Senior Researcher HDRC

Hybrid homeworking/office base Northallerton (min 2 day a week, including Tuesday)

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious researcher, with strong evaluation design and quantitative methods skills, who is passionate about addressing health inequalities. The postholder will be employed by North Yorkshire Council and will work alongside two other Senior Researchers at the heart of our National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). The role sits at the interface of research, policy, and practice in local government, and is particularly suited to those with enhanced skills in collaboration building, development of research grants and delivery of training and support in evaluation, experimental studies and trial design.

HDRC North Yorkshire is a collaboration with the Universities of Hull and York to develop the research culture of the Council and build Council-University partnerships to conduct and use research that improves health and wellbeing and reduces inequalities. For more information on the programme visit

HDRC North Yorkshire is part of a wider £50 million investment from the NIHR for a series of local government partnerships across the country to improve local authorities’ capacity and capability to conduct high-quality research to tackle health inequalities. The investment will embed a culture of evidence-based decision‑making within local government and will help to stimulate economic growth, particularly in some of the most deprived areas, and contribute to the Government’s plans to take actions for the longer‑term health and wealth of the country.

You will be aligned to a council directorate and work collaboratively with frontline staff, managers, and leaders, to develop Areas of Research Interest. Supported by our growing research community of practice, you will work alongside staff to scope research projects and develop funding bids that meet these identified research needs. The postholder will have the opportunity to conduct research where they have obtained external funding for a study.

One of the most frequent requests we receive is for high quality evaluation advice. We have significant qualitative research skills within our existing team and would welcome applications from candidates with experience in evaluation design, theory of change and/or quantitative methods. You will be expected to deliver workshops to provide advice on specific evaluation designs including theory‑based, quasi and experimental evaluations, as well as providing timely responses to ad‑hoc requests for advice via email.

You will:

• Have an emerging track record of designing and delivering high quality research on health, inequalities, and its wider determinants together with research publications and dissemination activities.
• Possess excellent evaluation skills and experience of using different evaluation methodologies including impact, process, value for money, realist (please ensure you adequately describe your research/evaluation/methodological skills & experience in your application).
• Be skilled in appraising the feasibility of different study design options based on specific policy or intervention designs.
• Be experienced in developing and implementing multi‑agency research, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, and working across organisational boundaries.
• Be experienced in designing and delivering co‑production in research studies.
• Understand the barriers in bringing research into practice, and the implementation strategies that can facilitate its adoption.
• Have experience of contributing to the preparation of research grant applications.
• Have experience of contributing to the design and delivery of training in research skills and knowledge.
• Possess excellent communication skills and the ability to lead, motivate and influence others.
• Be a motivated, independent, collaborative researcher, with excellent time management and project management skills.
• Be familiar with, and able to navigate the challenges of bringing research into a Local Authority setting, understanding the implementation strategies that can facilitate this.

For an informal conversation about the role please contact Joanne Smithson joann

Closing date:
Thursday 18 June 2026

Interview date:
Tuesday 7 July 2026 at County Hall, Northallerton