRPShelpdesk@edgehill.ac.uk