Local Authority Research Practitioner

Job Introduction

The Role
We are seeking a motivated and skilled Local Authority Research Practitioner (LARP) to join our Public Health team at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

In this new and specialist role, you will lead and support the development of a sustainable research culture across the Council. You will act as the main driver of research capability building across the organisation, strengthening research governance, embedding consistent processes, and improving the quality and use of evidence to inform decision making.

The post is primarily focused on building research capability rather than acting as a sole researcher, although there will be opportunities to contribute to and support research activity.

It is an exciting opportunity for anyone enthused by developing a more research-informed Council by setting up high‑quality collaborations with universities, the NHS, voluntary and community partners, and national research bodies.

This role is offered on a fixed-term basis for two years, linked to National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funding.

What will you be doing?
As the Local Authority Research Practitioner, you will coordinate and support research activity across the Council, helping to build organisational capacity and capability.
This will include improving the consistency and quality of research processes such as needs assessments, evaluations, public surveys and other forms of research activity and engagement. This will also include supporting collaborative research projects and funding applications; and strengthening research governance and dissemination routes.
You will work closely with public health, corporate intelligence and wider council services, as well as external partners, to ensure that evidence and lived experience meaningfully inform policy, service design and decision making.
You will have access to a large and dynamic network of other Local Authority Research Practitioner roles (70+) across the country and other NIHR support.

About You

As a Local Authority Research Practitioner, you will bring:

• Experience of working collaboratively across organisations such as local authorities, the NHS, universities or the voluntary sector
• Strong organisational and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information to a wide range of audiences.
• Enthusiasm and experience to convene others, build networks, and identify and share innovation.
• Ability to understand, interpret and communicate research evidence to inform decision‑making.
• Knowledge of research governance, ethics, and information governance requirements or aptitude to learn quickly.

You will be proactive, well‑organised and committed to developing research capability and evidence-informed practice within a local government setting.

Workplace Attendance: Working in the office 3+ days a week (pro-rata) or Onsite full time

So that we can demonstrate Dudley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and to improve bias in the recruitment process that could create barriers for candidates. Your personal data will be anonymised when you apply, to ensure that you comply with our anonymisation process, please ensure you have removed your name and date of birth from any attachments prior to uploading them to your application.

Online application forms will only be accepted for this vacancy, online facilities for jobs are available at public libraries within the Dudley Borough.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.

Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK.

If you require support completing an online or paper application form and or interview techniques, please contact Dudley Adult and Community Learning on 01384 818 143 or acl@dudley.gov.uk who can support with Digital Skills and Job Applications.

If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk

If you are experiencing a problem whilst applying for a position, please follow the link below to the WM Jobs Help Page in the first instance https://help.wmjobs.co.uk/

If the WM Jobs Help Page does not resolve your issue then please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk

Dudley Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internally within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so.

The Council’s full Privacy and Disclaimer Statement can be accessed on the website at https://www.dudley.gov.uk/privacy-disclaimer-statement/

N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised date should we receive a large number of applications

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