Research Associate/Research Fellow in Causal Inference & Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Sheffield is seeking a Research Associate/Research Fellow specializing in Causal Inference and Health Technology Assessment. The role involves conducting analyses, developing new methodologies, and contributing to multidisciplinary projects. Candidates should hold a PhD in relevant fields and have experience with quantitative analysis. A flexible working environment and extensive benefits are offered, fostering professional development and community interaction.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

Flexible working opportunities

41 days annual leave

Wide range of retail discounts

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in causal inference, statistics, or quantitative discipline.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis.
• Knowledge of non-randomised studies and causal inference methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Conduct causal inference analyses for health technology assessment projects.
• Provide technical expertise in causal inference and statistical analysis.
• Teach and supervise Masters-level students.

Skills

Quantitative data analysis

Causal inference methods

Statistical analysis

Interpersonal skills

Education

PhD in causal inference or related field

Tools

R

Stata

Python

Job description

Research Associate/Research Fellow in Causal Inference & Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Join to apply for the Research Associate/Research Fellow in Causal Inference & Health Technology Assessment (HTA) role at The University of Sheffield

Research Associate/Research Fellow in Causal Inference & Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

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Join to apply for the Research Associate/Research Fellow in Causal Inference & Health Technology Assessment (HTA) role at The University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield provided pay range

This range is provided by The University of Sheffield. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR) are recruiting a researcher with a strong background in causal inference and interest in health technology assessment (HTA), to join the Health Economics and Decision Science (HEDS) section. The successful candidate will split their time (initially 50/50) across two key programmes.

First, the NIHR-funded Target Trials in Mental Health programme (Chief Investigator, Dr Matthew Franklin) to evaluate the (cost-)effectiveness of mental health treatments used with Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services using NHS real-world data (RWD). This includes producing evidence to inform NICE’s Early Value Assessment (EVA) processes for HTE8 (depression) and HTE9 (anxiety).

Secondly, the Eli Lilly funded “Advancing the Methodologies Used to Incorporate Non-randomised Evidence in Healthcare Decision-making” project (Chief Investigator: Prof. Kate Ren) aims to develop innovative statistical and causal inference methodologies to address challenges in using RWD, i.e., covariate selection and bias-variance trade-offs in propensity score weighting

In general, HEDS researchers are developing a research programme focused on causal inference using RWD; e.g., ongoing work includes using the Target Trial framework to estimate the comparative effectiveness of cancer treatments. The successful applicant will play an important role in this emerging research programme

Applicants should be familiar with methods for estimating comparative effectiveness using RWD, e.g., NICE’s TSD 17, NICE’s RWE framework. You will be encouraged to develop your own methodological research interests that are complementary to those within HEDS and help contribute to Masters level teaching and supervision.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Conduct causal inference analyses and/or methodological work for the NIHR and Eli Lilly funded projects.
• Provide technical expertise for HEDS research and consultancy projects in the area of causal inference, statistical and/or econometric analysis, and developing non-randomised study designs for the evaluation of care technologies or services.
• Write up research methods and findings within reports.
• Contribute to the development of new statistical methods in the context of health economics and decision science as required.
• Contribute to research grant proposals and consultancy project proposals.
• Collaborate with team members to disseminate research findings in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences.
• Work in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Contribute to the School’s teaching by delivering lectures and tutorials, external short courses and developing on-line teaching materials.
• Engage in the supervision of students at Masters and potentially at PhD level.
• You will make a full and active contribution to the principles of the ‘Sheffield Academic’.
• Plan for specific aspects of the research and consultancy programme, such as proposal submission, data collection, analyses and delivery of outputs to clients and funders.
• Plan for your contribution to the research and consultancy up to one month ahead, incorporating issues such as the availability of resources and overall research aims.
• Plan several months in advance to meet project deadlines and prepare submissions to journals and conferences.
• Liaise with other members of the research group over progress.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.
  
  

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential Or Desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

PhD (or equivalent experience) in causal inference (e.g., statistics, econometrics, epidemiology, bioscience, data science), or a relevant quantitative discipline.

Essential

Application

Understanding of non-randomised studies and relevant analysis methodologies.

Essential

Application/Interview

Experience of quantitative data analysis using appropriate software (e.g., R, Stata, Python).

Essential

Application

Dissemination of research findings at conferences, seminars or in reports.

Essential

Application

Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate effectively in oral, written and presentation modes in the academic and health-care environments.

Essential

Presentation/

Interview

Evidence of experience of working in multidisciplinary teams.

Essential

Application/Interview

Ability to work under pressure and to multi-task and to plan and prioritise own work in order to meet deadlines.

Essential

Application/Interview

Experience in the use of real-world data sources such as electronic health records (e.g., hospital episode statistics) or registry (e.g., cancer registry) data.

Essential (G8)

Desirable (G7)

Application/Interview

Experience of applying causal inference methods for evaluating care technologies and/or services.

Essential (G8)

Desirable (G7)

Application/Interview

Publications in peer-review journals.

Essential (G8)

Desirable (G7)

Application

Experience of managing own workload and taking responsibility for projects.

Essential (G8)

Desirable (G7)

Application/Interview

Further Information

Grade

7/8

Salary

Grade 7 Research Associate: £38,249 to £46,735 per annum pro-rata.

Grade 8 Research Fellow: £48,149 per annum pro-rata.

Work arrangement

Full-time/Part-time (with a minimum commitment of 80% FTE). Flexible options considered

Duration

Fixed-term for 27 months from start (1st Aug 2025 to 31st October 2027; it is possible for the start date to be delayed if needed, but the end date is fixed)

Line manager

Professor of Statistical Health Technology Assessment

Direct reports

N/A

Our website

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/scharr

For Informal Enquiries About This Job, Please Contact Both:

Dr Matthew Franklin, Senior Health Economist at [e-mail] (no telephone number available)

Prof. Kate Ren, Professor of Statistical Health Technology Assessment at [e-mail] or on 0114 222 0696.

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place the week commencing the 14th July 2025. This will consist of a brief presentation of your research followed by an interview. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage by the week commencing the 7th July 2025. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact Lauren Hartley at [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What We Offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
• paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
• support for those going through the menopause
• paid time off and support for fertility treatment
• and more
  
  

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Research, Analyst, and Information Technology

• Industries

  Higher Education

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