NIHR funds health and care research that saves people's lives. Help us showcase the impact of our research to policy makers, the public, and health and care staff through this exciting new role.
We are seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, and passionate person with experience overseeing and developing an organisation's Impact and Insight function.
Do you have experience working systematically, with a range of stakeholders, to ensure that high-quality results are delivered on time?
Are you able to clearly articulate the impact of research to a wide range of stakeholders?
Do you have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills?
Would you like to lead a committed, driven, and professional team delivering evidence-based evaluations?
The successful applicant will need to demonstrate how they meet the essential criteria of the person specification. If you believe that you meet these criteria and have an interest in supporting change and understanding how research can improve people's lives and benefit health and social care, then please do apply.
Main duties of the job
Working within a small friendly team, you will support the Assistant Director to oversee a team performing a variety of Impact and Insight tasks.
These include overseeing and providing leadership for evaluations and impact assessments of the schemes and programmes that form part of the NIHR Academy's portfolio, representing NIHR Academy in various impact boards with senior colleagues and stakeholders.
The role requires working closely with impact colleagues across NIHR coordinating centres and the wider funding landscape to deliver evidence-based evaluations demonstrating the difference NIHR has in both the UK and global settings.
About us
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has a mission to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR plays a pivotal role in attracting, training, and supporting the best researchers and complements the additional NIHR investment in world-class research facilities and a skilled research workforce.
This role is hosted by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) and delivers the work of the NIHR, leading on policy, strategy, and delivery in respect of academic training in England and working closely with other NIHR centres and the Science Research and Evidence (SRE) Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Job responsibilities
Specialist Programme Expertise and Leadership
* Support the Assistant Director for Evaluation, Business Intelligence, and Impact in leading the development and delivery of the NIHR Academy and wider NIHR impact and evaluation strategy to meet NIHR vision.
* Work with the Assistant Director - Evaluation, Business Intelligence, and Impact and take a key role in identifying approaches for evaluating NIHR programmes.
* Provide specialist knowledge of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methodologies and strategic planning.
* Provide reports to an agreed standard to meet the requirements of the NIHR Academy Executive Board.
* Assist the Assistant Director for Evaluation, Business Intelligence, and Impact with the preparation of reports and papers for strategic and policy meetings and publication.
* Evaluate outputs, formulate, and present highly complex ideas of future reporting developments while considering national strategic developments within DHSC and other funding organisations.
* Apply specialist knowledge of writing and publishing peer-reviewed publications.
* Oversee the implementation and delivery of a range of new impact and evaluation initiatives, policies, and projects as they arise for NIHR and NIHR Academy.
* Produce analytical options papers to contribute to decision making and action planning.
* Provide support and input into how evaluations and impact assessments can support business improvement plans.
* Act as the initial focal point for Impact and Evaluation queries, providing key support to the process for answering Parliamentary Questions.
* Take a lead role in delivering NIHR evaluations for DHSC and ministers, working with colleagues across the NIHR Coordinating Centre.
* Take a lead role in commissioning evaluations leading to new impact and economic insights.
Communications and Engagement
* Identify and understand the business needs, prioritise, and implement Impact and Evaluation methods, policies, and processes to meet those needs.
* Work with the Assistant Director for Evaluation, Business Intelligence, and Impact to identify impact and evaluation needs which will inform the ongoing development of impact and evaluation procedures and support the strategic direction for NIHR Academy.
* Maintain regular liaison with Impact and MEL teams across NIHR and keep the NIHR Academy Executive Board informed of work progress or any issues.
* Provide training for NIHR Academy's programme management staff in the most effective impact and evaluation tools and processes to use to evaluate their programmes.
* Work with the Business Intelligence lead and data science colleagues to identify and implement processes such as AI or machine learning that can simplify the process of identifying insights from NIHR programmes.
* Work with the Assistant Director for Evaluation, Business Intelligence, and Impact to take a leading role in developing and communicating highly complex and sensitive information relating to evaluation and impact developments, information requirements, and research evidence in line with new national initiatives.
* Liase with other national NIHR programmes, wider NIHR, Department of Health and Social Care staff, other key funders of health and social care research, and the academic community as necessary.
* Deliver presentations to NIHR stakeholder groups, both internal and external.
* Work closely with the wider NIHR Academy Evaluation, Business Intelligence, and Impact team to ensure that they have sufficient insights to respond quickly to Information Requests and long-term Analysis.
Technical
* Provide specialist knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods used to evaluate programs or individuals' research outputs.
* Act as the domain expert and understand what information can be accessed and how this should be analysed for impact and evaluation purposes.
* Use specialist knowledge of qualitative methods to derive the best methods for deriving insights from NIHR Academy programmes and individual researchers.
* Ensure the NIHR Academy Executive is up to date with developments in appropriate methodologies.
* Plan and implement projects appropriate to the role.
* Record personally generated information.
* Provide leadership for 5 staff members and line management on an individual basis including the direct supervision of 2 staff, objective setting, appraisals, and appropriate personal development plans.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Educated to Masters level (or equivalent experience) in a social science, health science, mathematics, or other relevant research methodology discipline.
* Educated to PhD level (or equivalent experience) in a social science, health science, mathematics, or other relevant research methodology discipline.
Other Criteria
* Skills & behaviours
* Ability to work accurately with attention to detail to identify data errors, inconsistencies, or gaps to achieve standardised, consistent, and reliable outputs.
* Ability to analyse, interpret, and present highly complex scientific and policy information for different audiences.
* Able to demonstrate project management techniques to deliver quality outcomes to deadline, identifying risks and making contingency plans.
* Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Experience
* Significant experience of research and impact assessment.
* Writing and publishing peer-reviewed publications.
* Experience leading a team.
* An understanding of public sector health research and its management.
* An understanding of health research capacity development.
* Specialist knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods and data analytical tools e.g. SPSS, NVivo, etc. An understanding of research impact assessment methods such as MEL.
* Knowledge of Information Governance, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and applying for ethical approval.
* Experience leading a cross-organisational functioning team.
Skills & behaviours
* Ability to tackle complex problems, identify interdisciplinary solutions, and implement them.
* Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with a broad range of stakeholders.
* Think strategically.
* Leading inclusively by example.
* Giving purpose and direction which includes involving people in deciding what needs to be done.
* Getting the best from others.
* Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results.
* Ability to work as part of a team, build and maintain good working relationships both internally and externally to the organisation.
* Excellent time management and organisational skills to anticipate fresh demands and to delegate effectively.
* Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to deal effectively with confidential, sensitive, or contentious information.
* Ability to set goals and standards.
* Ability to take personal responsibility.
* Ability to evaluate quickly and resolve problems, escalating concerns where necessary.
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