Senior Researcher - Healthy

We are recruiting for a Senior Researcher – A Healthy Life.

Nesta is the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems, with missions to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future for both people and the planet. For over 20 years, we have supported, encouraged and inspired innovation as an innovation partner, venture builder and system shaper.

The Senior Researcher will focus on improving food environments to increase the number of years lived in good health. The work will involve data analysis, project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and research culture development across Nesta’s “A Healthy Life” mission.

• Delivery of research
  • Conduct statistical analysis and modelling with large, complex datasets.
  • Develop research questions aligned to the mission and partner goals.
  • Evaluate outcomes in Python and/or R using collaborative coding.
  • Appraise and summarise existing evidence.
  • Identify appropriate methodologies to answer research questions.
  • Write detailed research protocols.
• Delivery of projects
  • Build relationships with food and health sector partners.
  • Oversee intervention implementation and ensure fidelity.
  • Support trial delivery while understanding partner challenges.
  • Own progress against tasks and communicate milestones.
• Communicating and disseminating work
  • Produce reports, slide decks, blogs and presentations.
  • Engage stakeholders and lead creative communication approaches.
• Developing new work
  • Generate project ideas, scope research, and write bids and proposals.
• Supporting research culture
  • Train colleagues in rigorous methodologies.
  • Participate in peer learning and review sessions.
  • Mentor junior colleagues on coordination and management.

• Conduct statistical analyses end‑to‑end, including data wrangling, analysis plans, and interpreting models.
• Proficiency in Python or R for data preparation and analysis (Python‑first).
• Strong foundational understanding of statistics and ability to communicate findings.
• Project/programme management skills: planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, budget tracking.
• Rapid contextual competence in new topics.
• Ability to synthesize evidence and communicate it in digestible formats.
• Report research findings in presentations, reports, blogs, etc.
• Excellent writing skills tailored to diverse audiences.
• Agile work across a range of projects.
• Knowledge or practical experience in health.

• Academic research experience on obesity, food environments, nutrition, health or behavioural science.
• Experience delivering research trials from concept to dissemination.
• Programming in Python with Git/Git Hub version control.
• Advanced data wrangling, statistics or machine learning skills.
• Experience in multidisciplinary teams using mixed methods.
• Visual communication or visualization skills.

• Salary: £50,700 – £67,800 (offers made towards the bottom of the band) plus benefits (private medical and dental insurance, eyecare vouchers, leave buy‑sell).
• Location:
  
  London (hybrid with a minimum of two days in office).
• Term:
  Permanent contract.
• Hours:
  
  Full‑time with flexible arrangements.
• Reports to:
  
  Principal Researcher, Mission Manager or Principal Data Scientist.
• Flexibility:
  Job‑share available.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, creative and achieves better results. We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve and value different experiences, expertise and perspectives. We actively seek diverse candidates and welcome reasonable adjustments for job applicants. Flexible work arrangements, including working from home, compressed hours, part‑time and job shares, are supported.

Please let us know in your application or at any stage if you would like to explore these options.