Public Health Research Analyst
Job summary
Do you enjoy turning data into evidence that improves health and wellbeing and helps reduce inequalities? We are looking for a Public Health Research Analyst to support quantitative research and evaluation across Public Health Wales, contributing to work that informs policy, practice and better outcomes for people and communities across Wales.
You will work with routine, survey and linked datasets to prepare, clean, manage, analyse and interpret complex information. Working within a supportive multidisciplinary team, you will take responsibility for defined analytical tasks while receiving guidance from experienced researchers and analysts. Your outputs will be accurate, reproducible and clearly communicated so they can inform public health decision-making, policy and practice.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a relevant degree or equivalent experience and a sound grounding in quantitative methods to develop a career in applied public health research. You do not need experience of every analytical tool listed in the job description. We are looking for someone who works carefully with data, communicates findings clearly and is motivated to learn new methods and software with support from experienced colleagues.
Main duties of the job
As a Public Health Research Analyst, you will:
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Support the preparation, cleaning, management and analysis of routine, survey, linked and other public health datasets.
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Apply appropriate quantitative methods under supervision, including descriptive, trend and subgroup analyses.
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Help develop clear and reproducible analytical workflows, with well-documented code, metadata and quality-assurance checks.
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Contribute to literature searches, evidence summaries, analysis plans, reports, briefings, presentations, dashboards and academic outputs.
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Work with colleagues and stakeholders to understand their questions and translate them into useful analyses and clearly explained findings.
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Use analytical software such as R, Python, SQL, or Excel, depending on the project and your existing skills.
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Follow information governance, data protection, confidentiality, accessibility and good research-practice requirements.
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Manage your workload across projects, contribute to teamplanning and raise risks or data-quality issues promptly.
About us
We are Public Health Wales - the national public health organisation in Wales. Our purpose is 'Working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.
Our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the leading source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. In a world facing complex health challenges, our work has never been so important.
We are guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.
To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/careers/
For guidance on the application process, please visithttps://phw.nhs.wales/working-for-us/applicant-information-and-guidance/
Job description
Job responsibilities
What the role offers
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Our values are Working Together, with Trust and Respect, to Make a Difference. We are looking for someone who acts withintegrity, values collaboration, is open to learning and contributes positively to an inclusive and supportive working environment.
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Practical experience of applied research and evaluation that supports public health policy and practice in Wales.
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Opportunities to strengthen your analytical skills, including reproducible coding, data quality, interpretation and communication.
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Experience of working with colleagues, academic partners and stakeholders across multidisciplinary projects.
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Opportunities to contribute to reports, presentations, briefings, dashboards, research papers and other knowledge-mobilisation outputs.
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A collaborative team environment with support for learning and continuous professional development.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
- Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant numerate, public health, epidemiology, statistics, data science, social science, psychology or health research subject.
- Knowledge of quantitative research methods, basic statistical concepts and the principles of good data management.
- Understanding of confidentiality, data protection, information governance and good research practice in relation to health or public sector data.
- Knowledge of linked routine data, epidemiology, public health intelligence, evaluation methods or data science techniques.
- Knowledge of NHS research governance, research ethics, Good Clinical Practice or the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Experience
- Experience of cleaning, manipulating, analysing or summarising quantitative data, including large or complex datasets.
- Experience of using statistical or analytical software to produce data outputs for use by others.
- Experience of communicating analytical or research findings clearly to colleagues or stakeholders.
- Experience of working accurately with confidential or sensitive information.
- Experience of working in public health, health research, evaluation, academia, local government, NHS, third sector or an environment requiring similar competencies.
- Experience of contributing to research or evaluation projects, including literature reviews, data collection, data cleaning, analysis, reporting or dissemination.
- Experience of working with linked routine data, survey data, health records, population-level datasets or secure data environments.
Skills and Attributes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and ability to recognise when data or outputs require further checking.
- Ability to use analytical software, such as R, Python, SQL, Stata or Excel, or willingness and ability to rapidly develop these skills.
- Ability to communicate technical information clearly in written, verbal and visual formats for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work independently within defined procedures and as part of a wider multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to plan and prioritise work across more than one project, escalating risks or issues in a timely way.
- Proficient in the use of standard Microsoft software, such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Ability to demonstrate understanding and application of workplace values, together with the underpinning behaviours identified for success in this role.
- Knowledge or experience of reproducible analytical practice, version control, code review or quality assurance of analytical outputs.
- Ability to develop skills in specialist software for the analysis and reporting of public health, research or evaluation data.
- Ability to contribute to research publications, reports, funding applications, protocols or knowledge mobilisation products.
- Welsh language skills are desirable at levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading and writing in Welsh.
Other
- Flexible approach to work and the needs of the service
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
- Commitment to continuous professional development
- Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Employer details
Employer name
Public Health Wales
Address
2 Capital Quarter
Tyndall Street
Cardiff
CF11 8FQ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://phw.nhs.wales/