Research Assistant in Medical Statistics/Research Associate in Medical Statistics in Sheffield

Research Assistant in Medical Statistics/Research Associate in Medical Statistics

Job Title: Research Assistant in Medical Statistics/Research Associate in Medical Statistics

Posting Start Date: 06/11/2026

Job Id: 3392

School/Department: School of Medicine & Population Health

Work Arrangement: Full Time (Hybrid)

Contract Type: Fixed-term

Salary per annum (£): £32,722-39,560 (Research Assistant) and £38,784 -51,753 (Research Associate)

Closing Date: 27/11/2026

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The Clinical Trials Research Unit section in the Division of Population Health based in the School of Medicine and Population Health is seeking to recruit a Research Assistant in Medical Statistics (Grade 6) or Research Associate in Medical Statistics (Grade 7) who has a passion for statistics (and applied research) and a willingness to share their passion, enthusiasm and knowledge with others.

You will have good knowledge of applied statistics and clinical trial methodology. You will have good programming skills and experience of working with complex datasets. You will exhibit a “can do” attitude to new activities knowing your strengths and skills whilst being flexible and able to adapt to change.

You will be able to communicate effectively with non-statisticians, and be able to clearly explain complex statistical concepts in lay terms. You will provide timely and high-quality statistical input and leadership to research projects, including input to the design, analysis, and reporting of studies.

With exceptional interpersonal skills you will relate well to others in the team establishing good working relationships, and provide training to statistical colleagues.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Undertake the statistical analysis of research projects (primarily randomised controlled trials) in line with pre-defined statistical analysis plans and contribute to their reporting and dissemination, under the supervision of a senior statistician.

• Draft (Grade 7) or contribute to drafting (Grade 6) statistical analysis plans for trials, in line with the analysis outlined in the protocol and grant application, under the supervision of a senior statistician.

• Provide (Grade 7) or assist with providing (Grade 6) high-quality statistical advice and support to multidisciplinary research projects within the Division of Population Health, under the supervision of a senior statistician.

• Write up (Grade 7) or contribute to the writing of (Grade 6) study outputs which will inform academic publications in high-quality journals.

• Develop (Grade 6) or continually update (Grade 7) knowledge and understanding of medical statistics in line with advances in the relevant subject area.

• Attend and participate in relevant department meetings.

• Share knowledge and skills with colleagues.

Teaching

• Contribute to teaching statistics in tutorials to undergraduate and postgraduate students in the School with training provided, as appropriate.

Planning and Organising

• Assist with the high-quality delivery of research studies within agreed timescales.

• Prioritise tasks and allocate time to different studies as appropriate.

• Undertake advance planning to meet deadlines for study milestones and dissemination of results.

• Contribute to the development (Grade 6) or develop (Grade 7) materials for research study meetings as requested.

• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Criteria

Essential or desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

Undergraduate and MSc qualification (or near completion) in a subject containing substantial statistical content.

Essential

Application

Minimum of 2 years work experience in clinical trials, or a closely related discipline.

Essential (Grade 7)

Application

Sound understanding of the scientific principles of randomised controlled trials and trials methodology, including the design, interpretation and reporting.

Essential

Application & interview

Awareness of the principles of good clinical practice and of regulatory and ethics requirements of clinical trials.

Desirable (Grade 6)

Essential (Grade 7)

Application & interview

Statistical programming experience in either Stata or R, including complex statistical analyses such as linear mixed models, and

Essential

Application & interview

Experience creating automated statistical reports and other relevant output from within statistical software.

Desirable (Grade 6)

Essential (Grade 7)

Application & interview

Experience in contributing to trial protocols and the writing of statistical analysis plans and setting up randomisation systems for new trials.

Essential (Grade 7)

Application & interview

Track record of publications in clinical and methodological journals.

Desirable (Grade 6)

Essential (Grade 7)

Application & interview

Grade 6:

Track record of working efficiently within a team.

Grade 7:

Track record of working efficiently within a multidisciplinary team, including trial managers, clinicians, health economists, statisticians and methodologists.

Essential

Application & interview

Excellent communication skills, including report writing and experience of delivering presentations

Essential

Application & interview

Ability to acquire new skills and knowledge where necessary (including technical expertise and experience) to facilitate the success of the current study and the development of CTRU generally.

Essential

Application & interview

Ability to independently assess and organise resources, plan and progress work activities and work to deadlines

Essential

Application & interview

Further Information

Grade

Grade 6 or Grade 7, depending on experience

Salary

Grade 6:

£32,080 - £36,636 per annum. Potential to progress to £39,906 per annum through sustained exceptional contribution.

Grade 7:

£38,784 - £47,389 per annum. Potential to progress to £51,753 per annum through sustained exceptional contribution.

Work arrangement

• Full-time

• Hybrid working with a minimum of 60% of working days are expected to be undertaken on site, to be agreed with the successful candidate.

Duration

18 months fixed term

Line manager

Senior Research Fellow/Medical Statistician

Direct reports

N/A

Our website

Clinical Trials Research Unit | CTRU | The University of Sheffield

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place in December 2026. This will consist of an interview and an exercise. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact dph-section-operations@sheffield.ac.uk .

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.

• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.

• Generous pension scheme.

• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.

• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).

• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.

• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways

• A range of generous family-friendly policies

  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies

  • access to menopause support in the workplace

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