A place where you can have a direct impact on health research happening across the globe
At UK Biobank, we are all driven by the aim to maximise the usefulness of our world-leading biomedical dataset in order to enable researchers to develop treatments and medicines to improve human health.
From data analysts and academics to developers, lab technicians and everyone in between, it takes a variety of different skills, from a great many different people to achieve our aim.
A diverse and inclusive workplace
It’s important to us that UK Biobank provides an inclusive workplace, where every employee, regardless of background, feels they have a voice and is empowered to contribute authentically.
We see our diverse and inclusive workplace as one of our biggest strengths.
It provides us with a greater perspective of one another and ultimately helps to build a dynamic working environment that drives team unity towards our goals.
UK Biobank invests in its people, fostering growth and development for a brighter future in health research.
Stefan, Participant Contact Centre Team Leader, UK Biobank
How we work
Induction process
Joining a new team can be daunting, but we’ll give you everything you need for a great start – that includes a really warm welcome!
You’ll be invited to the company induction which you can attend face to face or online, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about UK Biobank.
We’ll cover our history, the impact our work is having in science, and we’ll also cover some basics about the organisation. We’ll also answer any questions you may have.
Regular events
We keep colleagues in the picture with quarterly all staff meetings where the management take questions from the floor.
We hold optional monthly ‘Lunch and Learns’ where colleagues can learn more about our amazing work or hear an external speaker on a wide range of topics.
We also hold open mic events where colleagues can tell us about projects they’ve worked on or discuss something they do outside work. This could be a religious or cultural celebration, a charitable endeavour or just a subject which is important to them.
Celebrating successes
We love to thank our colleagues and celebrate their work and successes big and small.
You can choose rewards from Perkbox where you’ll find great deals and we have lots of ways for you to acknowledge your colleagues – and to be acknowledged by them.
Social events
We understand the value of our teams spending time together away from the workplace and in more sociable environments.
That’s why across the calendar, we plan engaging, fun and inclusive events for all members of staff to attend.
Our dedicated team of colleague volunteers have ‘shared the love’ at UK Biobank on Valentine’s Day; fought the January blues and encouraged us all to connect with a cuppa during ‘Brew Week’; hosted step challenges and photo competitions; celebrated all sorts of international awareness days; tackled topics like mental health and stress; and even hosted a sports day!
It’s the people that make UK Biobank, so when we put on an event that celebrates our colleagues it feels really special, and the appreciation for the events and value it brings never goes unnoticed!
Emmie, People Coordinator
Personal development
Your development is as important to us as it is to you. We want you to reach your full potential and make the best contribution to our future that you can.
Through our appraisal process ‘My Performance’, we encourage employees to reflect on their progress every six months with their line manager. These conversations enable our employees to consider where they would like to improve their skills and what options are available to them to do so.
Each UK Biobank employee also has an annual development allowance of £500. This can be used to support opportunities benefiting their professional development.
“It’s not only the progression opportunities that make UK Biobank stand out, but the philanthropic mission that it continuously represents.”
Alicia, Senior Quality Officer
Our stories
UK Biobank has achieved many world firsts, and we are still far from reaching our full potential. Learn more about our plans for the future.
Since UK Biobank began in 2003, our database has been enhanced by multiple amazing scientific projects. Take a look at some of our highlights.
UK Biobank data is powering research across scientific disciplines and across the globe. Read a selection of stories about how healthcare is being changed by discoveries made with our participants’ data.
Our data can be broken down into eight broad categories. Learn about each of them.
Learn more about careers at UK Biobank
Explore the different departments that make up UK Biobank and gain further insight into their roles and responsibilities.
Before applying for a role with us, discover our hiring process, from sending us an application through to final interviews.
There is a lot more to life at UK Biobank than enabling scientific discoveries. Explore our benefits, wellbeing initiatives and more.