Postdoctoral Research Associate

This EPSRC funded post is available from 5 January 2026 on a fixed term basis to 30 June 2027.

We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements. This role has the opportunity for hybrid working – some time on campus and some from home.

The post

The Business School wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to participate in the delivery of the 3-year EPSRC Funded ‘Digitally Enabled Circular Healthcare Innovation’ (DECHI) research programme. The aim of the programme is to investigate how advances in digital technologies and digital approaches can accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system of the future using circular innovation.

This role will play a key function in delivering the project, in collaboration with researchers from the Universities of Exeter, Cambridge and Sheffield and with a range of partners across the healthcare system. This specific workstream will uncover and address the socio-economic-technological factors, including behaviour, regulation and policy, hindering the adoption of digitally enabled circular innovation.

The research will include:

• Conducting a review of literature to identify factors influencing circular innovation adoption and validating findings through semi-structured interviews and observations with stakeholders in healthcare settings.
• Creating socio-economic-technological user-product journey maps to validate findings and coordinating focus groups with key stakeholders and observational studies to iteratively evaluate and compare.
• Co-creating digitally enabled circular innovation scenarios to demonstrate the viability of circular innovation and associated business models across different healthcare contexts.
• Identifying and documenting behaviour change requirements and the system-level levers such as policy, standards and incentives needed for change in each scenario.

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop research programmes, methodologies and objectives; present information on research progress and outcomes; communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Given the nature of the specific research, expertise in qualitative research methods would be an advantage with experience of undertaking case studies, stakeholder interviews, observation and familiarity with behaviour change approaches.  

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to to work in an interdisciplinary way, understanding and integrating the work of others to develop and communicate a clear vision and roadmap for the future.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy

Further information

For further information please contact Professor Fiona Charnley, Associate Dean (Research & Impact), email f.charnley@exeter.ac.uk.

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