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About the Role

This post requires a commitment of 88 days until 31st July 2027. Based on a start date of mid December, the successful candidate would work 0.54FTE (20 hours per week) however this may change should the start date get pushed back.

The successful applicant will have methodological expertise in community engagement, qualitative data analysis and communication skills. 

You will join the Black Women’s Health & Wellbeing Research Group within the Faculty of Wellbeing Education and Language Studies at the Open University led by Professor Jenny Douglas and The Black Women’s Health Manifesto Collective. The aim is to produce the Black Women’s Health Manifesto and disseminate this at national conferences across the UK and Ireland. The national conferences will bring together Black women researchers, activists, policy makers, practitioners, health professionals, politicians and journalists in each country of the UK and Ireland to implement the Black women’s health manifesto and produce national movements for change.

You will be a mixed methods researcher with significant proven expertise in qualitative and quantitative research. You will have a high level of communication and writing skills appropriate for different audiences and be able to work closely with other team members. You will require a high degree of autonomy and have the ability to work sensitively and develop rapport and trust with research participants from different backgrounds. You will be required to think creatively.

Further information regarding the role can be obtained from Professor Jenny Douglas (jenny.douglas@open.ac.uk).

Key Responsibilities

 Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Undertake a thematic analysis of the Black Women’s Health Manifesto community consultations and listening exercises previously undertaken.
• Develop a database on Black Women’s Health & Wellbeing Organisation and publish this on the Black Women’s Health and Wellbeing Research Network website.
• Support the Black Women’s Health Manifesto Coordinator to draft the Black Women’s Health Manifesto and a policy instrument for Black Women’s Health and Wellbeing.
• Contribute to the scoping review of the Wellcome Research Project and join the steering Group of the Wellcome Research Project.
• Support the Black Women’s Health Manifesto Coordinator with establishing national planning groups in the UK and Ireland; planning and delivering National conferences to disseminate the Black Women’s Health Manifesto; producing a report for each national dissemination conference; and producing a Health Improvement Framework for Black Women’s Health & Wellbeing.
• Plan and carry out online interviews with members of the Black Women’s Health & Wellbeing Research Network.
• Contribute to high-quality academic articles and papers for publication.
• Contribute to and help to produce quality non-academic outputs including, for example, knowledge products for national and international donor, policymaker, and practitioner audiences and publications.

About You

Essential

• A relevant post-graduate qualification in either Social Science, Medical Sociology, Anthropology or Public Health. 
• A good level of qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills.
• Evidence of research and/or knowledge exchange that is commensurate to the position.
• Demonstrable understanding of the experience of Black women in the UK.
• Proven ability to work effectively both independently and in a team.
• Proven ability to manage logistics in complex and changing environments.
• Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to collate, organise, and manage complex data sets with a high degree of self-reliance, and experience of coping with and prioritising multiple tasks effectively.
• Ability to work with a range of educational partners across other institutions.
• Confidence in coordinating work with senior academics in partner universities in the United States of America and Canada to help to sustain their involvement in this research.
• Proficient in the use of IT, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive.

• Ability to carry out the role in a way that is consistent with equality legislation and University policies.

Desirable

• A doctoral level qualification in a relevant area of health and social science research or working towards one.
• Experience in research or knowledge-exchange communications, including through publications, presentations, social media, blogs, or other digital platforms.
• Experience in gathering data and/or conducting interviews remotely online.
• Experience of secondary data analysis.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Working Location

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required in response to business needs. There will also be a requirement to attend meetings in Milton Keynes for academic community and module team meetings. Expenses associated with travel to our Milton Keynes site are not reimbursable. 

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interviews are likely to take place at the end of November and will consist of an online panel interview. 

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit the following documents:

• A Supporting Statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role as detailed above.
• CV

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