Research Assistant

About the Blavatnik School of Government

Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: teaching current and future leaders; generating research with impact; and engaging with governments and practitioners.

What we offer

The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. We host regular events and talks with well-known guest speakers - all of which are open to staff. On the social side, we have a regular events calendar that are designed to appeal to all, including our Christmas and summer parties.

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees' wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days' annual leave
• Family leave schemes and a comprehensive range of childcare services
• Cycle loan scheme and discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Opportunities for hybrid working

More information about working at the School can be found on our jobs page.

About the role

The postholder will undertake a focused review of academic and policy literature on medical workforce expansion, drawing on international experience to identify lessons relevant to Nigeria. The review will examine Nigeria's medical workforce challenges, including the international migration of doctors and the country's position within the global health workforce.

The role will involve analysing evidence from countries that have significantly expanded medical education, including African and emerging health systems, to understand the implications for training quality, institutional capacity, graduate progression, employment and retention. It will also examine how governments have designed, coordinated and implemented workforce expansion initiatives, identifying the policy and practical challenges, and the factors that support sustainable expansion.

This is a fixed term role for 6 months and on a variable hours basis (up to 15 hours per week).

About you

You will have strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to undertake rigorous academic and policy literature reviews, critically assess evidence and synthesise findings across different countries and health systems. You will be able to evaluate key issues in medical education and workforce development, including faculty capacity, infrastructure, clinical training, graduate employment, retention and migration.

You will be able to translate complex research findings into clear, relevant implications for health workforce policy and implementation. Strong written communication skills are essential, including the ability to produce well-structured, professionally referenced literature reviews, concise factsheets and accessible analytical outputs.

Application process

Please upload a supporting statement that outlines how you meet the selection criteria in your own words, along with your CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is at 12 noon (UK time) on 23 November 2026

Interviews are scheduled to take place during week commencing 07 December 2026