Job summary
Research Assistant
Evaluation
£25,147 - £27,596 (Band 4)
The Strategy Unit is expanding our Evaluation team to support existing clients and continue to build our offer. We are seeking Research Assistants who can take responsibility for the day-to-day delivery of project outputs, working within our project teams.
Please note that Internal applicants will be considered for this role in the first instance.
Main duties of the job
As part of the Evaluation team you will be working on a wide range of evaluations from small, local interventions to large, national complex and high-profile programmes. We use a range of qualitative and quantitative methods and work with stakeholders at all levels from the most senior strategic positions to patients and service users. You will work across multiple project teams, sometimes in partnerships with other organisations, across a diverse range of topics. Current evaluations include: a large national cancer programme; digital innovations to address health inequalities; virtual wards; new models of managing demand for emergency care; and 2 hour urgent community response.
About us
Our Unit is increasingly diverse and geographically widespread. We value and seek to foster this, recognising that different people bring different perspectives, lived experience, ideas, and culture to the Strategy Unit. We also know that everyone has a life and commitments outside work, and many of us benefit from our use of flexible working arrangements.
The Evaluation team has a voluntary compressed hours nine-day fortnight, with a common non-working day.
We are based in central Birmingham but work on projects from across the UK and have a hybrid model of working for team members. This means that there is no minimum requirement for working from the office - it is a resource for collaboration and mutual support and not a duty. But coming together to collaborate still matters to us very much, particularly for project teams whose work is generally more participative and with a higher degree of client engagement. Some projects also require us to travel to locations across the country occasionally.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
- Deliver specific tasks within complex project assignments, working under the direction of the project manager/director. Demonstrating high quality interpersonal skills, alongside an analytical mindset.
- Manage multiple tasks across a range of projects, be calm under pressure and juggle competing priorities and tight deadlines.
- Take responsibility for ensuring your work is completed as directed by the project manager/director, ensuring that assignments are delivered within the available resources, on time and of the required quality.
- Understand risks and interdependencies and the impact of their work on other aspects of project delivery.
- Take the initiative in developing your understanding of the broader health and care policy / institutional environment.
- You will be required to build and maintain good working relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key responsibilities
- Deliver specific tasks within complex project assignments, working under the direction of the project manager/director. Demonstrating high quality interpersonal skills, alongside an analytical mindset.
- Manage multiple tasks across a range of projects, be calm under pressure and juggle competing priorities and tight deadlines.
- Take responsibility for ensuring your work is completed as directed by the project manager/director, ensuring that assignments are delivered within the available resources, on time and of the required quality.
- Understand risks and interdependencies and the impact of their work on other aspects of project delivery.
- Take the initiative in developing your understanding of the broader health and care policy / institutional environment.
- You will be required to build and maintain good working relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- Undergraduate degree, with element of applied qualitative research methods, or equivalent qualification/experience.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of undertaking qualitative research in an academic or professional setting, including document review.
- Some experience of collecting and analysing data.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the NHS and Strategy Unit services.
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of strong written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to complete tasks under direction to specified time and quality requirements.
- Ability to manage your own time effectively to meet project deadlines.
- Ability to work as part of a team, supporting colleagues and asking for help when required.
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- Undergraduate degree, with element of applied qualitative research methods, or equivalent qualification/experience.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of undertaking qualitative research in an academic or professional setting, including document review.
- Some experience of collecting and analysing data.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the NHS and Strategy Unit services.
Skills
Essential
- Evidence of strong written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to complete tasks under direction to specified time and quality requirements.
- Ability to manage your own time effectively to meet project deadlines.
- Ability to work as part of a team, supporting colleagues and asking for help when required.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
