Please note that this is a fixed term post due to end on 31.10.2028.

Could your research make a difference to the people of South Tees? What if your research didn’t just sit on a shelf?

What if you could work alongside people making decisions every day about housing, communities, education, employment, public services, and the places where people live – and use research to make those decisions better?

Middlesbrough Council is looking for a Researcher to help us do exactly that.

This is an exciting opportunity to bring your research expertise into the heart of local government and work colleagues across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland to understand what works, build evidence and turn research into practical change.

About the Role

You will be part of the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) in South Tees, one of 30 National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded research infrastructure programmes in local government.

As a Researcher, you will work directly with council colleagues to identify important questions, develop and deliver small-scale research and help turn evidence into learning and action.

You won’t be working on the council from the outside. You’ll be working with people across the organisation, understanding the challenges they face and helping them use research to find better answers.

What You’ll Do

• Identify and lead small-scale research studies within a local government setting.
• Design and conduct qualitative and quantitative research, from developing research questions through to data collection and analysis.
• Work alongside council colleagues, helping them develop their confidence and skills in research methods.
• Contribute to systematic reviews.
• Help develop research funding applications and turn good ideas into fundable research.

This is research with a purpose. The role offers something that can be difficult to find in traditional research positions; the opportunity to see your work move from research question to real-world change.

You’ll be working in a place where the research questions come from the challenges facing communities – and where the people you work alongside have the opportunity to use your findings.

That means you’ll need to be more than a technically strong researcher. You’ll need to be someone who is curious, collaborative, and comfortable working across organisational boundaries. Someone who can understand a complex methodological issue and then explain it in a way that helps someone make a decision.

Most importantly, you’ll want your research to make a difference.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for an experienced Researcher with a relevant undergraduate degree and expertise in Social Science or an equivalent research discipline. A master’s degree is desirable, as is a PhD or equivalent research experience, particularly relating to the wider determinants of health.

You’ll have experience of:

• Conducting research that supports organisational or service objectives.
• Analysing and interpreting research findings.
• Qualitative and/or quantitative research.
• Systematic reviews or other evidence synthesis.
• Working with partners across the local system.

You’ll also need excellent communication and organisational skills, the ability to manage several pieces of work at different stages, and the confidence to work collaboratively with people from different professional backgrounds.

But we’re particularly interested in how you approach research.

Are you interested in the question behind the question? Can you adapt your methods to the problem rather than forcing the problem into a particular method? Can you make research accessible to people who don’t consider themselves researchers? And can you turn evidence into something that helps people do things differently? If so, we’d like to hear from you.

If this is you, this may be the opportunity you are looking for!

Due to the nature of this role we would expect the successful candidate to spend at least four days each week on council premises working alongside local authority staff.

If you would like to talk through this opportunity further, please contact Jan Lecouturier – Head of Knowledge and Innovation at Jan_Lecouturier@middlesbrough.gov.uk.

Please note Middlesbrough Council do not currently offer sponsorships.

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

If you are viewing this advert on the North East Jobs website, please go to Vacancies ¦ Middlesbrough Council to view the Job Description & Person Specification and apply for the role.

Please note this post is subject to a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Check, which includes a Verification of Criminal Record check (unspent convictions only).