Public Health Researcher

This post is an exciting opportunity to join a newly established Public Health Intelligence team within Camden's Health & Wellbeing Department. You will contribute to strengthening the research and evaluation practices within the department in a variety of ways. You will also contribute to a Camden-wide research community of practice, promoting research-led approaches within the Council. You will also join networks outside of the council, building relationships with researchers at other local authorities.

Acting as a point of expertise for research and evaluation, you will work with colleagues across the department to contribute to and deliver research and evaluations of different scales and complexity that is well-poised to influence policy and practice. You will contribute to strengthening the research infrastructure within the department and co-lead a capacity building workstream, ensuring colleagues feel confident undertaking research and evaluation activities. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to growing collaborative relationships with NHS, CVS, and academic research partnerships, working on innovative and ambitious programs to tackle key issues such as child health equity and poverty in the heart of London.

Main duties of the job

We’re looking for someone who holds a first degree in a relevant subject (e.g., public health, sociology, health sciences, social and behavioural sciences). Postgraduate qualification in a relevant area (e.g., public health, social research methods) or equivalent experience (for example, working in a research and evaluation role in the charity sector).

You will be an experienced researcher with a strong track record in designing and delivering evaluations of varying scale and complexity. Skilled in both qualitative and quantitative methods, you will bring a solid understanding of ethical research practice, governance, and data management. With expertise in public health, you have a deep knowledge of health inequalities, wider determinants of health, and anti-racist approaches. You're confident navigating the UK health and research landscape, including local government and NIHR structures.

You’re also a capable trainer and communicator, able to present complex findings clearly and effectively to a range of audiences. Your experience spans cross-sector collaboration with HEIs, health services, voluntary organisations, and communities. You’ll be an organised and adaptable individual, and have the ability to manage multiple complex projects with attention to detail, balancing strategic thinking with a hands-on, pragmatic approach.

About us

Camden is changing on the inside to make life better for everyone. Our residents and communities are at the heart of everything we do. We’re home to the most important conversations happening today and we’re making radical social change a reality, so that nobody gets left behind. Here’s where you can help decide a better future for us all.

Job responsibilities

The post-holder will be a member of Camden Council's Public Health Intelligence (PHI) Team, contributing to the strengthening of research and evaluation practice within the Health and Wellbeing department (HWB).

As a member of PHI, you will be part of a team of experienced health researchers, data analysts and engineers. PHI is a relatively new team within HWB and is looking to expand further in 2025. The team is organised into three main functions: Research, Analytics and Data. The Analytics and Data functions specialise in quantitative data management and analysis. The Research function specialises in qualitative research approaches, evidence synthesis and evaluation. This role will be key to embedding the developing research strategy by building a new research function within an ambitious and well-connected London borough.

You will work with the Lead Public Health Researcher to embed public health research skills and methodologies into our work to inform policy and practice, leading to better decision-making. This includes embedding quality research approaches within health needs assessments, evaluations and other departmental activity.

You will work collaboratively to advise on, design and deliver a wide range of research and evaluation related activities. This includes (but may not be limited to):

1. Literature reviewing and evidence synthesis
2. Collection of primary qualitative and quantitative data
3. Mixed method evaluations of public health interventions of various scales and complexity

You will assist with the development and deployment of training and guidance to colleagues across HWB to strengthen the collective research and evaluation expertise of the department. You will also be part of a wider network of researchers within the Council, beyond HWB.

Person Specification

Experience

• Research and evaluation: experience of primary data collection, designing and delivering evaluations of different types, scales and complexity. Conducting literature reviews and evidence syntheses. Knowledge of ethical research practice, data management, a range of analytical methods (both quantitative and qualitative). Awareness of research governance.
• Public Health expertise: A sound understanding of public health research and practice. Knowledge and interest in health inequalities and the wider determinants of health. Knowledge of different methods appropriate for answering different public health questions. Ability to critically appraise research gaps within public health. Knowledge of anti-racist approaches to public health.
• Broader contextual expertise: good understanding of local government, the health system environment, and the UK health research landscape, including the NIHR.
• Training and upskilling: experience of designing and delivering training on research-related activity.
• Relationship building: experience of collaborating within and across organisations, including with HEIs, health services, the voluntary sector and patients and the public. Awareness of different organisational settings, conditions, priorities and needs.
• Project management: Good time management and prioritisation skills, able to work simultaneously on a number of complex and challenging projects. Planning, organising, and prioritising the workload of oneself and others to meet project deadlines, and deliver to a high quality with attention to detail. Ability to develop processes that enable the design and ongoing management of research and evaluation projects.
• Communication: ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders. High standard of communication skills, demonstrated by the ability to present complex oral and written information, in a variety of formats to a variety of audiences. Ability to produce high quality research reports which are accurate and easy to understand by varied groups of stakeholders.
• Approach to working: ability to work on projects at different levels of pace. Ability to adapt to changing priorities. Comfortable with complexity. Comfortable with working iteratively. Ability to work both collaboratively and independently. Has a creative and pragmatic approach to research-related problem solving.
• Experience conducting research with groups relevant to the work of HWB (e.g., children and young people; people from minoritised ethnic groups; inclusion health groups; health and social care professionals)
• Skills in language relevant to borough demographics (e.g., Bengali)
• Familiarity with or interest in statistical programming language such as R
• Experience evaluating complex interventions
• Experience of realist evaluation
• Experience of economic evaluation
• Experience of presenting and disseminating research findings in different formats (e.g: at conferences, via peer reviewed journals or other means).

Qualifications

• First degree in relevant subject (e.g., public health, sociology, health sciences, social and behavioural sciences). Postgraduate qualification in a relevant area (e.g., public health, social research methods) or equivalent experience (for example, working in a research and evaluation role in the charity sector).

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.

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working