Postdoctoral Research Associate in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

The researcher will play a key role in developing, piloting, and evaluating a proof-of-concept intervention package for reducing rates of Emotionally Based School avoidance in four secondary schools in Croydon. They will co-ordinate the collection of survey data in a school setting from young people and their parents in collaboration with school staff and researchers. This data will provide the evaluative framework for an intervention for which the post holder will contribute to the development and implementation. The post holder will conduct analyses of the data and disseminate the findings in academic journals and to wider audiences. This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite / a fixed term contract until 22nd February 2029. Research staff at King's are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the for more information., The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension. We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible. Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant's own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found . We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day. We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application. To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: Essential criteria

• PhD (awarded) in relevant subject area (e.g., epidemiology, population health, quantitative social science, statistics, psychology, neuroscience).
• Excellent knowledge of statistics, including statistical analyses of longitudinal data.
• Skilled in writing and/or contributing to high-quality manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
• Proven ability to independently manage research tasks, including participant recruitment and data collection.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for diverse audiences (e.g. academic, young people, public).
• Understanding of data protection and ethical considerations when working with young people and sensitive mental health data.
• Collaborative and flexible approach to working within interdisciplinary teams.
Desirable criteria
• Experience working with interdisciplinary group consisting of clinicians, educators, engineers and academics focused on enhancing child and adolescent mental health care.
• Experience in working with longitudinal data sets and knowledge of advanced statistical methods for analysis of longitudinal data.
• Experience in research with school-based populations.
• Experience of intervention research and proof-of-concept evaluations.
• Direct experience of working with young people.
  
  This role offers an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to a study exploring emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) during the primary-secondary school transition years (ages 10-13).
The postholder will work within the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), under the supervision of Jacqueline Phillips Owen, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Senior Lecturer and Lead for the Maudsley Education Consultation Service ( https://kingsmaudsley.org/home/our-expertise/schools-based-early-interventions/maudsley-education-consultation-service/ ). The project is part of the Maudsley Charity's Building Brighter Futures programme and sits within the wider context of youth mental health innovation through the King's Maudsley Partnership in collaboration with the Harris Federation of Schools., At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.