Summer Scheme Activity Leader

Research Assistant - SUPPORTive Leaders Online & ESRC Workplace Well-being Project

We are seeking a part-time Research Assistant to support the SUPPORTive Leaders Online project?an initiative focused on developing a digital leadership training programme to promote mental health and well-being in the workplace.

This project builds on our GBP1.6 million ESRC-funded research, conducted in collaboration with the Enterprise Research Centre, Warwick Business School, University College Cork, and the University of Nottingham, exploring the relationship between workplace well-being and productivity. The Research Assistant?s time will be divided between this new initiative and supporting the broader ESRC-funded research, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge work on workplace mental health and productivity.

This role is ideal for candidates looking to gain hands-on research experience in work psychology, human resource management, and organisational behaviour. The position focuses on translating academic research into practical applications for business leaders and organisations.

Key Responsibilities

The Research Assistant will work closely with the project team to support the development and implementation of the digital training programme. Key responsibilities include:

• Engaging with advisory groups, including business leaders and mental health professionals.
• Assisting in content development for the digital platform (e.g., Xerte).
• Uploading and managing training materials within the digital system.
• Coordinating pilot activities, including participant recruitment and scheduling.
• Collecting and analysing feedback through surveys and interviews.
• Contributing to research dissemination, including reports and publications.

• Essential: An undergraduate degree in psychology, business management, organisational behaviour, human resource management, public health, or a related field.
• Preferred: A Master's degree (completed or in progress) in a relevant discipline.

We are looking for candidates who:
✔ Have an interest in work psychology, leadership, and workplace well-being research.
✔ Have experience or a strong interest in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
✔ Possess strong written and verbal communication skills.
✔ Can work independently and manage their workload effectively.
✔ Have experience with digital learning platforms (beneficial but not essential).

Job description for QWork Assignment

• Research Assistant in Management (up to a maximum of 4 hours per week for 30 weeks)
• This part-time role (up to a maximum of 4 hours per week for 30 weeks) will support Dr Sara Melo, Senior Lecturer in Management, in her leading impact project. Supporting the design, implementation, continuous improvement, and effective use of Business Intelligence systems in decision-making at Portuguese NHS hospitals.

The Research Assistant will be responsible for:

• Searching the Internet for examples of toolkits targeted at practitioners in general, and toolkits directly related with the design and implementation of Business Intelligence (BI) systems
• Preliminary scoping literature review on the models used to evaluate the readiness of hospitals to implement BI systems
• Collaborate in the graphical design of the paper-based versions of a toolkit (draft and final versions) to be targeted at hospital practitioners to support them in the design, implementation and continuous improvement of a hospital BI system.
• Identification of examples of activities that could be implemented at the different stages of the creation of a national network/community of practice of hospital staff
• Identification of examples of questionnaires to measure the impact of research dissemination workshops with practitioners

Applicants must be currently studying towards a PhD.  

• Applicants who have an interest in communicating research to non-academic stakeholders.
• This part-time role is intended for an individual who is currently a PhD student.
• Good written and verbal communication skills are essential. There is no need to know Portuguese as all the Research Assistant work will be in English.

Please note: to apply for this role you must be a student or recent graduate from the Informatics, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics Departments at King's College London. BSc Natural Sciences students based in the faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences are also welcome to apply.

You must be available to work at least 35-40 hours in total between June 2025 and January 2026 (with a month off in August) and including at least 1-2 hours per week during Autumn term 2025. The role will involve a mix of online and on-campus work.  

About us: 

The Careers & Employability Team at King's College London is a large team of professionals supporting King's students and recent graduates with their career and employability journeys. We are working to improve our inclusive practice, by co-creating inclusive careers education programmes with students, based on an awareness of marginalisation, oppression and discrimination. As an Inclusive Careers Education Ambassador (ICEA) you will have the opportunity to help shape our work and to support your fellow students in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences with building their futures.  

The Role: 

Inclusive Careers Education Ambassadors (ICEAs) are ten King's College London students and recent graduates in the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences (NMES) who are supported by the Careers & Employability team to deliver careers education activities to their peers that draws from an understanding of lived experiences of marginalisation such as ethnicity, disability and gender. 

The careers education activities are co-created by the ICEAs and could include workshops, drop-ins, in-lecture shout-outs, digital resources or more. ICEAs will be paid for a total of 35 - 40 hours each on the project, including training and planning in a group with other ambassadors and the Inclusive Careers Project Officer, with support from a Careers Consultant. 

There are ten ICEA roles currently available across all five departments in total, five of which are for students or recent graduates from the departments of Chemistry, Informatics, Engineering, Physics and Maths at King's College London eligible for our Careers+ programme . The other five are open to any students or recent graduates from the departments of Chemistry, Informatics, Engineering, Physics and Maths at King's (including UK-domiciled or international students). BSc Natural Sciences students based in the faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences are also welcome to apply. The roles are fully supported by the Careers & Employability team and will make a big difference to many students, helping them shape their career plans and feel a sense of belonging within an inclusive careers education community.    

Careers+ eligibility is detailed on our KEATS pages. 

Main duties: 

Participating in training in June and September 2025 (example training topics: careers & employability resources; inclusive education; creating digital content). 

Meeting as a group to co-create and deliver careers education activities for Autumn 2025 (activities could include: workshops, panel events, social media interactions, video interviews, in-lecture shoutouts, drop-ins and more). 

Marketing careers activities to students in each department. 

Requesting, collecting and analysing feedback and attendance figures, and presenting the results. 

Hours and training 

Paid training will take place in June and September 2025. There will be 4 training sessions to attend during this time. One will be a compulsory on-campus training day, and the other three will be online at lunchtimes (also compulsory). It is crucial to attend all the training. 

Provisional dates and times for training: 

Session 1 - Wednesday 11th June, 10.00-16.00 BST. On campus (Strand) 

Session 2 - Thursday 19th June, 12.00-13.30 BST. Online 

Session 3 - Tuesday 9th September, 12.00-13.30 BST. Online 

Session 4 - Wednesday 10th September, 12.00-13.00 BST. Online 

These sessions are all compulsory training and you will be paid for your time. 

This role is for around 35 - 40 hours across the whole project (not 35 - 40 hours per week!) and while we would like you to attend all the training sessions, other parts of the role can be undertaken at flexible times to suit you and your fellow Inclusive Careers Education Ambassadors.  

Application process: 

Please apply via King's Talent Bank, answering the yes/no questions and providing a cover letter (supporting statement) as described below.  

The King's Talent Bank application process allows you to enter a cover letter and this is where your supporting statement should be entered. Our suggested length for the supporting statement is 300-600 words. We suggest you copy and paste the full job description into a separate document file and write your cover letter (supporting statement) there, so you are able to easily address the points below, then submit via the King's Talent Bank platform. 

Please do not include a CV with your application. 

King's Talent Bank questions: 

Are you available to work for 35 - 40 hours in total between June 2025 and January 2026, including during Autumn term 2025? (Yes/No) 

Are you eligible to register with King's Talent Bank, including holding a UK bank account? (Yes/No) 

Are you a student or recent graduate from the Department of Informatics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics or Natural Sciences at King's College London? (Yes/No) 

Have you read the job description for this role carefully and prepared the requested cover letter? (Yes/No) 

In your cover letter (supporting statement), please aim to address the following points: 

Why you want to become an Inclusive Careers Education Ambassador. 

A career-related activity (e.g. a workshop, talk, appointment, interview, part-time work or internship/job) you have participated in and what you learned. 

An idea for how you might engage your fellow students in career-related activities (e.g. in a workshop or on social media) with a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. 

We particularly welcome applications from students and recent graduates who are disabled, LGBTQ+, first generation at university, women in STEM, Black or Ethnic Minority Heritage, care experienced, or candidates who are or have been young carers, as they are traditionally under-represented in UK Higher Education. Please refer to our pages for specific careers resources on declaring disabilities and information for students from underrepresented backgrounds.  

You can see some of the work of past Inclusive Careers Education Ambassadors on our KEATS pages.  To ask questions about the role contact Laura Oxley, or Catherine Alcraft, Careers Consultants. 

None

Essential criteria: 

You must be an Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught or Research student currently registered in the Engineering, Physics, Informatics, Chemistry or Mathematics departments at King's College London, or a recent graduate from one of these departments. BSc Natural Sciences students based in the faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences are also welcome to apply.

Eligible to register with King's Talent Bank [2], holding a UK bank account, and available to do 35-40 hours of work between June 2025 and January 2026 (with August off), including at least 1-2 hours per week during Autumn term 2025. 

Some experience of participating in or attending careers activities, such as applying for spring weeks, internships, part-time or full-time roles; entrepreneurship activities; attending careers appointments and/or events. 

Enthusiasm for inclusive education and awareness of the experience of students who are traditionally under-represented in UK Higher Education such as disabled students, mature students, LGBTQ+ students, women in STEM, Black or Ethnic Minority Heritage students or recent graduates. 

Desirable criteria: 

Experience communicating confidently with diverse audiences. 

Experience being proactive, working independently and in a team. 

[2] King's pays temporary staff via King's Talent Bank and therefore you must have a UK bank account to be apply for this role. Please note that King's Talent Bank will require applicants to demonstrate that they are eligible to work in the United Kingdom. 

What will I gain from the role? 

Note: The skills and experiences you gain from this role will depend on what you'd like to focus on you'll have the opportunity to co-create activities you feel will be helpful to your peers.  

During this role you may have opportunities to develop your: 

Understanding of how people learn and ways to deliver inclusive educational activities; 

Experience working within a team, networking, and working independently; 

Experience co-creating and delivering peer-to-peer educational activities; 

Communication skills such as writing, presenting and marketing; 

Self-reflection skills about careers and employability; 

Collecting and analysis of feedback and reporting results. 

You may also have the opportunity to: 

Present to stakeholders such as King's students and staff; 

Take part in King's Experience programmes; 

Work with student societies on collaborative activities; 

Design online education resources; 

Help with training for next year's cohort.