Senior Research Fellow - Data Scientist/Epidemiologist in Sheffield

College/Directorate: Centre for Applied Health and Social Care Research

Grade: 8

Reports to: Professor/Director of Centre

Direct reports: RIKE and project staff as required

Role purpose

To lead significant research, innovation and knowledge exchange (RIKE) projects and work packages, delivering high-quality outputs and REF-relevant impact. To secure external research income and contribute to the development of institutional research capability, environment and sustainability. The role will support the analysis of existing perinatal mental healthcare pathways within the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium and the Perinatal Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing team. The post holder will lead specific tasks with appropriate independence, contribute to high-quality outputs, impact and external funding, and work collaboratively with academic, NHS, industry and community partners. The post holder will provide leadership across RIKE activity and teams, leading and developing others to build research capability, working collaboratively with internal and external partners to shape and deliver RIKE priorities, strengthen research capability and enhance impact.

Role-specific responsibilities

• Work within the Perinatal Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing (PMH&PSW) programme of the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium. This will incorporate leading and co-ordinating defined research and knowledge exchange plans.
• Support acquisition, linking, extraction, cleaning and analysis of local linked datasets, as well as extraction, cleaning and analysis of national administrative data.
• Contribute to the interpretation of findings and writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications.
• Contribute to coproduction with women, families, clinicians, community partners and external stakeholders of an intervention to enhance perinatal mental health service equity especially among underserved and Core20PLUS populations.
• Design and develop plans for future evaluation of this intervention including usability and feasibility testing, ensuring that outputs are acceptable, usable, culturally responsive and aligned with the needs of women and their families.
• Lead the development and authorship of high-quality RIKE outputs including journal articles, technical reports, conference presentations, stakeholder briefings and contributions to impact case studies and REF-relevant activity where appropriate.
• Take responsibility for planning, allocating resources, managing project budgets and ensuring successful delivery.
• Develop and contribute to external RIKE income through leading or co-leading competitive funding bids, tenders and proposals, identifying opportunities, shaping project concepts and developing collaborative partnerships.
• Contribute to the development of sustainable funding pipelines aligned to project, thematic and wider institutional priorities, supporting the ongoing delivery and sustainability of RIKE activity.
• Develop and sustain internal and external collaborations and partnerships within MDC and beyond, sharing knowledge, influencing direction and contributing to decision making within projects, while identifying and progressing future opportunities that strengthen quality, impact, funding pipeline, including the application of outputs into practice particularly for PMH&PSW.
• Lead, manage and supervise relevant projects and staff as appropriate, coordinating work, priorities and resources to ensure effective project delivery, while actively developing others through mentoring, supervision, training and capability-building.
• Resolve operational and delivery challenges within RIKE projects, to address issues and escalate where appropriate.
• Work with community organisations to ensure meaningful involvement and engagement.
• Promote and embed research integrity, open research and responsible research practices, contributing to a positive, inclusive and high-performing research culture.
• Contribute to student success by delivering student-facing teaching and learning, including supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students (e.g. Director of Studies), contributing to curriculum development, and delivering specialist teaching aligned to RIKE expertise where appropriate.
• Engage with academic, professional and industry communities to build networks, support collaboration, dissemination and impact, and actively raise the profile of the PMH&PSW programme, RIKE, the team and the University through partnerships and external engagement.
• Design and deliver training or continuing professional development (CPD) activity for external partners where appropriate.
• Develop and sustain an established academic voice and national profile through continuing professional development and engagement with relevant academic, professional and applied communities, contributing to research impact, innovation and knowledge exchange.
• Contribute to internal and external RIKE groups, communities, committees or networks, supporting the development of the research environment and contributing to collective priorities.

This list is not comprehensive - we may ask you to carry out other duties appropriate to your grade.