There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We’ve got ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you. We are looking to appoint a highly skilled and motivated Local Authority Research Practitioner to join our dynamic Public Health team. This role will support the research and intelligence function in developing and implementing a comprehensive research governance framework across the council, focusing on building research capacity, facilitating strategic and academic collaborations, and securing external funding to advance public health initiatives. The aim of the role will be to ensure that local decision-making on policy and interventions are routinely based on robust evidence, which will ultimately improve health outcomes and the wider determinants of health for local residents. Based in the public health team, the post holder will work with a broad range of local stakeholders across the Council, NHS and VCFS partners, to enable the development and embedding of research infrastructure, to ensure that research activity becomes part of the culture of the Council and broader local system. The post holder will be able to work autonomously and at a high level to achieve the following objectives: Build strategic and collaborative working relationships with colleagues across the Council, local stakeholders and wider academic networks, in order to promote the use of research. Develop a strategic plan to implement the LARP programme across the Council, in line with NIHR guidance and within funding timescales. Provide guidance and support for those looking to engage with research in the Council, through networking and sharing knowledge of best practice and current legislation/guidance. The role is part funded by the NIHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health, and the postholder will be expected to actively promote, support and contribute to the activity of the NHR RSS Specialist Centre for Public Health, alongside their work within the Council. If you have any questions, please contact nicolajones1wirral.gov.uk This post requires a DBS check. The Safer Recruitment & Employment Policy and the Disclosures for Recruitment Procedure can be found at : https://www.wirral.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/job-vacancies/safer-recruitment-and-employment If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, and as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing recruitmentwirral.gov.uk If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on infoinvolvenorthwest.org.uk or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349. Working at Wirral You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start: Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave. We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people. We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays. We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities. Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us. We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier-free and as accessible as possible please contact recruitmentwirral.gov.uk Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies. It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances. Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed. All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page. The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now. We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.