Research Associate Policy Challenge

Insights North East; Newcastle; On-site; ZAR 808 000 - 833 000; Full time

Job summary

A regional policy hub in South Africa seeks a Policy Challenge Research Associate to lead engagement with policymakers and drive evidence-based insights. The role involves relationship management, conducting evidence reviews, and supporting local change. Ideal candidates will have a PhD and experience in knowledge mobilisation. Join to make an impactful difference in the community.

Benefits

Commitment to diversity and inclusion

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing relationships with policymakers.
• Experience conducting evidence reviews and managing complex projects.
• Strong communication skills for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage relationships with policymakers.
• Lead evidence reviews and syntheses for actionable insights.
• Coordinate INE projects ensuring deadlines and impact goals.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Project management

Research skills

Collaboration

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Job description

Salary

£35,608.00 – £36,636.00 per annum

Closing Date

30 November 2025

About Insights North East

Launched in 2022, Insights North East is a policy hub created through a partnership between regional universities, the North East Combined Authority, local government and the NHS. It bridges the gap between policy research and practice and supports regional policymakers in designing policies that address the needs of local communities. Supported by an investment of £2.78 m from the Research England Development (RED) fund, INE was initially established as a demonstrator to develop methods for delivering actionable insights to regional policymakers and to develop capability for evidence‑based policymaking.

The Role

The Policy Challenge Research Associate is central to INE’s mission of mobilising knowledge to shape better outcomes for people and places across the region. Drawing on deep networks and a strong understanding of the policy environment, the role will act as both connector and catalyst, brokering relationships, triaging policy challenges and curating research outputs that offer clear actionable insights. From leading evidence reviews and coordinating cross‑sector networks to representing INE on regional and national platforms, the successful candidate will bring a rare combination of intellectual rigour, political acuity and collaborative skill. They will be instrumental in defining and delivering a high‑quality responsive policy offer that supports long‑term change in the North East while helping to establish INE as a nationally recognised leader in knowledge mobilisation for place‑based policy innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and manage relationships with policymakers, decision‑makers and researchers across sectors.
• Broker and triage policy challenges, designing and facilitating workshops that help define problems and shape INE’s response.
• Lead evidence reviews and syntheses, producing accessible outputs with clear actionable insights.
• Coordinate and deliver INE projects, ensuring they meet deadlines, budgets and impact goals.
• Work with INE’s Research Engagement and Policy Leads to curate knowledge and mobilise expertise across the INE Associates Network.
• Represent INE at regional, national and global levels through events, publications and digital engagement.
• Contribute to the sustainability and evolution of INE’s model, helping to develop funding bids and refine our approach to knowledge mobilisation.

About You

You are experienced in knowledge mobilisation and policy‑relevant evidence‑based outputs, bringing intellectual rigour, political awareness and an instinct for collaboration.

You Will Have

• Proven experience building and managing relationships with policymakers or practitioners.
• Strong analytical and research skills with experience conducting or managing evidence reviews, resulting in a portfolio of academic and policy‑facing outputs.
• Experience identifying actionable insights for policy and practice audiences.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to write, speak and present with clarity across audiences.
• Experience managing complex multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Experience organising and running events.
• A sound understanding of UK policy environments, especially at regional or local levels.
• A PhD (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field with strong research design knowledge.
• A genuine passion for improving outcomes for people and places in the North East.

Key Accountabilities

Providing high quality knowledge mobilisation service

• Relationship and network management with policy and decision‑maker stakeholders.
• Up‑front brokerage and triage of INE projects, identifying response mode and delivering workshops to help define challenges where appropriate.
• Development of pipeline policy challenges and areas of research interest.
• Work closely with the Policy & Insights Lead to establish a high‑quality offer for regional policy organisations and professionals.

Writing and curating strong outputs with clear actionable insights

• Lead on policy‑challenge‑based evidence syntheses with support from academic specialists.
• Project management and delivery of specific projects on the INE work‑plan within budget.
• Engagement across the INE Associates Network to support engagement on INE projects and help develop a project pipeline.
• Work closely with the Research & Evidence Lead to mobilise and curate academic expertise and evidence.
• Collaborate on outputs with the Engagement & Content Coordinator from early stages of project development.
• Support curation of evidence to support long‑term change in the region.

Supporting role of INE as a leading knowledge mobilisation organisation

• Represent INE at regional, national and global levels through speaking opportunities, writing blogs and other outputs.
• Follow national and regional policy developments.
• Provide flexible support, both leadership and hands‑on, as needed across INE.
• Contribute to reflective practice of INE and iteration of the INE model.
• Contribute to the development of policy engagement practice and field of research, helping to establish INE as a leader of policy and practice in place.
• Contribute to research funding bid development to support the future sustainability of INE.

The Person : Criteria

Stakeholder Engagement

• Proven experience building and managing relationships with policymakers, practitioners or decision‑makers across sectors.

Knowledge Brokerage

• Demonstrated ability to identify policy challenges, facilitate challenge‑definition workshops and support the design and delivery of responsive research projects.

Research & Analysis

• Experience conducting or managing evidence reviews, synthesising research findings and identifying actionable insights for policy and practice audiences, resulting in a portfolio of academic and policy‑facing outputs.
• Understanding of qualitative and/or quantitative research design, ethics, data collection methods, analysis and data management.

Project Management

• Track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget, including multi‑stakeholder initiatives.
• Experience organising and running events.

Communication Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor content for academic, policy and non‑academic audiences, write compelling reports and contribute to blogs or public outputs.

Collaboration & Teamwork

• Ability to work collaboratively within multi‑disciplinary teams and across institutional boundaries with a flexible and proactive approach.

Political & Contextual Awareness

• Sound judgment and political acuity in navigating the sensitivities of policy contexts and institutional landscapes; ability to work in changing contexts.

Commitment to Place‑Based Change

• Demonstrable passion for contributing to meaningful long‑term change in the North East through evidence‑informed decision‑making.

Knowledge & Qualifications

• Strong understanding of UK policy environments, particularly at regional and local levels.
• Understanding of how universities work.
• Familiarity with knowledge mobilisation theory and practice.
• PhD in a relevant subject area and understanding of research methods.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Newcastle University is a global university where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution. We are committed to being a fully inclusive university that actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity, celebrate support and thrive on the contributions of all employees and communities we represent. We are a proud equal‑opportunity employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. Newcastle University holds a Gold Athena Swan award, a Race Equality Charter Bronze award and is a Disability Confident employer. We also support researchers through the Euraxess initiative.