About the role

The Leicester Lifestyle Health and Research Group (LLHRG) are pleased to open recruitment for an early career researcher to join the group as a Research Associate.

The post-holder will work on an exciting new multicenter project examining the effects of altering the sensory characteristics of snack food products to enhance satisfaction and satiety. The role will involve establishing eating behaviour assessment protocols and working together with an industry partner to develop healthier snack food products. We will utilised randomised control trial methodologies to examine whether changing the sensory characteristics of snack items can influence oral processing behaviours and appetite, whilst maintaining consumer satisfaction.

The project is jointly funded by the Consumer Lab (one of six Diet and Health Open Innovation Research hubs funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)) and PepsiCo (one of the largest food and beverage manufacturers in the world). This funding structure provides a unique opportunity to merge academic interest with real world application.

The LLHRG are part of the University of Leicester, Diabetes Research Centre (DRC), Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC), and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. The project will contribute to the diverse research portfolio in the area of 24-hour lifestyle behaviours, including physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep and nutrition in the prevention and management of obesity and long-term conditions, such type 2 diabetes.

LLHRG are one of the most prestigious Lifestyle as Medicine research groups in the UK, making a major contribution to the University of Leicester’s success at being ranked second overall in the Sport and Exercise Sciences unit of assessment (UoA24) within Research Excellent Framework (REF) 2021, and first for output quality (out 61 institutions nationally; Research Excellence Framework 2021 results | University of Leicester). This success has led to £14 million in new funding from Research England’s Expanding Excellence in England scheme which will enable LLHRG to expand. This includes 20 new staff members across academic, teaching, research, community engagement and administrative positions, in addition to 12 new PhD students. This expanding team will be supported by new office and research spaces within the Leicester General Hospital.

Please see the accompanying job summary form for full details of the role and responsibilities.

About you

As a Grade 7 Research Associate, you will have a PhD (or near completion) in a relevant discipline alongside evidence of contributing independently to experimental or translational research studies and high-quality peer-reviewed journal publications. You will have strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, and excellent written and oral communication skills, with an ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team. You must also have the ability and willingness to learn, be able to synthesise evidence from various subject areas, and work closely with both academic and industry partners.

We particularly welcome applications from individuals with expertise in fields diet/nutrition, food science, health sciences, lifestyle sciences, and health psychology. Experience of working on externally or industry funded research projects would also be an advantage.

Additional information

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made to Dr David Clayton, [email protected]

Applications for job share will be considered.

As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role will also be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Please ensure this is discussed with your line manager prior to applying. More information regarding secondments can be found here

The University of Leicester has been changing the world, and changing people’s lives, for 100 years. When you join us, you’ll become part of a community of Citizens of Change, which includes not only our staff and our current students but also thousands of Leicester graduates around the world.

As a diverse and forward-thinking employer, we embed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. That includes not just our core missions of teaching and research, but also our support for staff, students and our local community through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive through our values of Inspiring, Impactful and Inclusive.

We’re committed to the wellbeing of all our staff and to the sustainability of our environment, on our campus and beyond. We offer a competitive salary package, excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance, along with opportunities to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.