Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
Applications are invited for a Grade 8 Research Programme Manager to lead a team working with Professor Paul Aveyard on the TRIDENT research programme which aims to help people with serious mental illness reduce harm from smoking.

We aim to 1. Adapt a brief opportunistic intervention to promote harm reduction based on the MaSC trial 10.1186/s13063-019-3850-1 and 2. Adapt a behavioural support programme to promote smoking reduction based on the SCIMITAR trial https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00091-7. Having adapted these programmes, we aim to test the combined effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in a definitive trial, assessing implementation issues to prepare for NHS adoption. The post is part of the Health Behaviours team in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences,

The programme will involve work with patients and staff in mental healthcare to adapt the interventions, including using conversation analysis, think-aloud, interviews, and observational methods to understand how the intervention needs adapting and whether adapted interventions meet their goals. Thereafter, the programme will involve using implementation science models to understand the process of role out in routine mental healthcare and understand how the outcomes of the intervention have come to be achieved. The programme manager will oversee this work, working alongside Paul Aveyard to deliver research outputs on time and on budget. You will oversee others employed on the programme, line managing a qualitative researcher and a research assistant, and later managing the work of the clinical trials unit and health economists.

The post is embedded in the thriving Health Behaviours Team, who work on interventions to prevent or treat ill-health by intervening on diet, obesity, and smoking. We have a strong track record of applied research that can benefit patients and lead to changes in the health system and will support team members to be engaged in policy work. We are committed to involving members of the public in all stages of our work and the post holder will receive training and support to do so. We also offer generic training opportunities for researchers seeking a career in applied health sciences. We engage with a wide range of stakeholders and policymakers to facilitate the translation of research into practice.

You will hold a relevant PhD/DPhil with at least 3 years post-qualification research experience in applied research or public health and possess specialist knowledge in applied behavioural science.  You will be able to demonstrate a proven ability to generate innovative research ideas based on solid knowledge of research methods, the current literature and ongoing research in the field and a strong publication record.  You will have direct experience in planning and managing all stages of research projects, from ethical approval through to publication and dissemination with evidence of successful delivery of projects on time and on budget and practical experience of clinical trials.

You will be based in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG as your normal place of work.

The position is funded by an NIHR programme grant for applied sciences to start 1 January 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.  The programme is subject to review at September 2026 and, with the possibility to be extended to the end of January 2029.

For further information or discuss the post please contact Professor Paul Aveyard paul.aveyard@phc.ox.ac.uk.

Apply here.