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Job summary

Main area
Policy and International Health, a WHO Collaborating Centre on Investment for Health & Wellbeing
Grade
Band 5
Contract
29 months (Fixed Term for 29 months until March 2028 due to funding)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
028-AC231-0925
Employer
Public Health Wales NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Cardiff / Wrexham / Swansea
Town
Cardiff / Wrexham / Swansea
Salary
£31,516 - £38,364 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
24/09/2025 23:59
Interview date
13/10/2025

Employer heading

Public Health Wales NHS Trust logo

Public Health Research Assistant

Band 5

 

Welcome to Public Health Wales, the national public health organisation for Wales

Our vision is Working to achieve a healthier future for Wales

To find out more visit Public Health Wales and watch this video about our Strategic Plan

Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference

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Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English. To support our all Wales service, we particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

 


 

 

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated research assistant to join the Policy and International Health Directorate, to work on Time to Talk Public Health.   
 
Time to Talk Public Health is our nationally representative population panel which supports us to deliver our long-term strategy through regularly engaging with the public to understand their attitudes and opinions on a broad range of public health topics (e.g. policy, health improvement, health protection, health services).  
 
As Time to Talk Public Health is a cross-organisational work programme, the role will involve working with colleagues across a range of levels from Public Health Wales, Welsh Government, Local Public Health Teams, and other stakeholders.   
 
Interested in the breadth of public health? The post holder will work closely with the Principal Public Health Researcher to undertake evidence syntheses, develop questionnaires, contribute to project management, analyse data and produce a range of outputs (e.g. reports, academic journal articles, presentations, social media creatives) on different public health topics.   
 
With a focus on achieving impact through translating the evidence into policy and practice, we will also monitor the impact achieved to show value.   

Main duties of the job

The post holder will contribute to growing the reach and impact of Time to Talk Public Health. This will involve exposure across the organisation and with Welsh Government, meaning excellent communication skills and attention to detail are crucial.   
 
Through Time to Talk Public Health we seek to gather insight on the public’s attitudes, emotions, interests, opinions and understanding of different areas of public health through regular surveys. Knowledge and skills of questionnaire development and delivery is important.    
 
The post holder will be expected to use their research skills to support colleagues to refine and focus their insight needs. They will need to be able to review evidence on multiple topics concurrently. Using excellent project management skills, they will be involved in ensuring the work programme runs to time and is documented appropriately.   
 
To maximise the impact of the data collected, the post holder will be actively involved in dissemination activities with internal and external stakeholders.     

Working for our organisation

We are Public Health Wales – the national public health agency 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 visit https://phw.nhs.wales/working-for-us/applicant-information-and-guidance/

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

THIS POST IS FIXED TERM/SECONDMENT FOR 29 MONTHS UNTIL MARCH 2028 DUE TO FUNDING. 

Although this post has been advertised as a fixed term appointment, NHS staff will be offered the appointment as a secondment. If you wish to apply for a secondment, you must have the approval of your line manager. 

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; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree level in health-related subject (e.g. psychology, health sciences), or equivalent level of experience

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of undertaking evidence synthesis and literature searches
  • Experience of developing and administering questionnaires
  • Experience of administrative work including planning and data management
  • Experience of managing data, data cleaning and quality assurance

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for different audiences
  • Competent in the use of analytical software for quantitative analysis (e.g. SPSS, R)

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of questionnaire development
  • Knowledge of the research governance process, including information governance

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria
  • Self-motivated, pro-active and able to overcome barriers

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Final Gold LevelDisability confident leaderStop Smoking Wales is the NHS Smoking Cessation Service in WalesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Final Gold Level WelshRefugee Employment NetworkStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed Forces CovenantStonewall Top 100 Employers in 2023Employer pledge demonstrating a commitment to change how we think and act about mental healthCore principlesPrentisiaethau Apprenticeships

Applicant requirements

Welsh language skills are desirable

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Catherine Sharp
Job title
Principal Public Health Researcher
Email address
[email protected]
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