Senior Research Fellow

Job description

Job responsibilities

Role purpose

Carries out and leads own research/knowledge transfer/consultancy, securing and directing projects and co-ordinating teams. Makes an active contribution to the research centre/area.

Senior Research Fellow generic responsibilities Grade 8

Research, Knowledge Transfer and Consultancy

Responsible for regularly leading research and knowledge transfer projects and working with colleagues as part of a team on projects, including:

o Defining research objectives, designing research methodologies and producing bids.

o Planning projects and managing and motivating staff, data collection and analysis, monitoring and writing regular reports/presenting findings for clients / funders.

o Taking decisions on projects or bids when leading e.g. signing off small bids, who to involve in project teams, how to approach research.

o Writing final reports and papers / articles for publication.

Budget setting and monitoring resources, ensuring successful completion of project.

Publishes project reports, research papers and journal articles and present research outcomes to conferences / seminars.

May be required to act as project leader on large projects.

Continually updates knowledge and understanding in field or specialism.

Leadership and Management

Leads research project teams.

Responsible for mentoring more junior research staff and advising them on their personal and professional development.

Carries out training for colleagues as appropriate e.g. on particular research methods or skills, software or equipment.

Day to day management of junior staff, ensuring clear deadlines and milestones are set and met, monitoring and evaluating progress and regularly reporting to clients / funders.

Contribution to Research Centre/Area

Attends appropriate internal meetings e.g. project / team meetings to discuss operational issues, marketing of the Centre, progress with projects, etc.

Attends and plays an active role in appropriate University or Faculty groups / committees on e.g. research ethics, approving research proposals.

Contributes as required to longer term planning for the Centre.

Business Effectiveness

Identifies opportunities for funding via networks and research.

Leads/co-leads or contributes to bidding for projects, including writing bids, negotiating with clients as necessary and draws up proposals, contracts and project plans for clients.

Generates appropriate income for the research Centre/area.

Networks with internal and external research teams in other Universities to keep up to date with developments and opportunities and to consider collaboration on research projects.

Identifies opportunities to network and raise the profile of the research centre/area and the University through membership of appropriate professional bodies and committees.

Teaching and Learning Support

May be expected to contribute to teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level e.g. teaching on specialist area within broader curriculum, giving guest lectures at other organisations, or delivering specialist modules.

Supervises undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students.

May design and provide training and support to external clients and colleagues or provide advice and input to design of training in specialist areas.

Delivery

What constitutes an appropriate volume of research publication and an appropriate level of research income will be identified in the subject-specific job details.

Quality

High standard of written reports, papers and presentations for publication in practitioner and peer reviewed academic journals and/or nationally disseminated professional outputs and delivery at conferences.

Evidence of impact at a local, regional and sometimes national level.

Working towards international standing in terms of research outputs.

Volume

Leads on and generates a number of journal and conference papers each year.

Leads on research grant applications/bid writing each year.

Funding

Develops tenders and applications for own research and for team.

Generates and sustains income generation each year.

Predominantly self-funded though research and KT income.

Generates some income for others.

External Standing

Well-developed academic profile in specialist area/considered an expert in field

Has a local and regional, or sometimes national profile with specific organisations.

Invited speaker at regional and national conferences; advisory role with individual organisations. Local and regional profile or with specific organisations

Journal reviewer/assistant editor of journal.

Member of appropriate professional bodies and committees to raise profile of SHU and research centre and network with external colleagues.

Role-specific responsibilities

In this role, you will be responsible for leading and undertaking a programme of research activities to deliver a specification for a complex, multi-modal health behaviour programme for children and young people post-cancer, treated at Primary Treatment Centres in Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle. You will be expected to demonstrate a collaborative, open minded approach, inspiring and co-ordinating the project team to deliver world-class research to fulfil the projects objectives.

Responsible for leading the operational delivery of the project. As such, will direct the activities of the projects Research Fellow and Administrative Officer to ensure the project is delivered to robust academic standards and the project objectives are delivered in a timely manner.

Lead role in liaising with and reporting to respective project partners including Universities, NHS Trusts, community-based organisations, sub-contractors and the project funder; Yorkshire Cancer Research, to ensure smooth operational delivery of the project.

Co-ordinates recruitment of project participants, liaising with clinicians and external partners across multiple sites.

Responsible for critically appraising the evidence base and identifying the complex challenges of delivering place-based, age-appropriate, health behaviour change support to C&YP in an NHS framed setting.

Will lead on data analysis and the write up of findings and reports that will be broadcast to multiple audiences, including formats suitable for children and young people, service commissioners, academic journals and conferences and the project funder.

Leads the delivery of co-design process, co-ordinating activities with project partners.

Identify opportunities to record and demonstrate research impact, seeking out inspiring methods to capture Research Excellence Framework (REF) impact.

To work closely with the Principal Investigator to draft future, follow-on funding proposals aligned to the project theme.

This list is not exhaustive we may ask you to carry out other duties appropriate to the grade.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of utilising behaviour change theories to facilitate applied health behaviour change in research practice.
• Significant experience of leading and undertaking research in co-design methods for the purpose of designing health interventions or exploring individuals needs.
• Experience in evidence scoping and synthesis and the use of reference software to manage the process.
• An understanding of, or experience of developing place-based and/or whole-systems approaches to under-pin supportive health interventions.
• Experience in publication e.g. conference papers, journal articles and client reports, including single-authored papers.
• Experience of speaking at national/international conferences.
• Experience of managing and monitoring projects, including budget management and gaining research ethics approvals.
• Experience of leading and motivating others.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage conflicting demands and meet deadlines.
• Able to demonstrate vision, creativity and drive to maximise research potential.
• Ability to effectively manage relations with a variety of stakeholders both internal and external to the University.
• Excellent written and oral communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

Desirable

• Experience of supervising doctoral students.
• Experience of working with survey software such as Qualtrics.
• Experience of utilising qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo.
• Experience, or an appreciation of the potential role of digital technologies in health interventions.
• Experience of conducting research with Children and Young People.

Other relevant information

Essential

• Willingness to work flexibly including some weekends, evenings and overnight stays (occasional).
• Willing to travel in UK and overseas (occasional).
• Engages in appropriate CPD and takes responsibility for own continuous personal development.

Qualifications

Essential

• Honours degree or equivalent professional qualification or experience in a relevant discipline.
• Doctorate in a relevant discipline (or equivalent qualification, as confirmed by ECCTIS) or working towards

Desirable

• Membership of relevant professional body

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Sheffield Hallam University

Address

Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre

2 Old Hall Road

Sheffield

S9 3TU

Employer's website

https://www.shu.ac.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)