South Gloucestershire Council
Local Authority Research Practitioner
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How You'll Make a Difference
As a Local Authority Research Practitioner, you will play a key role in supporting the council's ambition to strengthen its research culture, capacity and capability, helping to embed evidence-based decision-making across services. Working within a dynamic and motivated Public Health team, you will contribute to the generation, appraisal and application of research and evidence, promoting best practice in the collection, analysis and use of data to improve and protect the health and wellbeing of South Gloucestershire residents.
As this is a jointly funded post, you will also contribute to the work of the Specialist Centre for Public Health and be an active member of the Local Authority Research Practitioner Network, sharing best practice, linking with engagement leads, and supporting the evaluation of this role.
What You Will Be Doing
- Working across the council, you will help build organisational capacity and confidence in research by supporting staff to engage with evidence, lead robust research projects, collaborate with academic partners, and access research and training opportunities.
- You will coordinate the development and submission of research funding applications to external organisations, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research, while supporting the continuous improvement of the council's research governance processes.
- It will be key for you to promote and disseminate research activity across the organisation, helping colleagues to translate evidence into practice and build their confidence in presenting research findings and insights at meetings, workshops and local, regional and national conferences.
- Developing and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships will be a key aspect of the role. You will work collaboratively with local NHS research bodies and neighbouring local authorities to share learning, innovation and knowledge.
- It will be your responsibility to help strengthen links between academic partners and the council's Joint Strategic Needs Assessment programme, supporting the development of a shared research agenda that reflects both population health needs and wider system priorities.
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What We Need From You
- It is essential that you have a sound working knowledge of research funding frameworks, grant application processes, and research governance.
- You will have experience in designing research projects using a range of methodologies relevant to public health, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
- We require you to be able to identify, interpret, critically appraise and synthesise evidence from a variety of sources, including national and international research and locally derived evidence.
- You will demonstrate a proven ability to develop and maintain collaborative partnerships and networks, fostering cross-sector engagement and commitment to shared objectives. You will be skilled at influencing and working with a diverse range of stakeholders, while motivating, empowering and building the capability of others to use research and evidence effectively in their work.
What You Need To Know
- This is a two year limited term contract, due to end 1st October 2028.
- This role is hybrid, with a mixture of working at our office in Badminton Road, Yate and working from home.
- Interviews will be held on 11th September 2026.
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How a Career At South Gloucestershire Council Is Different
As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives, and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance.
We invest in the careers of our people, and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps our people make the greatest long-term difference in their work.
Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.
- We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
- We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
- We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.
We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.
We’re making a difference, be part of it!
To view the full job description, please click this link: Local Authority Research Practitioner - Job Description
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