Research Assistant

About the role

We are looking for a Research Assistant, based at the Cicely Saunders Institute, King’s College London, to join a research project jointly funded by Marie Curie and the Alzheimer’s Society.

This mixed-methods research project will examine patterns in primary and community-based health and care service use among people with dementia, and the association with hospitalisation in the last 3 months of life. It will explore bereaved relatives’ experiences of accessing health and care services, to identify barriers and facilitators for timely care in the community.

With regular supervision from Dr Therese Johansson (Research Associate), the postholder will lead the day-to-day delivery of the project, producing high-quality research and ensuring key milestones at met. This involves quantitative and qualitative analysis of existing survey data, writing scientific manuscripts, and contributing to stakeholder engagement and dissemination activities. The postholder will have demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all activities.

We are seeking a motivated and well-organised individual who is driven to develop an academic career. The postholder will develop a diverse set of research skills in health services and social care research, gain experience in collaborative research teamwork and benefit from experienced colleagues and regular development activities at the Cicely Saunders Institute.

This is an exciting opportunity for a talented individual who wishes to advance research on understanding of the interplay of care service use of people affected by dementia and those supporting them.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30 September 2026.

About You

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

Essential criteria

• A degree in applied health research or similar (health services research, social care, social sciences, or psychology), awarded to a high level (e.g. first or 2:1) 
• Interest in palliative care and/or dementia care 
• Experience in quantitative data analysis   
• Excellent organisational skills with ability to prioritise different task demands and meet deadlines 
• Self-motivated with ability to work independently as well as part of a team 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills 
• Good attention to detail and high standards of accuracy in all aspects of work 
• Committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively addressing areas of potential bias 

Desirable criteria

• Experience of qualitative data analysis 
• Track record of scientific publication and presentations 
• Experience of research in palliative and end-of-life care   
• Experience of applied health service research   

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