King's College London

About us

King’s College London is a world-renowned university that delivers exceptional education and world-leading research.  The Department of Addictions at King’s College London is seeking an exceptional Lecturer to make a distinctive, high-level academic contribution in nicotine and tobacco research, with a particular focus on tackling smoking-related health inequalities.

The post-holder would be based in the Nicotine Research Group, a small but impactful team, internationally recognised in nicotine research, which is based in the Addictions Department at Denmark Hill, within the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), a faculty of King’s College London.

The Addictions Department, led by Professor John Marsden, is one of Europe’s most productive addictions research centres, bringing together academic, research, education, and clinical expertise to deliver impactful work that shapes policy and practice.

The IoPPN is a thriving academic community which in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 90% of research at the IoPPN was deemed ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (3* and 4*).

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Nicotine Research Group and NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions at the IoPPN at King’s College London. The purpose of this role is to produce high quality research on nicotine and tobacco use, to inform how best to reduce the widespread death, disease and health inequalities caused by tobacco smoking. The postholder will contribute to the strategic direction of the Nicotine Research Group and work with the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions.

The postholder will be based within the internationally recognised Nicotine Research Group (NRG), led by Dr Debbie Robson, and will also contribute to nicotine and tobacco research within the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Addictions, directed by Professor Leonie Brose. Current projects include evaluating national initiatives to reduce smoking prevalence, analysing national and international survey data, investigating innovative harm reduction strategies and policy interventions, evaluating the uptake and outcomes of tobacco dependence treatment started in hospital.

We are looking for a candidate with a growing track record in nicotine or tobacco research, demonstrated through high-quality publications that show originality, rigour, and significance. The post-holder will be expected to secure ongoing research funding, conduct world-leading research published in major academic journals, recruit, mentor and manage research staff within agreed frameworks, develop and deliver inspiring education and supervision within the Department (at least 20% pro rata), including teaching on our Addictions MSc programme, and play an active role in departmental activities and committees

If you are passionate about reducing smoking-related harm and health inequalities, and want to work in a dynamic, collaborative environment that influences national and international policy, we would love to hear from you.

This post will be offered on a part-time (80%FTE) fixed-term contract for 5 years.

About you

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

Essential criteria

1. PhD in tobacco or nicotine research
2. A track record of publications including publications meeting the Research Excellence Framework (REF) standard of 3* or higher
3. Experience in writing competitive funding applications
4. Experience of teaching assessment or supervision of students, with evidence of innovative and effective teaching
5. Expertise in human research in the nicotine and tobacco field
6. Demonstrable skills in qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research
7. Highly effective oral and written communication skills

Desirable criteria

1. Higher Education teaching qualification (e.g. HEA Fellowship or PGCAPHE)
2. Being a team player able to collaborate within diverse and multidisciplinary teams and students
3. Experience of working with stakeholders outside of academia

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 pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

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 on 7th January 2026

  This post is subject to an Occupational Health clearance.