The Digital Mental Health Group (https://digitalmentalhealth.group/) is one of the UK's most influential research teams investigating the impact of digital technologies on youth mental health, with the aim of improving outcomes for children and young people worldwide. We are known for our innovative and rigorous scientific outputs, as well as our direct provision of scientific advice to senior policymakers and politicians.
In October, our group will include our PI, Professor Amy Orben (http://amyorben.com/), one Assistant Research Professor, five Research Associates, three PhD Students, one Research Assistant, a Community Engagement Coordinator, as well as our Centre Manager. We also routinely welcome research visitors and interns. We value our team's complementary skills (e.g., differing backgrounds, research approaches, and areas of expertise), and collaborate with other research groups around the world.
Overview:
We are seeking a Research Assistant with experience and interest in statistical data analysis, especially of longitudinal data, to join our team full-time to help us produce high-quality research.
In this job, you will be responsible for delivering analyses - such as multilevel models - to answer research questions of high public interest on complex longitudinal datasets. These datasets can include raw social media data (e.g., from the study described in the following paper: https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.70140). You will be expected to produce high quality visualisations and reproducible code.
Alongside, you will help the team to deliver a range of ongoing activities including both basic and applied research projects, collaborating with academics and policymakers in UK government. This can include reviewing the literature and drafting reports and summaries. Therefore, competency and interest in clear and effective writing is also important to us.
You will be supported in complementing your core activities in ways that interest you and benefit the group, as well as the wider academic community: for example, by helping us when we collaborate with other teams; by analysing pre-existing data; or by playing a role when the group does outreach and media engagement. Further, you are expected to support some aspects of group administration, such as supporting the running of lab meetings and team events, as well as helping supervise or mentor more junior team members if necessary.
The post holder should be available to start late summer or autumn of 2026 for a duration of twelve months. You can apply if you can only start the post later, but this will be considered in recruitment.
Note: We will interview for the role on the 23rd of July 2026.
Experience:
The Research Assistant role is ideal if you are looking to gain research experience prior to doing a PhD (e.g., after completing an undergraduate/master's).
As a Research Assistant, you will be offered on the job training in the relevant statistical methods to complete the project. However, we would expect you to show previous experience in running statistical models and/or working with complex datasets, particularly in R or Python. We would also like you to have some scientific research experience, either as part of your university degree, placement years, research internships or through other relevant programmes. As part of this experience, we would like to see examples of you problem-solving and showing independent initiative, as well as delivering high-quality written work.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Applying for this role, regardless of experience level, you should demonstrate a strong track record of being able to work well in a team, but how you do so is not important. It can be from your work in a research institution or through engagement in student-run organisations, your community, or other initiatives. You also need to show that you can adapt to changing demands, rapid deadlines and competing priorities.
For the complete essential and desirable criteria please see the job specification provided as part of the application pack.
We encourage applicants from backgrounds traditionally marginalised and/or under-represented in the field. Further, please do not be discouraged from applying if your current CV is not a 'perfect fit'. This job could suit someone from a range of different backgrounds, and there is great scope for the right applicant to develop the role and make it their own. If you think that this might be the role for you, please write and tell us why.
To ensure fairness we will not schedule individual meetings for candidates before an offer is made. If you have any questions about this role please send these to our Centre Manager ([email protected]) by 29 June 2026, we will post each anonymised question submitted by this deadline and our answer to the following document by the 1st of July 2026: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yoJTO8KMKQlkqIQ5vkBTUyCjv9nh1GCLIZHGKJ6Z4ng/edit?usp=sharing
Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.
Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.
Closing Date: 9th July 2026
Interview Date: 23rd July 2026
Please quote reference SU49881 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
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