Senior Statistician - Department of Applied Health Sciences - 106523 - Grade 8

University of Birmingham; Park Central; On-site; GBP 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking an experienced medical statistician for a full-time position focused on advanced surgical research. The successful candidate will provide statistical advice for clinical studies, support grant applications, and engage in high-impact research projects. A strong background in medical statistics and statistical programming, along with an MSc or PhD in a relevant field, is required. This role offers a salary between £47,389 to £56,535, with opportunities for progression.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in clinical trials and observational studies.
• Experience in designing and writing study protocols.
• Ability to communicate statistical concepts to non-statisticians.

Responsibilities

• Provide methodological and statistical advice on clinical trials.
• Collaborate in writing study protocols and grant applications.
• Determine appropriate statistical analysis and prepare reports.

Skills

Experience as an applied medical statistician

Experience in medical statistics

Statistical programming (R, STATA)

Database management (Access/SQL)

Writing grant applications

Interpersonal communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

MSc or PhD in Statistics or Epidemiology

Tools

R

STATA

Access

SQL

Job description

This is a full‑time post dedicated to advanced surgical research practice. The post holder will provide methodological and statistical advice in support of a range of clinical studies, and will support new funding applications to increase the impact of each grant. The post is managed by Professor Aneel Bhangu in collaboration with senior statisticians from Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit; the post holder is expected to act independently.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert methodological and statistical advice on the design of clinical trials and observational studies.
• Collaborate with Clinical Investigators in the submission of grant applications.
• Collaborate with Clinical Investigators and Trial Managers in writing study protocols and developing data collection forms.
• Collaborate with Programmers and Trial Managers in the development of data management systems.
• Determine appropriate statistical analysis of study data and write statistical analysis plans.
• Supervise the statistical input and analysis to assist Trial Managers in the running of studies and monitoring of data quality.
• Provide statistical support to other research staff, including data analysts and research fellows.
• Take overall responsibility for the analysis of study data, preparing and presenting reports for Data Monitoring and Steering Committees, and contribute to presentations and publications.
• Take overall responsibility for the statistical contributions to publications, taking the lead when appropriate.
• Present study results and methodological research at internal and external seminars and national and international conferences.
• Support the delivery of clinical research in accordance with Good Clinical Practice, the Declaration of Helsinki, applicable legislation, and relevant policy frameworks.

Experiences and Skills

• Significant experience of working as an applied medical statistician or epidemiologist.
• Significant experience in medical statistics, clinical trials and observational studies, specifically in the design and writing of study protocols and the analysis, reporting and publication of results.
• Experience of applying statistical techniques (e.g., linear, logistic and Cox regression, analysis of variance, repeated measures, survival analysis).
• Experience in statistical programming (R, STATA).
• Experience of computer‑based database management and data extraction/reporting techniques (preferably Access/SQL).
• Experience of writing grant applications.
• Experience in writing reports and papers for publication.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Statistics or Epidemiology, or a relevant higher degree.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work well both on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including experience in communicating statistical concepts to non‑statisticians.
• Meticulous attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.
• Aptitude for real‑life, problem‑driven analysis.
• Interest in the application of statistical techniques for medical problems.
• Willingness to learn new techniques.
• Ability to impart statistical concepts to non‑statisticians.
• A flexible attitude and ability to organise work to meet deadlines while handling more than one task at a time.

Additional Information

The post‑holder must be based in the UK and will be required to attend the University of Birmingham Edgbaston campus for in‑person working for at least 3 days a week.

Full‑time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535, with potential progression once in post to £63,606. Grade: 8. Fixed‑term contract up to June 2028. Closing date: 4th November 2025.

Background

The post holder will play a key role in the development and evaluation of research into surgical practice as part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Group on Environmentally Sustainable Hospitals led by the University of Birmingham.

• Deliver a major randomised trial on sustainable surgical practices.
• Deliver a pilot randomised trial to reduce complications in hospitals, which are a major source of carbon.
• Develop several data studies to close knowledge gaps.
• Engage in policy change to leverage research into practice change.
• Complete carbon, clinical, and cost models on research themes.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to proactively addressing barriers experienced by under‑represented groups and uphold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. Diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the University. We also have a sustainability strategy and a strong focus on continuous improvement to make the University a fair and inclusive place where everyone has opportunities to succeed.