Postdoctoral Researcher / Experienced Research Assistant

Post Date : 20-Mar-2026 Close Date : 10-Apr-2026 Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher / Experienced Research Assistant Department: Converge: Centre for Chronic Disease and Population Health Research, School of Population Health Reporting to: Dr Nicholas Clarke Location: RCSI Dublin / Hybrid Contract/Duration: Specified purpose contract, up to 12 months (80% FTE: 4-day week) Remuneration: Aligned with Postdoctoral / Senior Research Assistant IUA pay scales (depending on experience) Proposed start date: As soon as possible Closing Date: Friday, 10th of April RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”. We seek candidates whose experience to date has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to the “Race Equality Action Plan 2025-2029” at RCSI. Our students come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. This makes our university stronger and ensures we hire the best talent. Innovating for a Healthier Future 2023-2027 is RCSI’s new five-year strategic plan. Through it, RCSI will enhance human health by meeting the health workforce needs of society, creating the insights and inventions that drive health improvements, and working in partnership with patients and the public in support of better health and well-being for all. The strategy unites the RCSI community in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals – with a particular focus on Goal 3, which targets good health and well-being. For each of the last six years, RCSI has been positioned in the Top 300 of universities worldwide in the Times Higher World University Rankings. We are proud that RCSI ranks first in the world for “Good Health and Well-being” in the Times Higher Education #SDG #SDG Impact Rankings 2025. This reflects our commitment to supporting people of all ages to live healthy lives and our work to promote the concepts of well-being and positive health. In 2024, RCSI was delighted to be named one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work in Ireland. At RCSI, our core values of Respect, Collaboration, Scholarship, and Innovation are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where every colleague is valued and empowered to thrive. Our dedication to these values ensures that we foster a culture of mutual respect, open collaboration, continuous learning, and innovative thinking. Join us at RCSI, where your contributions will be recognised, and you will be part of a dynamic team making a real impact on global health. About Our Research RCSI recognises that excellence in research is critical to the quality of its educational activities, its credibility, and, overall, to its mission to enhance human health. RCSI’s research strategy aims to build upon its strength in translational biomedical and clinical research to deliver transformational, high impact changes in health care. Targeting both Irish national and EU funding, along with increased collaboration with industry, is a major part of the RCSI research strategy. Forging increased collaboration between RCSI PIs and industry is of critical importance to achieving success in this area. RCSI is also committed to provide its researchers with the supports and developmental opportunities to enable them to continuously grow and support their overall career development. Summary of Post Cervical cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women globally. Cervical cancer is largely preventable through both HPV vaccination and cervical screening. Every year in Ireland about 250 people get cervical cancer and 90 women die from it. Almost 150 women diagnosed with cervical cancer are detected through population-based cervical cancer screening (CervicalCheck). In 2020, the WHO called for global action to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem and launched their global strategy to eliminate the disease. Achieving the goal of cervical cancer elimination rests on three key pillars and their corresponding targets: •       Vaccination: 90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15; •       Screening: 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45; •       Treatment: 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed. Cervical cancer is recognised as a disease of inequity, largely driven by differences in accessing preventative health services. In Ireland, HPV vaccination, HPV screening and cervical cancer treatment are freely available through the Health Service Executive (HSE). However, incidence of cervical cancer is 84% higher in the most deprived areas compared to the most affluent areas. In Europe, lower education levels have been associated with poorer cervical cancer outcomes. In Ireland, HPV vaccination is offered to all children in first year in secondary school as part of a school vaccination programme. The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme aims to reduce educational disadvantage in Ireland. Under the DEIS programme, schools with the highest number of students at risk of educational disadvantage receive additional educational resources from the Department of Education and Youth. A recent study reported a lower HPV vaccine uptake between DEIS and non-DEIS schools, with the disparity increasing after a period of diffusion of misinformation. This study aims to address this disparity through the development of tailored interventions to increase HPV vaccination in Irish DEIS schools. The programme of research is funded by the HSE National Screening Service (NSS) under the Women’s Health Task Force. The results of the research will be used to co-design (with stakeholders and PPI representative’s) interventions to increase uptake of HPV vaccination in DEIS designated secondary schools. The candidate appointed to the position will work within the Converge Centre in the School of Population Health (RCSI) and in collaboration with the National Screening Service. The project will comprise 2 work-packages; 1) qualitative interviews with parents and caregivers of HPV vaccination eligible children, and 2) a co-design workshop with parents and caregivers, healthcare professionals, school immunisation teams, NSS, the NIO and researchers. We want to recruit a postdoctoral researcher or experienced research assistant who will focus on 1) conducting the day-to-day coordination of the study, 2) design, conduct and analyse qualitative interviews, and co-design workshops, and 3) draft reports, peer review publications and disseminate study results. The post-doctoral researcher will also support Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) within the research programme. Specific Duties: •       Conduct a specified programme of research under the supervision and direction of the Principal Investigator •       Disseminate the results of the research in which you are engaged in, as directed by the Principal Investigator •       Carry out administrative work associated with your programme of research •       Undertake appropriate training and development as required by the Principal Investigator, School and/or College Qualifications – (Essential): •       PhD or M.Sc. in population health sciences, epidemiology, psychology or related discipline. Knowledge & Experience •       Experience of qualitative research methods •       Demonstrable capacity for independent research, experience of research leadership •       Ability to work independently and efficiently •       Excellent organisational, interpersonal, report writing and IT skills •       Content expertise in cancer screening/ vaccination or other cancer related areas of research •       Experience of working in multidisciplinary research teams •       Experience in stakeholder engagement •       Project and team leadership, coordination and management skills Skills and Competencies •       Communication skills: proven ability to communicate complex ideas •       Project management skills: ability to ensure that project plans are communicated and that all timelines are met •       Collaborative and proactive team contributor: demonstrates the ability to work independently and as part of a team; communicates respectfully; supports colleagues when needed; shares information appropriately; builds positive working relationships and contributes to a cooperative team environment. •       Detail‑oriented and solution‑focused: Takes a proactive approach to managing workload; identifies potential issues early and works to address them; completes tasks accurately and with a strong attention to detail; understands requirements clearly and delivers high‑quality work •       Flexibility: can operate flexibly within a busy environment, can shift focus when required •       Motivated: displays a ‘can-do’ attitude, be committed to the development of the project and the Converge Centre and demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for the role We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application — we’d love to hear from you. Application Process Please apply online through the RCSI careers portal on the closing date with your CV and cover letter. Click here to read our Recruitment and Selection Policy for Researcher. Informal Enquiries: Informal enquiries are invited in the first instance through Clarissa Disconzi, Human Resources Department (email: clarissadisconzi@rcsi.ie). All applications for this post must be made through the career's webpage www.rcsi.com/careers. Clarissa can arrange for relevant queries to be addressed by the hiring manager. Please note that we do not accept CVs directly. Garda vetting and occupational health review may be required for this role, depending on the nature of the duties and responsibilities. Further information will be provided during the recruitment process. Eligibility to Work in Ireland Visa sponsorship is available for candidates who fully meet the essential criteria of the role. Candidates who require a work permit or hosting agreement are welcome to apply. Proof of eligibility documentation will be required at a later stage in the recruitment process. Please note that sponsorship is subject to approval by the relevant Irish authorities and role-specific eligibility. Click on the link(s) below to view documents Filesize JD HPV DEIS March26.pdf 361.6 Return to Search Apply for Job