About us
Our team
Our amazing staff and trustee team work towards our mission to fund life-changing medical research to improve human health and change people’s lives.
About us
Join our team
Discover what it's like to work for the Medical Research Foundation and view our current job vacancies.
Working for the Medical Research Foundation
At the Medical Research Foundation, we’re more than just a team, we’re a purpose-driven organisation working to improve lives through groundbreaking medical research.
By joining us, you become part of something bigger: a mission to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time.
There is no more important job than what we do and we want to attract, support and develop the very best people to help us achieve this mission.
Our work
Recently, we have all been working towards funding research on childhood cancer pain, neglected mental health conditions like eating disorders, and are now working towards funding research on suicide and self-harm. Learn more about the research we have recently supported and our impact.
We believe that there is no more important job than what we do and we want to attract, support and develop the very best people to help us achieve this mission.
We invest in our people just as we invest in science - thoughtfully and with long-term impact in mind. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and future. From generous pension contributions and wellbeing initiatives to ongoing professional development, we’re here to help you thrive both personally and professionally.
We would love for you to become a part of a forward-thinking research funding charity where your work matters, and your voice is heard.
More about working for the Foundation
Our culture
We value our open, transparent and inclusive culture where staff work closely across teams at all levels of the organisation. Our team is known for its kindness, support for each other, and dedication to our mission to lay the foundations for ground-breaking new discoveries and life-changing advances.
Social connection is also an important part of life here. We host regular all-staff lunches, team building activities and celebration events, and our active Social Committee organises a variety of lunchtime and post-work events and activities throughout the year.
Health and wellbeing
As a charity dedicated to advancing human health through research, particularly in areas such as mental health, we place a strong emphasis on the wellbeing of our staff. We offer annual health checks, flu vaccinations, mental health consultations, and time off for medical appointments - all reflecting our belief that supporting the health of our team is integral to what we do.
Learning and growth
We provide tailored learning and development opportunities, ensuring that staff are equipped to grow and succeed in their roles.
Key staff policies and benefits
Competitive pay
We aim to ensure that our pay is appealing to attract and retain talented and committed people. We strive to remain competitive in the market, and so we seek an independent salary benchmark on each of our jobs every two years.
Generous leave
We offer a generous annual leave allowance of 30 days plus bank holidays per year (pro rata). Some of our bank holiday allowance is flexible and can be transferred to another date that is more suitable for you. There is additional paid leave available for volunteering, plus generous maternity, paternity, and adoption pay to support your family life.
Flexible working
A full-time working week is 36 hours, with core working hours from 10:00 to 16:00 Monday to Friday. Hours may be worked flexibly around the core time to meet business needs and to achieve your own work-life balance.
Pension contributions
We double-match your pension contributions and offer up to 12% employer contributions through a salary sacrifice scheme.
Financial security
We provide interest-free loans for travel and other significant one-off expenses, participate in the cycle to work scheme, and provide a life assurance scheme (4x your salary).
Hybrid working
We all come together to work in the office for two days per week (currently Monday and Tuesday) and work additional office days according to the needs of our role. Those of us who work full-time are office-based at least three days per week in total. Other days of the week may be worked remotely at a UK address.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We know that we need to work with the very best people, from as diverse backgrounds as possible, to represent different experiences and bring diversity of thought to all that we do.
Equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace
For more information about equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace, take a look at our 'who we are' page.
Who we arePlanetary health and environmental sustainability
As a charity whose very mission is to improve human health, we cannot sit back and watch as the planet’s health declines, and we cannot make matters worse by our own actions.
In addition to funding research into the impact of climate change on human health, we have already taken steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and increase the environmental sustainability of our work.
Planetary health and our workplace
For more information about our commitment to environmental sustainability throughout our work, take a look at our dedicated section on planetary health and environmental sustainability.
Planetary healthPlease read on for more information about the overall recruitment process here at the Medical Research Foundation.
The application process
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How to apply and what to include
Our application process is simple, transparent, and candidate-friendly. You’ll be asked to:
- Submit your CV
- Submit a supporting statement
- Complete and submit our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) form
Details of how to submit these will be given on each individual job advert.
Supporting statement
Your supporting statement is your opportunity to shine. Tell us:
- Why you're excited about this role
- How your experience, skills, and values align with what we’re looking for
We encourage you to include specific examples that highlight your personal impact and achievements.
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Disability Confident Committed Employer
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we guarantee that disabled applicants who demonstrate sufficient evidence of meeting the essential criteria for the job role will be offered an interview. We will also make reasonable adjustments, where possible, to support you through the application and interview process.
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Use of generative AI in applications
We recognise the growing role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in supporting all of our lives, including during the job application process. We welcome its ethical and constructive use. To maintain transparency and integrity in our recruitment process, we ask that you clearly acknowledge any use of generative AI in the preparation of your application materials. This includes specifying which tools were used and how they contributed to your application.
Any disclosures of this nature will not disadvantage candidates; it helps us to ensure a fair and informed assessment process.
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Application anonymisation
We are committed to being an inclusive organisation where everyone can make a full contribution and where diverse perspectives are valued. As part of this commitment, we will strive to anonymise your CV and supporting statement in the early stages of the selection process. This anonymisation has been shown to ensure greater fairness and consistency in selecting the best candidate for the role.
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Shortlisting
We aim to complete shortlisting within one to two weeks of the application deadline, and we endeavour to contact all candidates who have not been successful at this stage, via email.
Invitations to interview will also be given over email.
The interview process
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Interviews and assessments
We prefer to hold interviews in person, allowing you to get a feel for our workspace and meet future colleagues. We see interviews as a two-way process; it’s a chance for you to ask questions and get to know us too.
You’ll receive all the key details in your interview invitation. Depending on the role, we may also ask you to complete one or more additional assessment tasks:
- A verbal and/or numerical reasoning test
- A short presentation
- A task-based assessment
Most of our interviews are single-stage, but for some roles, we may invite you to a second interview.
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How to prepare for your interview
To prepare for a successful interview, you should:
- Review your CV and supporting statement
- Reflect on how your experiences align with the role
- Familiarise yourself with the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for answering competency-based questions
What we fund
Our research
We fund and support the most promising health research wherever we discover great opportunities in areas that are underfunded.
About us
Contact us
Get in touch with any questions you have about our charity or the medical research we fund.