Job summary
- Main area
- Research
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 367-CORP - 101417
- Employer
- Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- The Colonnades
- Town
- Hatfield,
- Salary
- £41,957 - £50,387 per annum pro rata (5% fringe HCAS included)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Research Assistant/Associate
Band 6
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Research and Development Department at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) as a Research Associate.
This role will play a key part in delivering the Trust's Research Strategy by supporting the design, delivery and dissemination of research, service evaluations, clinical audits and quality improvement projects across mental health and learning disability services. The post holder will contribute to expanding research capacity, increasing staff and service user engagement in research, supporting grant development, and strengthening collaborations with internal and external partners.
Working alongside the Research Strategy Operational Lead, Clinical Research Practitioners and multidisciplinary clinical teams, the post holder will support both NIHR portfolio studies and Trust-led research, helping to translate research into evidence-based improvements in patient care.
There will also be an opportunity to develop own areas of research, apply for funding opportunities, publish in peer reviewed journals and present at national conferences.
The ideal candidate will have a postgraduate qualification (e.g. MSc, MRes) in research methods or with significant research component.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support the Research Strategy Operational Lead in coordinating the Trust's research workstreams, networks and projects. Responsibilities will include delivering research, service evaluations, clinical audits and quality improvement initiatives, supporting research governance processes, undertaking qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and disseminating findings through reports, peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
The post holder will work closely with the Audit, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Transformation teams to embed research methods within service evaluations and support staff to publish and disseminate their work. They will also work collaboratively with Clinical Research Practitioners to support NIHR portfolio studies and contribute to the development of Trust-led research projects and grant applications.
The role includes coordinating the Mental Health and Learning Disability Research Network, organising research events and educational activities, and supporting clinicians to build research skills and engage in research across the Trust.
There will also be an opportunity to develop own areas of research, apply for funding opportunities, publish in peer reviewed journals and present at national conferences.
Working for our organisation
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities:
Mental Health and Learning Disabilities (MHLD) Research Network (MHLD) Development
• Organise meetings and events for the MHLD Research Network. Chair and minute where required.
• Preparation and delivery of presentations, reports and newsletters or meetings detailing the work of the MHLD Research Network, its initiatives and performance.
• Contribute to management of intranet, website and social media accounts for the Research and Development Department.
• Support Principal Investigators (PIs) in recruitment of study subjects
• Undertake duties by delegated by PIs for a range of studies
Project Design, Delivery, Management and Dissemination
• Alongside the Clinical Leads and Research Leads, assist in the delivery and management of research projects, service evaluations, quality improvement initiatives and audits across the Trust. This might involve record and file keeping, data entry, clinical trial administration, data collection, and training of colleagues with study processes and procedures.
• Assist with the delivery of research studies, including NIHR portfolio research studies (in collaboration with Clinical Research Practitioners), Industry-sponsored clinical trials and Trust own-account research projects, when required.
• Undertake data analysis, using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, using spreadsheets, statistical approaches and dedicated software where appropriate.
• Ensure that projects are completed within specified timeframes and to a high-quality standard, in line with agreed protocols.
• Contribute to the dissemination of completed projects in a variety of formats, to include writing research publications for submission to peer reviewed journals, writing updates for project stakeholders, developing content for social media accounts, and plain English/Easy Read summaries for patient/carer stakeholders as required, and the provision of verbal presentations for meetings/conferences.
• Identify quality improvement opportunities through analysis and understanding of data and information, reflection, and critical thinking.
• Work with colleagues in the Quality Improvement (QI) and Practice, Audit & Clinical Effectiveness (PACE) Departments and multidisciplinary colleagues to establish publishable quality improvement and audit projects and help deliver measurable improvement within the Trust.
• Help to develop and deliver training packages to diverse groups of staff and stakeholders.
• Help to develop training packages for online training platforms.
Person specification
Knowledge/ Qualifications/ Training
Essential criteria
- Degree level qualification or equivalent, with research component.
- Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certificate (or willingness to obtain)
- Knowledge and experience of collecting and analysing qualitative and/or quantitative data.
- Understanding of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in clinical practice and research.
Desirable criteria
- Postgraduate qualification (e.g. MSc, MRes)
- Quality Improvement qualification or equivalent experience
Attributes
Essential criteria
- Holds UK driving licence.
- Ability to work independently and remotely.
- Self-motivated with ability to work on own initiative – working to achieve own and team objectives and to overcome obstacles.
Work related skills and experience
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate experience in a relevant area.
- Knowledge and confident use of information and communication technologies
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within NHS research or healthcare services
- Experience of supporting grant applications or funding bids
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Chetan Shah
- Job title
- Operational Research Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07467339308
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