Public Health Research Training Manager

Salary: £45,585 to £48,350 with progression to £54,395 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 11 June 2024

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity to join the new NIHR Research Support Service National Specialist Centre for Public Health as a Public Health Research Training Manager. 

Our vision is to develop the infrastructure, capacity and capability to support practitioners and researchers to carry out high quality public health research, outside the NHS, to produce robust evidence to improve population health and reduce health and care inequalities.

This is a key role in this new National Specialist Centre for Public Health. You will report to the Public Health Senior Research Manager and work closely with the Centre Director and Chief Operating Officer. You will lead on the scoping, collating, design, delivery and evaluation of public health research associated training and capacity building for those conducting or aspiring to conduct public health research outside of the NHS.  

We are looking for candidates who have experience of scoping, design, delivery and evaluation of training, and who excel at building strong working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders. We are particularly keen to hear from people who have a high level of decision making and problem-solving skills, who can lead initiatives, prioritise and plan within a strategic framework. Experience of public health research would be desirable but is not essential. 

To apply, please upload a CV and letter of application which outlines how your skills, experiences and knowledge align with the job description below.

This is a full time, fixed term position available until 30th September 2028.  

For more information and an informal discussion please contact Laura Renwick, [email protected]

Key Accountabilities

• Take full operational responsibility for the day-to-day management and delivery of the Centre’s national programme to provide training to increase capacity and capability for public health research and provide opportunities for career progression
• Working with the Public Health Senior Research Manager and with external stakeholders, including Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) and other local authorities, scope the training requirements for those conducting or aspiring to conduct public health research
• Scope the existing training available nationally, negotiate with training providers to ensure access to training, as appropriate, and work with the Centre’s Communications Manager to develop a capacity building portal that effectively signposts to existing training opportunities
• Identify gaps in training and plan, design and deliver training programmes and, where appropriate, commission external provision to fill these.  Proactively monitor these programmes, identifying and managing all relevant risks and issues, and initiating appropriate corrective action to ensure that they are delivered on time and within budget
• Develop and manage the Centre’s Grass Roots Programme of short part-time placements for public health practitioners to be part of an established research project team
• Scope, develop and deliver capacity building programmes
• Local Authority Research Practitioners and Public Health Engagement Leads funded by the Centre
• Centre colleagues, including the Centre’s research methodologist team
• The Centre’s Public Contributors (with the Centre’s Public Involvement and Community Engagement Manager)
• Ensure that these programmes allow individuals to have equitable access to high quality training and development opportunities pertinent to their roles and that supports their career development 
• Engage with key national stakeholders including local authorities, public health practitioners, the wider public health community with transparency, openness, and mutual respect; to ensure that the Centre’s capacity building programme is co-designed with researchers and practitioners and that research integrity is embedded within it
• Ensure effective quality assurance of the capacity building programme, ensuring that each element programme is developed using evidence-led practice, offers value for money and that any national policy and regulatory requirements and good practices are embedded
• Develop and deploy appropriate processes to capture, report and retain evidence of delivery in accordance with the requirements of the funder and stakeholders and work with the Communications Manager to promote the successes of the programmes 
• Manage, monitor, control, and report budgets for the capacity building programme, working closely with the Operations Manager and university finance teams, to ensure that training is delivered on time and target.  Produce progress reports to the Public Health Senior Research Manager and Centre Executive Board, meeting reporting deadlines as required
• Represent the Centre at local, regional and national meetings, at national and international conferences, preparing and delivering presentations as appropriate

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of leading on the scoping, design, delivery and evaluation of training within and across complex organisations
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills including diplomacy, motivation, negotiating and influencing
• Significant experience of programme and/or project management and demonstrable ability to deliver results on time and within budget
• Proven high level of decision making and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrable ability to lead initiatives, prioritise and plan appropriately within a strategic framework
• Success in developing effective working relationships with colleagues at all levels and across a range of disciplines and partner organisations and providing authoritative advice to senior colleagues
• Ability to work independently, and to make decisions on complex or overlapping matters
• Strong digital literacy skills and ability to communicate and collaborate easily using digital tools
• Well-developed understanding of funding and financial management procedures

Desirable

• Knowledge of public health or applied health related research field
• Experience of working in or with local government or evidence of an understanding of local government 

Attributes and Behaviour

• Able to effectively collaborate and communicate with a variety of colleagues and stakeholders. Acts in a collaborative, inclusive, transparent and open manner, acting with integrity and able to build high levels of trust
• Able to see the “big picture”, to think strategically and to consider the detail in complex situations, including where there are conflicting priorities
• Ability to think creatively to come up with new ideas good problem-solving skills and ability to imagine beyond the status quo
• Uses benchmarking to analyse external practices, gain a deeper understanding of the issues and to identify opportunities 
• High drive and initiative, able to demonstrate professional resilience
• An articulate, confident and politically adept communicator, ready and able to deal with difficult situations and to challenge where necessary
• Works collaboratively with others, plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across the organisation where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued
• An energetic and “can do” approach which will inspire and enthuse others, ready to take the lead in driving forward initiatives

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent level qualification plus experience in a similar training-related role or significant vocational experience, demonstrating development through progressively more demanding, relevant roles
• Professional qualification in relation to training, development, organisational development or project management and/or relevant professional experience

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 which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are aDisability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 27093