Research Associate - Wales Centre for Public Policy

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Research Associate - Wales Centre for Public Policy

Co-funded by the Welsh Government and the Economic and Social Research Council, the Wales Centre for Public Policy bridges the gap between academia and policy makers/practitioners by generating and mobilising evidence from research that can improve policy decisions and public services.  

Its 20 full-time staff come from a range of backgrounds including academia, the civil service, health service, local government, think tanks and the voluntary sector.

The Centre is a member of the What Works network. Rather than conducting new research, it collaborates with leading researchers from across the UK and internationally to bring together existing evidence. Its staff have excellent access to senior policy makers and public service leaders which enables us to achieve research impact at national and local level.

We are seeking to recruit an outstanding individual to contribute to our work for the Welsh Government and public services.

The post offers a unique opportunity to manage and conduct high quality, policy research, working closely with leading researchers and policy makers who are at the heart of current policy developments and debates.

You must have a good understanding of public policy; a commitment to high quality policy research; excellent communication and organisational skills; and the ability to work as part of the Centre’s wider team. 

The Centre offers a stimulating and supportive working environment with flexible working arrangements; a generous pension scheme and other benefits; a wealth of training opportunities; and a base in the new Social Science Research Park (SPARK) located on Cardiff’s £300 million Innovation Campus.

The post is full-time until 31st March 2023 in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal thereafter, subject to the availability of funding. We will consider applications to join the Centre on a secondment basis.

We encourage potential applicants to contact Professor Steve Martin (Director of the Wales Centre for Public Policy – email [email protected] ) or Dan Bristow (Director of Policy & Practice – email [email protected] ) for an informal discussion about the role. 

Applicants are asked to answer the following questions at the start of their supporting statement.  Your answers should be as concise as possible and must not exceed 200 words per question.

Question 1:
The Wales Centre for Public Policy provides evidence to enable local authorities, health boards and other public bodies to identify ways to improve policy decisions and public services.
How would you go about identifying the policy issues that we should work on with them over the next six months?  What criteria would you use to rank the issues in order of priority?

Question 2:
The Centre does most of its work in partnership with experts from other universities and research organisations.  Imagine that we’ve been asked by the First Minister to provide evidence on what the Welsh Government should do to tackle poverty. He needs a report in three months’ time.

How would you identify the best experts to work with us on this project?  What potential barriers might you encounter in securing their input and how would you overcome these?      

IMPORTANT NOTE TO CANDIDATES
It is the University’s policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing and we only invite candidates to interview who clearly evidence that they meet (or partially meet) each of the essential criteria.

During the application process you will be asked to attach a supporting statement. This statement must outline how you meet the criteria below and we recommended formatting this by using each criterion as a sub-heading and providing your relevant experience/evidence below each sub-heading.

It is crucial that you save your supporting statement with the vacancy number (e.g.14276BR) in the filename as failure to do so may result in it being omitted from your application.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), advertised on a fixed term basis until 31 March 2023.

Salary:  £34,304 - £40,927 per annum (Grade 6)

Date advert posted: Monday, 6 June 2022

Closing date: Monday, 4 July 2022

This post has previously been advertised to employees of Cardiff University only.  We now invite external applications.

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

“Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/our-research-environment/integrity-and-ethics/responsible-research-assessment”

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements. Cardiff Business School is particularly looking to recruit from under-represented groups within the School.

Job Description

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

Research
•    To contribute to the identification of the Welsh Government’s and public services’ evidence needs in the areas of devolved responsibility (including health and social care, the economy, equalities, housing, and the environment).
•    To review and synthesise research to identify policy-relevant findings and recommendations.
•    To commission, manage and quality assure research commissioned from policy experts.
•    To disseminate research findings to policy makers and practitioners through engaging reports, policy briefings, blogs and podcasts.
•    To design and facilitate expert workshops, ministerial briefings and other events.
•    To promote awareness of and engagement with the Centre’s work among policy makers, practitioners and research networks.
•    To contribute to other activities that enhance research impact.
•    To participate in networks both internally and externally to the university, to influence decisions, explore future research requirements, and share research ideas for the benefit of research projects. 

Other
•    To participate in personal and professional development that is appropriate to, and which will enhance performance.
•    Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria 

Qualifications and Education
1.    A postgraduate degree in a related subject area, or relevant equivalent professional experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
2.    An established expertise and proven portfolio of policy research and/or research management.
3.    Knowledge and/or experience of current public policy issues in Wales and beyond.
4.    A commitment to and record of effective knowledge mobilisation and research impact.
5.    Proven ability to publish policy research.

Communication and Team Working
6.    Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively – in writing and in person - with policy makers and practitioners.
7.    Ability to work effectively with colleagues in the Centre and researchers in the wider university and beyond.

Other
8.    Ability to develop and maintain excellent relationships with external stakeholders including academics, officials, politicians, public service leaders and other opinion formers.
9.    Ability to work at pace across a range of projects.

Desirable Criteria

10.    An interest in and understanding of policy challenges in the field of health, social care or the Welsh economy.
11.    Experience of working in or with government and/or public services.
12.    The ability to communicate in Welsh.

Additional Information

Cardiff Business School

Cardiff Business School is widely regarded as one of the leading business and management schools in the UK, ranked 6th in the UK for the quality of its research in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF).  We educate over 3,500 students annually, including over 1,500 international students. Cardiff Business School has an international faculty of world-leading scholars. Our research reputation has helped us become an attractive centre of scholarship for colleagues from the UK and beyond. As the world’s first Public Value Business School, Cardiff Business School has a commitment to delivering societal as well as economic value though the undertaking of world leading inter-disciplinary research addressing the grand challenges facing communities, business and organizations.

Job Category

Academic - Research