Local Authority Research Practitioner

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.
 

• Job Title:                            Local Authority Research Practitioner
• Job Location:                     Shire Hall, Block 4, 2nd Floor 
• Salary:                               £52,265 - £56,050 per annum 
• Hours per Week:               37.00 
• Contract Type:                   Fixed Term 
• Duration:                            23 Months
• Closing Date:                     16/02/2025 
• Job Requisition Number:   10746 
• This post is not open to job share

Are you an experienced leader with a passion to use high- quality research and innovation to improve services like social care and public health?

If so, do you want to lead a programme supported by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), to develop, inspire and support colleagues across Gloucestershire to improve their services through research?

About the Team & Role:

You would be joining the Public Health and Communities Hub. We are a team who are committed to making a difference to the health and wellbeing of residents, and places and communities, to enable people to live healthy lives and reduce inequalities.

As a Local Authority Research Practitioner you will lead a programme to foster a research culture across the Council, building understanding of how research can improve the services we deliver. Working with our Information Management Service and Data, Analysis, and Insight team, you will enhance the Council’s strategic approach to research and research governance processes.

You will support colleagues in initiating and undertaking internal research and coordinate the development and submission of external research proposals to funders such as the NIHR. Your role will involve translating research into actionable insights, generating evidence to inform service development and quality improvement. You will build strong research relationships with our One Gloucestershire Integrated Care System partners in the NHS and Voluntary Sector, and work closely with academic colleagues.

Additionally, you will support the Hub’s corporate responsibilities around finance, performance, and risk. As a jointly funded post with the NIHR, you will contribute to the NIHR Specialist Centre for Public Health and the Local Authority Research Practitioner network, sharing best practices, linking with engagement leads, and supporting the evaluation of this role.

About you:

You will have proven system leadership skills, a track record in building effective relationships with senior executives, system partners, and communities, and the resilience to manage a complex, fast-paced workload.

Your senior management and leadership experience, gained in a Local Authority, Health, and/or Social Care environment, will be complemented by political awareness to foster an effective research culture. Essential to this role is a working knowledge of research funding systems, application processes, and research governance. Additionally, you will have experience in designing research projects (both quantitative and qualitative), particularly around the wider determinants of health, such as housing, environmental health, health and social care, and/or public health.

You will have the credibility and communication skills to build and develop cross-sector partnerships which result in agreed commitments and action.

About us:

The role is hybrid with a mixture of working at our Shire Hall office in the Cathedral Quarter of Gloucester city centre and working from home. The Public Health and Communities Hub support the Council’s Agile working policy and expect team members to work an average of two days of their working week in the office. New starters will be required to come into the office more often in their first 3 weeks for induction.

For all your hard work, you will receive the following:

You will join a supportive team with a commitment to professional development which is recognised for its training and development offer.

A supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision

Generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days.

Family friendly employer offering benefits to help support you and your family.

Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.

An in-house Occupational Health service.

Employee discount scheme.

Access to the Cycle to Work and Gloucestershire Salary Sacrifice Green Car Schemes (T&Cs apply).

An inclusive employer which actively values diversity with links to employee networks such as the GCC Prism (LGBT+), network and the Young Employees Network.

How to Apply:

If you feel you have the skills, desire and experience required to make a positive difference then please read the job profile which provides further information on the experience and attributes sought of our ideal candidate.

Submit your application and personal statement today by clicking the “Apply Now” button.

To have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Jamie Fagg (Consultant in Public Health) to arrange a suitable time to talk: Jamie.Fagg@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Closing date is midnight on Sunday 16th February.

Interviews are provisionally planned for week commencing 3rd March 2025.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by e-mail and invited to interview at the earliest on or after Friday 21st February.

Additional Information

To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:-

Local Authority Research practitioner - Job Profile

Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities.  Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.