Salary
UH7 £38,784pa to £46,049pa by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience
Contractual hours
37
Basis
Full Time
Job category/type
Academic/Research
Job reference
REQ000580
Post Title: Research Fellow (WHISPA: Workplace Health & Wellbeing Initiatives that are free at the point of use to workplaces)
SBU/Department: School of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences
FTE: 1 FTE (Working 37 hours per week)
Duration of Contract: Fixed Term (24 months)
Salary: UH7 £38,784pa to £46,049pa by annual increments on achieving designated skills and experience
Annual Leave: 35 days plus standard public holidays and an additional 4 days including the closure of our office between Christmas and New Year
Location: College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield (flexible)
Work and working environments play a critical role in shaping people's health and wellbeing. In the UK, economic inactivity due to long-term sickness has risen steadily since 2019, reaching a record high in 2024, highlighting the growing importance of effective workplace health and wellbeing support.
However, the design, delivery, and implementation of workplace health and wellbeing initiatives are often suboptimal. Local government plays an important role in addressing this gap through the provision of free workplace health and wellbeing initiatives (WHISPAs; ). Delivered regionally, WHISPAs support workplaces across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, social care, transport, and retail, offering tiered levels of support ranging from self-help resources to higher-intensity job coaching programmes.
This National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) PGfAR funded research project aims to strengthen the currently limited evidence base on local government-led WHISPAs and to support the uptake of evidence-based workplace health practices. Key elements of the project include the synthesis of best practice evidence on workplace wellbeing, examination of implementation processes to understand how evidence can be more effectively embedded in local workplace settings, and development of a self-evaluation tool for local government to assess WHISPA delivery.
The research involves four distinct but related work packages (WPs) and we are seeking a Research Fellow to primarily support delivery of qualitative WP2 focused on understanding the implementation of workplace health and wellbeing support practice by local government and workplaces. This will involve primary qualitative research with various partners and stakeholders including local government, public health, and representatives from small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and development of the self-assessment tool. The Fellow will also support delivery of other WPs, for example, contributing to delivery of a scoping review (WP1) and development of support package for local government (WP3).
Successful applicants will have demonstrated their ability to effectively plan and coordinate programmes of work and work independently and efficiently in an applied research context, with knowledge and experience gained through a relevant PhD or via equivalent research experience.
Main duties & responsibilities
The postholder will support the Chief Investigator and the wider WHISPA research team to deliver robust, high-quality research. Duties include, but are not limited to: undertaking research within the scope of the project; establishing a programme of research activity working collaboratively with colleagues at UH and partner organisations; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a range of project partners, including small businesses, local government, health partners, service users, and community and voluntary sector (CVS) organisations; writing high quality research outputs; disseminating the outcomes of the project in publications, at conferences and through other appropriate media.
This role requires willingness to travel within England.
Skills and experience needed
The successful candidate must have demonstrable knowledge and understanding of relevant qualitative research methodologies, including methods for data collection, coding, and analysis. You must have experience of working in a research environment, with research experience in a relevant subject area (e.g., public health, psychology, employment and training, wellbeing) including, as appropriate, collaborative partnerships with other HEI's or external partners. Excellent oral and written communication skills, together with strong interpersonal and presentation abilities, are essential. Experience of managing or coordinating research projects is essential for this role. Effective public engagement and involvement would be advantageous.
In addition, you will be able to work independently and autonomously and manage your own workload with minimal supervision, whilst working effectively in a team with a can-do attitude to problem solving.
Qualifications required
You will hold a degree or equivalent level 6 qualification in a relevant discipline, and a PhD or equivalent level 8 qualification (or relevant equivalent experience). Relevant disciplines include the clinical, health, social and behavioural sciences.
Please view the job description and person specification for a full list of the duties and essential criteria.Please attach a personal statement showing clearly how your skills and experience match the Person Specification.
Internal applicants – please ensure you apply via your employee self-service portal.
An appointment to this role may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
Please note, this post cannot be visa sponsored unless you can evidence a PhD / Doctorate.
This post is subject to contract with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and we reserve the right to withdraw the post until an offer of employment is made.
Contact Details: Informal enquiries to Nigel Lloyd Senior Research Fellow email
Closing Date: 05 March 2026
Interview Date: 18 March 2026
Reference Number: REQ000580
Date Advert Placed: 19 February 2026
Our vision is to transform lives: UH is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and building a diverse community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of their protected characteristics, and recognise there are different ways applicants may achieve the criteria in this document. We offer a range of employee benefits including generous annual leave, flexible location opportunities within the UK, discounted Sports Village memberships and free Active Staff sessions, personal and professional development and family-friendly policies. #GoHerts