Senior Research Associate (Quantitative)

Salary: £47,389 to £56,535 per annum 

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: Friday 10 July 2026

The Role

We are seeking to recruit a Senior Research Associate, with high-level quantitative data analysis skills and experience of working with large-scale, complex, NHS datasets to support a major new cancer epidemiology project. The post-holder will plan and lead delivery of the project, taking responsibility for determining, and applying, the most appropriate statistical and epidemiological approaches. They will also lead on stakeholder liaison, public and patient involvement and dissemination. 

We welcome applications from those with post-graduate training and significant work experience in epidemiology, statistics, public health or another applied  health-related discipline/topic with a strong quantitative component. Experience of using NHS datasets for research, working in multi-disciplinary teams, and excellent communication and inter-personal skills are essential.

This post is full time available  from 1st October 2026 for a period of 36 months.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Professor Linda Sharp ([email protected]) or Dr Laura Woods ([email protected]) for an informal discussion.

Full details of the post are available at https://vacancies.ncl.ac.uk/

Key Accountabilities

• Plan and lead the delivery of the project, setting and monitoring targets, and ensuring successful delivery on time and within budget


• Drive the selection and application of appropriate analytical methods


• Undertake epidemiological and statistical analyses


• Lead applications for data access and ensure necessary approvals, and appropriate goverance, are in place


• Undertake rapid reviews of relevant literature to inform the project and ensure it remains up-to-date and grounded in comtemporary cancer care


• Lead regular project meetings


• Develop and implement a dissemination plan for the project, with a focus on maximising impact


• Develop effective working relationships with other project staff and collaborators, both clinical and academic


• Take responsibility for reporting activities as required by the project funder


• Identify and undertake a programme of professional development, including further training in research methods or other transferable skills


• Initiate funding applications


• Provide supervision of, and support development of, other quantitative researchers within the REACH group


• Supervise undergraduate and post-graduate projects & dissertations


• Participate in activities of the REACH group and Population Health Sciences Research Institute


• Undertake other reasonable duties as required

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• At least 5-years post-doctoral experience of statistical or epidemiological analysis of complex, large-scale, quantitative health-related data


• Experience of using NHS data (e.g. cancer registrations, HES, CPRD, prescription data) for research


• Experience of applying a range of statistical/epidemiological approaches across a variety of different study designs


• Experience of assessing medication/treatment utilisation and/or adherence using health service data


• Experience of assessing medication/treatment utilisation and/or adherence using health service data


• Very well-developed skills in Stata and/or R


• Experience of undertaking PPIE 


• Knowledge of cancer and its treatment


• High level of understanding, and experience, of working with multidisciplinary collaborators and a range of stakeholders


• Experience in applying for, and securing, external research funding


• Strong track record of disseminating research findings, including publishing in peer-reviewed journals

Knowledge, Skills and Experience - Desirable

• Experience of working within multi-disciplinary or multi-centre teams, particularly in cancer


• Knowledge or experience of survival analysis and/or causal methods


• Experience of supporting development of quantitative skills among researchers or students


• Experience of supervising undergraduate and post-graduate research projects
  

Attributes and Behavior

• Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills


• Ability to work flexibly and cooperatively with others to successfully deliver research projects


• Effective time management and prioritisation skills to balance the potentially conflicting demands of project work and other responsibilities


• Ability to solve problems


• Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect research data according to protocols and principles of good research practice


• Understanding of and commitment to good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

• A PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, or an applied health-related field with a strong quantitative component 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29486