King's College London

About us:

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) is a Faculty of King's College London and the largest academic community in Europe devoted to the study and prevention of mental illness and brain disease. The Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre within IoPPN, is an interdisciplinary research centre investigating the interplay between genetics ('nature') and the environment ('nurture') in psychiatric disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions, and individual differences across the lifespan. SGDP scientists lead some of the UK’s foremost longitudinal cohort and twin studies, including TEDS, E-Risk, Dunedin and GLAD.

The post holders will also be part of the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, which is a cross-Faculty initiative between the IoPPN and the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy. The centre aims to better understand the complex interrelationships between society and mental health, with a commitment to (i) ensure that the impact of social context is central to how we understand mental health; and (ii) work in partnership with affected communities.

About the role:

We are looking for 4 dynamic and motivated Research Assistants with excellent interviewing skills to support the current phase of data collection for a large ongoing longitudinal twin study. The Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study (see https://eriskstudy.com/) has been following a cohort of 2232 twin children born across England and Wales in the mid-1990s since they were 5 years old. They have been assessed six times during childhood and adolescence, and we are currently assessing them again at age 30. This updated dataset will be made available to researchers across the UK and worldwide to provide a unique resource for conducting research into mental health, adversity, and prosperity over the first three decades of life.

The post holders will play a crucial role in interviewing the twins during this phase of the E-Risk Study. Specifically, they will contact Study participants once they turn 30 to explain the Study, gain informed consent, and schedule interviews; conduct interviews with Study participants via online video calls to assess mental health and other aspects of the participants’ lives; ensure the security and confidentiality of the data they collect; plus rate assessments and provide extensive written notes of the discussions and their observations during the interviews. Extensive training will be provided on all aspects of the Study plus regular supervision and ongoing support from the Project Coordinators.

The post holders will be based remotely (at home) but will be required to come into the SGDP Centre, IoPPN Denmark Hill campus in London at least one day per month. The post holders will be required to work flexibly as many interviews are likely to be conducted during evenings and weekends.

These are full-time posts (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 28th February 2027.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you:

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

Essential criteria

1. Holds an undergraduate degree OR a postgraduate qualification in an area relevant to this post (e.g., psychology, epidemiology, sociology, nursing, social work, or related disciplines) OR has no relevant qualifications but has substantial experience of collecting data via interviews for research projects.
2. Outstanding interpersonal skills, including quickly developing rapport with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, being robust, and ability to show empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
3. Experience of conducting online video interviews on sensitive topics with research participants.
4. Ability to work autonomously and take responsibility for independent completion of tasks.
5. Highly organised and able to use initiative to efficiently plan and execute tasks.
6. Evidence of meticulous record keeping and/or coding of data and excellent attention to detail.
7. Excellent problem-solving abilities and adaptable to unexpected situations.
8. Highly flexible and able to regularly work the set hours during evenings and weekends as required to complete interviews with Study participants.

Desirable criteria

1. Knowledgeable about how to appropriately handle confidential information and store data securely.
2. Competent in the use of video conferencing technology (e.g., Microsoft Teams).
3. Experience of working within a longitudinal cohort study.
4. Knowledgeable about twins and/or twin studies.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information:

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.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held online in early January.