Research Associate in the Department of Addictions

About us

The National Addiction Centre (NAC), incorporating the Addictions Department at King’s College London, is one of the most productive addictions research groups in Europe. We also explore an important area of health-related study as the Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG) within King’s Health Partners, and form one of the core areas of the Academic Health Science Centre that brings together university partners King’s College London with the NHS from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital, and Guy’s and St Thomas’. RAND Europe rated our work on Substance Abuse Research as leading in the field, and Substance Use is one of the identified themes of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health which is based at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN). 

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic & skilled Post-doctoral researcher to join the BUILD2depot study, a mixed-methods project evaluating the clinical implementation and outcomes of low-dose buprenorphine induction for opioid use disorder. This role provides an opportunity to contribute to translational research focussed on improving access to evidence-based addiction treatment.

The successful candidate will be centrally involved in all stages of the study, from development and ethics applications to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. You will support the design of study materials including questionnaires, assist with training clinical and research staff, and liaise with NHS services to facilitate participant recruitment and ensure protocol compliance. The post also includes conducting remote research interviews with participants via telephone or remotely, managing and reporting serious adverse events, and ensuring data integrity through accurate entry and cleaning.

You will work closely with a multidisciplinary research team & the Principal Investigator, contributing to outputs including peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. The role includes supervising junior research staff, attending regular team meetings, and contributing to teaching activities where appropriate.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD (or near completion, i.e thesis submitted) in psychology, psychiatry, public health, or a related field, and demonstrable experience in applied clinical or health services research. Strong communication & organisational skills, alongside the ability to work independently and to tight deadlines, are essential. Some travel to community addiction services may be required, and flexibility is needed for conducting out-of-hours interviews.

This position offers an excellent opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher seeking to apply their skills to a study with the potential to shape future clinical practice & improve outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder.

This is a full-time post, and you will be offered a fixed-term contract until 31/7/27.

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 & Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

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.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered.