Research Officer

About the role: We are seeking a Research Officer to help translate the latest  evidence on female physiology and physical activity into engaging educational resources that empower girls and women to optimise their training, performance, health and enjoyment of sport. Working closely with our Head of Programmes, you will explore and collate emerging research findings, drawing on these findings to produce practical evidence-based insights relevant to athletes, parents, coaches, and teachers. Your work will directly contribute to our range of educational resources, including our workshop materials, infographics, posters, blog, newsletter, and social media content. You will help us gather the evidence needed to challenge outdated assumptions and research on female performance, physiology, and participation. You may be a recent sports science graduate, and would like to develop your experience with on-the-job learning and development support, then this could be the role for you. Alternatively, you could be a seasoned professional, passionate about science, and keen to share latest insights to support girls and women in grassroots sport. About you: You have knowledge or experience of sport science or relevant scientific fields (bonus points if this relates to female physiology!), and have a clear understanding of how to find, evaluate, interpret and communicate scientific research. You are an enthusiastic and motivated individual with strong communication and writing skills. Most importantly, you are passionate about supporting our cause and helping us grow our impact. You are organised and self motivated, happy to work independently at a time that works for you, feeding back when suits. You are positive, flexible, and collaborative — with a good sense of humour! Our who, what and why: At Optimise Foundation, we believe every girl and woman deserves the opportunity to thrive in sport, supported by new knowledge and understanding of their unique physiology. In 2020, 94% of sports performance research focused on men. Women's bodies, with their menstrual cycles and hormonal fluctuations, were largely overlooked — leaving a critical knowledge gap in grassroots sport. We set up Optimise to change that. We are coaches, health professionals, athletes, teachers, and parents — united by a passion to translate cutting-edge female physiology research into practical action across all sports. Our mission is to empower girls and women with the information and support they deserve to optimise their training, performance, and health. Through consultation, education, and action, we aim to create a world where female athletes of all ages can thrive, and conversations around puberty, periods, and menopause in sport are embraced — not sidelined.