Healthier Futures – Co-Director role available
15 Jan 2026
Opportunity to lead the charge on our commitment to developing Healthier Futures.
Healthier Futures is growing and expanding its leadership to support the work of the research platform.
The platform is looking for an academic colleague to join Professor Dame Nicky Cullum as the Co-Director, to help steer the platform to meet the opportunities and challenges of the University’s M2035 strategy.
This role has an assigned work allocation of 0.2 FTE and is offered as a 3-year post.
Applications are invited from colleagues working across any and all disciplines. A commitment to interdisciplinarity is crucial for this role. We are particularly keen to receive interest from colleagues in the Faculty of Humanities and Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), as a balance to the current Director’s FBMH expertise.
The application and deadline
- Applications: A brief curriculum vitae and a 2 page max. supporting letter outlining how you meet the criteria and your vision for the role. Applications should be emailed to: healthierfutures@manchester.ac.uk.
- Deadline for applications: Monday, 2 February 2026
- Interviews: planned for Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Co-Director: Healthier Futures
The Healthier Futures research platform is focused on activities which address the unfair and avoidable factors that hinder people’s chances to live healthier lives, in healthier places, with equitable access to health and social care systems (healthier systems). We aim to work in partnership locally, nationally and globally, across all sectors, to work towards health equity, deploying the University’s world class research to support the interventions that will hasten a move towards fairer health for all.
The Co-Director will work collaboratively as a member of the Healthier Futures management board to promote and facilitate inter-Institute and cross-School working to:
- Build capacity and communities within and beyond the University focused on addressing health inequalities
- Nurture the people and projects that are directly addressing the social determinants of health at the University
- Facilitate the development of bids for research funding in strategically important themes
- Support and showcase the University of Manchester’s groundbreaking interdisciplinary collaborations
- Develop solutions in partnership with practitioners, policymakers and publics
- Drive innovation
- Foster linkages between the platform and a range of teaching and learning opportunities
The Co-Director will also work closely with the Directors of the other University research platforms (Creative Manchester, Digital Futures and Sustainable Futures), to identify shared priorities, and to champion interdisciplinarity across the University.
The postholder will be an established academic with an active, international research profile in a relevant area, experience and appreciation of interdisciplinary collaboration, and a track record of successful academic leadership and management. They will have a strong commitment to developing the goals and strategic vision for Healthier Futures and the ability to develop and lead a team, across academic and PS staff, in the delivery of that vision. They will be able to engage and effectively communicate with researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds and have experience of working with a range of user groups and stakeholders to promote and develop research and deliver research impact.
Interested colleagues are welcome to discuss the position with the current Director, Nicky Cullum, or the Healthier Futures Strategy and Engagement Manager, Laura Dawson. Please note that Nicky will be unavailable until after 15 January, but Laura is happy to talk to any interested candidates in her absence.