Senior Analyst

Overview

Are you passionate about using data and insight to drive meaningful change in communities? Could you use your skills to promote research culture and activity within local government? Do you have a deep curiosity about how the wider determinants of health and wellbeing intersect and shape lives? If so, we would love to hear from you.

Manchester City Council's Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) is seeking two Senior Analysts to join our new and growing team. HDRC Manchester is an exciting cross-sector programme focused on embedding research and evidence into local decision-making to improve our understanding of the wider determinants of health, build research capability and capacity, and contribute to policy change, with the ultimate aim of reducing inequalities.

There are two roles available; both are fixed term until 31st March 2030. These roles will both join our new HDRC Manchester team and will have the opportunity to work with analysts from across PRI, from partner organisations and within the community.

The NIHR funds the Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) to boost research capacity and capability within local government. HDRCs aim to embed a culture of using evidence to improve decision-making on health and health inequalities. The programme involves local authorities working with university partners to build collaborative infrastructure, combining local government knowledge with academic research skills. At present there are 30 HDRCs across the country.

The mission for HDRC Manchester is "to put communities at the heart of policy". This means:

• Local residents are more able to directly influence decisions about their area through greater control and influence over research activities and learning new skills and experience
• Improved decision making and impact across the City Council and partner organisations, through officer and member engagement and clear governance arrangements
• Investment will turbo-charge what we are already doing so that it becomes more consistent and more impactful
• Better, more 'real life' research, improving our understanding of the wider determinants of health at a local level
• Dissemination of learning through Core Cities, GM, government, academia, VCSEF sector
• Sustainable legacy of working in this way beyond the investment

To do this the HDRC Manchester team will focus on the delivery of three main pillars: Culture Change; Research; and Methods. The Strategic Lead will lead work on embedding a research-driven culture across the council and will work closely with local communities and stakeholders to identify and prioritise research needs. They will direct work on the development of guidance, toolkits, training, and support to enhance the quality and impact of research conducted within the programme.

The team will be embedded within Manchester City Council's Policy, Performance and Reform (PPR) service. PPR is an outward facing, central function which advises and develops policy, undertakes and collaborates on transformation and reform projects and ensures that MCC is data-driven, and evidence led through robust analysis, research and evaluation. The three constituent teams of PPR (Policy, Performance, Research and Intelligence and Reform and Innovation) work together on shared strategic priorities.

Within PPR, HDRC Manchester will be based in PRI: the centre of excellence for data and insight, reporting to the Head of PRI. It will be a new team focused solely on HDRC priorities, sitting close to business-as-usual (BAU) teams to enable maximum impact on current council approaches and to support knowledge transfer and increasing capability.

About the Candidate

The successful candidate will be highly motivated, enthusiastic and assertive, that can demonstrate the Our Manchester behaviours in their approach to work.

The candidate must be able to demonstrate:-

Technical Skills

• Basic understanding of rules and guidance - Be aware of the key rules and policies around street naming and numbering, with direct support from the team and the ability to follow guidance from external resources such as GeoPlace.
• Maintenance of address data - Assist in creating, maintaining and updating address records ensuring accuracy and currency of the data.
• Use software tools - Carry out basic tasks such as creating, maintaining, and updating address data using address management systems, following correct data entry procedures.
• Support with location data - A general awareness of maps and locations is helpful when working with address information.

General Skills

• Good communication skills - Able to write clearly and speak confidently when helping residents, developers, or colleagues.
• Willingness to solve problems - Ready to help with everyday issues and follow guidance to find solutions.
• Attention to detail - Careful when checking and updating information to make sure it's correct.
• Friendly and helpful attitude - Comfortable working with others, including developers, residents and team members, in a polite and respectful way.
• Organised approach to work - Able to manage multiple tasks and keep track of what needs to be done in line with deadlines.