Research and Content Officer
Salary £ 29,870
Edinburgh (2 days per week at our National Office in Leith)
Vacancy listed 21/08/2025
Application deadline 19/09/2025
Details
Location: Edinburgh (2 days a week in our National office in Leith)
Hours: 35 hours per week, full time
Contract: Permanent
Reports To: Head of Communications
Disclosure & Barring Check: This post will be subject to a Basic Disclosure check

About Us

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing non-clinical, person-centred support to people in communities across Scotland. With over 50 years’ experience, we are fighting for a future where no one faces mental illness alone. We are changing society by changing attitudes, fighting stigma and influencing government to ensure a better of quality of life for those affected by poor mental health and mental illness. As a charity supporting over 10,000 people year, we believe everyone should have access to the support they need, when they need it and in a way which works best for them.

Change Mental Health is determined to be the leading source of information, advice and guidance on mental health and mental illness in Scotland. We want to make sure that everyone has the tools they need to make the right decisions for themselves and for their families.

About the Role

The role of the Research and Content Officer is instrumental in ensuring our goals through being information and research led. The role will work across multiple teams at Change Mental Health to source, summarise and disseminate appropriate research, as well as developing, fact-checking and composing content for our various communications channels. Content will follow best practice and meet industry standards of being user-friendly, accessible, on brand and discoverable on search engines. This educational content will align with our values to inform the public about the extent and broad nature of mental health and mental illness.

The role will sit within the Policy, Public Affairs and Communications team, actively working with the team to source research opportunities, support our wider internal and external communications work, and evidence the impact we create as an organisation.

The Research and Content Officer will closely collaborate internally to ensure our internal and external training is leading edge, supporting funding and tender applications, and working with services to meet their research and content needs for delivery where appropriate.

Additionally, the role will work with external stakeholders – including academic partners – to collaborate on research and to ensure that Change Mental Health is meeting its mission, vision and strategic outcomes.

What we are looking for

This role would suit someone who loves learning and sharing knowledge. You will have a passion for mental health, an eye for detail, and will be able to link academic to practical impact and service delivery. You will be an excellent copywriter and familiar with academic research and its practices. You will enjoy providing knowledge and understanding to others, be an excellent team player who can lead innovations independently, while having a solid ability to forge and cultivate powerful relationships – both internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities:
·        Sourcing and disseminating up-to-date research in an informative and accessible manner.
·        Creating, managing, updating and developing the information and resources on our website to a high and professional standard.
·        Using existing and developing new communications channels, alongside the Head of Communications and Communications Officer, to disseminate information, news and advise (where appropriate) on developments in the mental health and mental illness fields.
·        Working with the Communications team to develop the organisational Communications Plan, while ensuring that all communications are of high quality and information and research informed.
·        Building working relationships with, and networking with, academics, policy professionals and the third sector to develop new partnerships and research opportunities.
·        Actively developing opportunities to be part of research bids to further knowledge in mental health and mental illness.
·       As a result, build on our new Research Strategy.
·        Working with Change Mental Health’s National Advice and Support Service and Mental Health UK’s Digital team to manage, update and develop the Scottish relevant copy of the Mental Health and Money Advice website to a high professional standard.
·        Keeping abreast of and highlight breakthroughs and developments in mental health research.
·        Researching changes to mental health and benefit legislation, plus update the content of the appropriate websites to reflect those changes.
·        Developing a sound understanding of the perspectives of people affected by mental illness, including families, carers and supporters of people with mental illness to ensure the content produced meets the needs of appropriate audiences.
·        Building working relationships with people with lived experience of mental illness, or who care for someone with mental illness, and reflecting this information within our content.
·        Building excellent working relationships with staff across the organisation, to feed information into our website content.
·        Producing engaging content such as crafting real-life stories and developing our Insights section.
·        Working with the Head of Quality and Improvement and relevant personnel to demonstrate and evidence the impact of Change Mental Health through relevant reports and tools.
 •       Working with the Strategic Projects, Development and Growth directorate in helping to ensure that our internal and external training is best practice. 
•        Working with our services to understand their research and content needs, ensuring that services are evidence-informed, by  building positive relationships with them to demonstrate lived experience.
·        Working with the wider Policy, Public Affairs and Communications department to deliver on the Change Mental Health strategy, influence policy and evidence impact.
·        Work with the Fundraising team to deliver research contributing towards funding and tender applications.
·        Proactively attending relevant events across Scotland.
·        Additional duties and projects as required.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential:
·        Relevant qualifications or equivalent experience and skills.
·        Be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of engaging in or working with research.
·        An excellent writer
·        Able to communicate effectively and manage expectations.
·        Exceptional attention to detail and able to work to deadlines.
·        Able to work autonomously as a self-starter and work as part of a wider team.
·        Able to network and identify opportunities to collaborate with organisations.
·        Excellent project management skills and demonstrable experience of managing multiple stakeholders to achieve agreed shared objectives.
·        An ability to pull together reports.
·        Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret and present data and research in an engaging manner.
·        Be able to demonstrate communications experience/expertise.
·        A solid understanding of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
·        Personable, engaging and outward looking.
·        A ‘can do’ attitude. 
·        Commitment to the values of Change Mental Health.
·        Successful applicants for this post will require a Basic Disclosure Scotland (this will be arranged by Change Mental Health during before you start your role).

Desirable:
·        Demonstrable understanding and empathy towards mental health problems and a passion for mental health
·        A degree
·        Some experience in using a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress.

Benefits

• 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial, and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.
• A 35-hour working week
• Travel season ticket loan.
• A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.
• Access to purchase a Blue Light Discount Card
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements.
• Generous 37 days’ holiday.
• 2 paid Mental Wellbeing days.
• Professional development including funded opportunities.

Notes

To apply please submit your CV and Cover Letter by clicking 'apply' below.

Applicants are advised to apply as soon as possible, and all applications must be received by midday on Friday 19th September. Interviews are due to be held on 29th and 30th September.

Please don’t delay your application to avoid any disappointment, as we reserve the right to close this advert earlier or later than stated.

We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. If you consider yourself to have a disability, please inform us of any arrangements that we may make to the interview process.

If you have any questions, please contact us on join@changemh.org.

Please note, the salary has been set at the upper limit of our salary band for this role.

Attached documents
Title File
Job Description Research_and_Content_Officer_JD.docx
apply