Regional Research & Policy Partnerships Lead

We Manage Jobs(WMJobs); Birmingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

EV car benefit

Healthcare plans

28 days annual leave

Discounted gym membership

Costco membership

Volunteer leave

Job summary

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is seeking a Senior Research Officer to join the Research, Intelligence and Inclusive Growth team within the Strategy Unit in Birmingham. You will lead development of the region’s research ecosystem, build partnerships with universities, funders and policy networks, and help translate research into practical action.

Location: Summer Lane, Birmingham, with at least two days in the office; salary is set within the local pay scale and benefits include

Qualifications

• Experience working with universities, research institutes or funders.
• Experience building strategic partnerships and collaborative programmes.
• Strong understanding of research methods and evidence generation.
• Ability to translate policy challenges into researchable questions and practical evidence needs.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across complex organisations.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Commitment to improving outcomes for communities through evidence-informed decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the West Midlands Areas of Research Interest (ARI) programme.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with universities, research organisations and policy networks.
• Coordinate research and insight activities that support evidence-informed policymaking.
• Lead knowledge exchange activities that translate research into practical action and impact.
• Develop collaboration agreements and support research funding opportunities that align with regional priorities.
• Strengthen research capability across WMCA through communities of practice, training and professional support.
• Oversee research governance, ethics and quality assurance processes.
• Support production of strategic intelligence, evidence reviews and commissioned research.
• Represent WMCA within regional and national research networks and partnerships.

Skills

Research governance

Policy translation

Stakeholder engagement

Partnership development

Communication facilitation

Project management

Evidence generation

Job description

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is seeking a Senior Research Officer to join the Research, Intelligence and Inclusive Growth team within the Strategy Unit in Birmingham. You will lead development of the region’s research ecosystem, build partnerships with universities, funders and policy networks, and help translate research into practical action.

Location: Summer Lane, Birmingham, with at least two days in the office; salary is set within the local pay scale and benefits include