Job title: Translation & Implementation Researcher

Location: The Beehive, Crawley/Gatwick, West Sussex. Hybrid role. Due to the local needs and portfolio for this role, the post holder will spend time working across the Kent, Surrey and Sussex patch.

Working Hours: 0.8 FTE - fixed-term for 12 months.

Reports to: Translational Research & Implementation Lead

Salary Range: £45,000 - £55,000pa 1.0 FTE (£36,000 - £44,000pa 0.8 FTE)

Job purpose and responsibilities

Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (Health Innovation KSS) supports the development and delivery of innovative solutions to improve health and care across the region. We aim to improve outcomes for local populations by translating research into practice, co-producing solutions with communities, and strengthening the research ecosystem. Our research programmes include Primary and Community Health, Population Health, Mental Health, Women’s Health and Digital Innovation.

We are seeking a proactive and highly organised Translation & Implementation Researcher support the delivery of the translational research programme of work. The successful candidate will play a key role in leading, managing and delivering specific research projects. This will include leading clinical stakeholder engagement work, public and patient involvement activities, and the co-production of resources to translate research findings into implementable, impactful, real-world solutions.

Key responsibilities:

1. Project Management & Delivery

• Lead the planning, delivery, and reporting of translational research projects across priority themes.

• Lead the management of projects, including developing management plans, timelines, reporting, documentation, and stakeholder liaison.

• Coordinate with other researchers, academics, clinicians, policy makers, companies and community organisations to ensure successful project delivery.

2. Stakeholder Engagement and Public Involvement Activities

• Lead and conduct the organisation and facilitation of stakeholder engagement activities across clinical, industry, academic and community partners.

• Lead meaningful engagement with people and communities, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.

• Lead the co-production of research and implementation resources with local communities and system partners.

3. Grant and Funding Development

• Provide support in the identification and preparation of grant proposals and funding applications, including writing, editing, and partner coordination.

• Work with academic, clinical, and industry stakeholders to draft and align applications with system priorities and translational potential.

4. Communications and Knowledge Sharing

• Lead on work to translate research findings into practical implementation tools and resources, service delivery models, and policy documents.

• Plan and support communication activities to raise awareness of research, partnerships, and impact.

• Contribute to internal and external communications in collaboration with the communications team.

This will include:

• Leading dissemination activities for specific projects, including the preparation of reports, briefings, presentations, and academic publications.

• Creating toolkits, resource packs, summaries and visual materials for key stakeholders, as well as lay and professional audiences.

• Drafting case studies, videos, web content, blogs, newsletters, and social media posts related to translational research project output.

• Planning, promoting, and presenting at webinars, events, and public engagement activities.

• Ensuring communications reflect principles of inclusivity and accessibility.

General responsibilities

• To act as part of 'one team'.

• To promote the values of Health Innovation KSS

• To ensure effective communications within and between project teams, be involved in and participate in meetings, team briefings, development days, corporate events etc.

• To engage with line manager in regular performance and development reviews against agreed objectives. To be responsible for actively identifying own development needs and committing to a personal development plan based on continuous learning.

Values and behaviours

Health Innovation KSS has developed a clear vision for the direction of the company. A set of values and behaviours have also been developed and agreed to underpin this vision. Our values and behaviours framework can be found below. Applicants and employees will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to these values and behaviours, which will be assessed through the recruitment, selection and appraisal processes.

Diversity and equal opportunities

It is the desire of Health Innovation KSS to broaden diversity within its workforce.

Health Innovation KSS is an equal opportunities employer and ensures that all new, existing and prospective employees are treated fairly through the principles of equal treatment and promotion of diversity.

This includes:

• ensuring that all individuals who come into contact with Health Innovation KSS, whether as employees, stakeholders or in any other capacity are treated with dignity and respect;

• ensuring that the opportunities Health Innovation KSS provides for learning, personal development and employment are made available on a non-discriminatory basis and; providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for employees, stakeholders, visitors and others.

Along with 15 HINs in the Network, we are committed to a series of pledges to further support the diversity and innovation agenda.

Key skills, experience and personal style

• Educated to master’s level or equivalent, in a relevant field – e.g. health, social care, public health, psychology.

• Experience of working in health or social care research and/or of implementing research findings in practice.

• Project and stakeholder management experience.

• Good understanding of UK health and social care landscape and services.

• Confident in reviewing the evidence and understanding implications for policy and practice.

• Experience of undertaking research projects through to completion.

• Experience of undertaking real-world implementation activities within the health and care system.

• Experience in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods and data analysis.

• Experience of cross-disciplinary research.

• Ability to communicate research findings to stakeholders from a wide range of organisations including health and social care organisations, industry partners, and community groups.

• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written).

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Ability to work in a team, and to work towards project aims and objectives, and their associated deadlines

• Understanding of own strengths and limitations and impact on others. The confidence, determination, perseverance, resilience and energy to overcome obstacles to achieve the best outcomes.

• Is positive, proactive and has a “can do” attitude

• Ability to work using their own initiative but also work within a team. Demonstrates ability to handle change effectively. Has a flexible and adaptable approach to work.

• Respectful of the company’s core values. Values diversity and looks for opportunities to improve equality.

• Ability to travel, in particular, across Kent and Medway, Surrey and Sussex.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• Hold, or be working towards, a PhD, or have equivalent research experience.

• An understanding of, or experience in, implementation science.

• Experience of working with people with lived experience of substance misuse and addiction.

• Experience of evaluation methodologies, with experience of clinical trials, statistics, and/or health economics being an advantage.

Values and behaviours

Health Innovation KSS has developed a clear vision for the direction of the company. A set of values and behaviours have also been developed and agreed to underpin this vision. Our values and behaviours framework can be found below. Applicants and employees will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to these values and behaviours, which will be assessed through the recruitment, selection and appraisal processes

Deadline for applications is Wednesday 21st October. (Health Innovation KSS reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of applications. We therefore encourage any interested candidates to apply at their earliest convenience.)

PLEASE NOTE: The Project start date for this post is Tuesday 1st December. So any applying candidates will need to be available from, or before this date.