Associate Professor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
To be considered for this role you must apply through our University of Worcester website: https://jobs.worcester.ac.uk/SN2602
Alternatively, click the "Apply directly" link under the supporting links section, which will also take you to our website.
We are seeking an exceptional academic leader to join our team as Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape research, teaching, and knowledge exchange in a critical area of health and wellbeing.
You will provide strategic leadership and discipline-specific expertise across child and adolescent mental health, supporting the NIHR-funded THRIVE programme (Tackling Health Inequalities and Unmet Rural Mental Health Needs in Vulnerable Communities across Herefordshire and Worcestershire). Working collaboratively with partners, you will champion impactful research that informs policy and practice locally, nationally, and internationally.
In addition to research leadership, you will make a significant contribution to School leadership, supporting strategic initiatives and mentoring colleagues. You will also play a key role in advancing learning and teaching, ensuring our programmes are innovative, research-informed, and aligned with professional standards.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and advance research and knowledge exchange activities in child and adolescent mental health.
* Develop and secure major research funding bids.
* Supervise doctoral students and mentor colleagues across the research career pathway.
* Contribute to innovative teaching and curriculum development at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.
* Engage with NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, and voluntary sector partners to translate research into real-world impact.
* Provide academic leadership within the school, contributing to governance, policy development, and staff development.
About us
The University of Worcester is a forward-thinking institution with a strong reputation for teaching excellence, research impact, and an inclusive culture. Our School of Nursing and Midwifery is committed to improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities through education, research, and collaboration.
Job responsibilities
Main Duties*
1. To provide strategic leadership and discipline-specific expertise across child and adolescent mental health arenas. To support the NIHR funded rural mental health research programme (THRIVE: Tackling Health inequalities and unmet Rural mental health needs in VulnErable communities across Herefordshire and Worcestershire) through the leadership and support of research aligned to young peoples mental health. This will include developing collaborative relationships with the Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham. To champion the development of impactful research which makes a difference to residents, patients and carers, health and social care professionals, and the VCSE sector, but which also informs the wider, national health and social care ecosystem. To contribute to securing major funding awards, in partnership with THRIVE colleagues, including academic and clinical stakeholders.
2. To lead and advance research and knowledge exchange activities across the School of Nursing and Midwifery, working from an approach of interdisciplinarity and fostering innovation.
3. Work in conjunction with others to apply subject knowledge to practice and innovative research. As a Principal Investigator, develop research proposals and external funding bids, design and lead research projects in areas aligned to child and adolescent mental health, ensuring their effective management and delivery of outcomes.
4. Act as a referee and contribute to peer assessment of research grants and papers.
5. Work in partnership with stakeholders drawn from across our Integrated Care Systems (NHS Trusts, Primary Care, Public Health, VCSE) to develop and deliver excellent research which advances our understanding of child and adolescent mental health more broadly, for the benefit of our patients, residents and system.
6. Contribute to the development and delivery of a programme of knowledge exchange which translates research into policy and practice.
7. Make a significant contribution to a portfolio of research outputs such as would be recognised as at least internationally excellent in the context of national research assessment.
8. Supervise doctoral students to successful completion.
9. Contribute to maintaining and developing the research infrastructure of their discipline nationally through, for example, acting as a reviewer and referee for relevant journals and funding bodies, acting as member or chair of relevant committees and networks.
10. Provide academic leadership within programme areas to ensure courses are delivered effectively or organise the work of a team by agreeing objectives and work plans.
11. Function as line manager (formally or informally) for matters relating to the employment of staff and ensure the work is allocated according to skills and capacity.
12. Appraise and advise staff on personal and career development plans.
13. Provide research leadership across the school.
14. Mentor and support colleagues across the school to enable their effective development throughout the research career pathway.
15. Contribute to University Committees, Working Groups, and initiatives.
16. Contribute to the development of policy and practice in health and social care and across primary and community care through engagement with the NHS Integrated Care System and wider participation in regional, national, and international networks with other health and care partners.
17. Develop, design, and facilitate learning experiences that are engaging, challenging and informed by pedagogical scholarship and professional practice.
18. Contribute significantly to the development of credit-bearing and non-credit bearing programmes aligned with the schools research to support the professional development of health and care professionals.
19. Demonstrate effective teaching and professional practice on Doctoral, Masters and Undergraduate courses within the school as measured by student feedback, assessment outcomes and success, peer review, and external validation.
20. Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job; participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff in their development and training.
21. Take steps to ensure and enhance personal health, safety, and well-being and that of other staff and students.
22. Carry out these duties in a manner that promotes equality of opportunity and supports diversity and inclusion and takes into account the University's commitment to environmentally sustainable ways of working.
*The above does not represent an exhaustive list of duties associated with this role.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
* Record of winning research funding from UKRI, NIHR and / or other relevant funders in the field.
* Track record of delivering consultancy, programmes of professional development, and other Knowledge Exchange, for business, public sector and community in a relevant area.
* A track record of partnership working with the Health and Care sector, and relevant businesses, voluntary organisations and communities with explicit experience of Patient, Public, Professional Involvement and Engagement activities.
Experience
* Experience of doctoral supervision, ideally with experience of supervising to completion, and doctoral examination.
* Evidence of making a contribution to disciplinary infrastructure, such as acting as an editor, reviewer or referee for a relevant journal or publisher and /or acting as a panel member, reviewer or referee for a funding body.
* Experience of research leadership such as leading largescale, multi-partner projects or leading a programme of research.
* Experience of making a significant contribution to research projects and programmes, evidenced by the outputs, outcomes and impacts of the project / programme.
* Experience of developing courses and programmes in their field.
* Experience of sitting on a panel for a major funder.
* Evidence of contributing to national policy in the field through for example contributions to All-Party Parliamentary Groups, membership of committees and working groups set up to inform policy development, engagement with government and parliament more generally.
Qualifications
* Doctorate in a relevant field.
* Current portfolio of research outputs in a relevant field such as would be recognised as at least 3* as defined in REF 2029.
* Professional registrations with a Professional Statutory regulatory Body e.g. NMC, HCPC, GMA, GPhC.
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