Current vacancies
Contract type: 2 years fixed term
Location: Head office, Bethnal Green E2
Salary: From £52,712 per annum FTE
Hours: 1 FTE (37.5 hours per week)
Do you want to help McPin develop and thrive for another 10 years? Are you a leader that is passionate about lived experience expertise, teamwork and strengthening collaboration between the academic and voluntary sectors?
We are recruiting to a new Head of Research and Involvement to play an important role in leading our growing research and involvement team. The post holder will join the senior leadership team, help to shape the strategic direction of the charity and manage a team of researchers and involvement specialists. It is a role that will suit a leader who thrives on team-work, and supporting colleagues to succeed and flourish.
They will work on existing projects and proactively build a portfolio of research and involvement studies and evaluation contracts through bid writing and additional income generation strategies. Developing peer research, patient and public involvement and McPin’s coproduction methodologies is a key aspect of this role. They will manage relationships with funders, university partners and other sector leaders in the field of mental health research.
We are looking for someone:
- with a demonstrable commitment to excellence in research, and the positive impact research can have on the lives of people living with mental health issues
- with an interest in working across the spectrum of research, including the biomedical and psychosocial fields
- with the ability to place individual pieces of research into their wider context and to effectively disseminate research findings to a range of specialist and lay audiences
- who enjoys actively incorporating both their leadership skills and their research and involvement skills in a dynamic role
- who is excited by collaboration and the opportunity to develop your team of involvement specialists and researchers
Our team is committed to transforming mental health research through collaboration, inclusion and a belief in equity and anti-oppressive behaviour. We strongly encourage applications from Black people, People of Colour, people who are LGBTQIA+, those with a disability and those who identify themselves in marginalised groups, as well as people with lived experience of mental health issues.
We offer benefits including a competitive salary, hybrid/flexible working, a NEST Pension scheme with 6% employer contribution, wellbeing support and mentoring scheme, an individual training budget and access to an Employee Assistance Programme and healthcare cash plan with Hospital Saturday Fund. You can find out more about us at www.mcpin.org.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 2nd July 2026, 9 am
To apply please click on the links below to download the job description and application form. In line with our values, McPin does not use AI in its recruitment processes, all application will be read by our team.
For any queries please contact Vanessa Pinfold, Research Director, at [email protected] to discuss the post.
Why work at McPin
Here are just a few reasons to join the team.
- Pension scheme with NEST with an employer contribution of 6%, and a choice of funds including an ethical and Sharia fund
- A longstanding organisational commitment to wellbeing at work
- Mentoring scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme, including 24/7 helpline and up to eight counselling sessions if needed
- Sick pay commensurate with length of service, up to 16 weeks full pay and 16 weeks half pay after five years
- Access to external advice and support through Occupational Health and Access to Work
- Specsavers eye test vouchers
- Annual employee wellbeing survey (but feedback is welcome anytime)
- Induction programme with introduction to our mission and values, as well as the McPin team. Programme also includes training courses in safeguarding and lived experience at work
- Individual training budget for all core staff, which can be spent on courses, webinars, workshops, conferences or other training opportunities relevant to you
- Access to McPin internal training sessions and external speakers programme
- Social groups including presentation club, book club and a meditation group
- Annual leave of 25 days plus bank holidays, with extra days given in your third, fourth and fifth year, up to a maximum of 28 days plus bank holidays
- Hybrid working as standard, with our office near Bethnal Green/Cambridge Heath available with bookable meeting room allowance
- Flexible working options with ability to set working hours that suit you around our core hours of 10am-4pm
- Ability to apply for sabbatical/extended leave after two years with us
Disability confident
The McPin Foundation has signed up to Disability Confident Scheme. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we have committed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. We offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as required and support any existing employee who acquires a disability or long–term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.
Nothing catch your eye?
You can still contribute to mental health research – just visit our Get Involved page to check out our lived experience involvement and participation opportunities. No research experience needed!
