Overview
Found in zone 6 with good transport links in and out of London, Kingston is a vibrant and diverse university town which creates the rich sense of community shared across the borough and its residents. Kingston boasts an idyllic riverside location, good shopping and great restaurants, as well as a mix of modern and historic town centres. Kingston has lots of open parklands and cycle routes that help connect the district town centres into an enjoyable place to live and work.
We are passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.
About The Role And Our Ideal Candidate
This post offers an exciting opportunity to lead an innovative programme of work that will shape research and evaluation capacity and capability across Kingston Council, helping us to achieve our borough-wide goal of keeping Kingston residents in good health for as long as possible. This important strategic role will involve working with the public health team to embed an evidence-based approach into our key cross-council prevention policies and strategies, leading on research governance, capacity building, evaluation support, and partnership development with NHS, academia, and VCSE partners, and designing and implementing a multi-agency community engagement and knowledge mobilisation strategy for the Royal Borough of Kingston.
The post holder will lead and coordinate research and evaluation activity across multiple areas, applying advanced specialist knowledge to support complex and multi-agency work programmes. The post holder will sit within the Public Health team, and will report to one of the Consultants in Public Health. This role is part funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s Specialist Centre for Public Health (SCPH) and the post holder will be expected to engage with the work of this organisation, in particular through the sharing of best practice with other Local Authority Research Partnerships (LARPs) within South-West London and across the country.
Our ideal candidate will have experience of leading research projects and developing multi-agency strategies. They will be able to apply creative thinking and innovative advanced problem solving to complex public health and organisational challenges, and will have an excellent understanding of both the system of public health within local government and the role that research and evidence can play within this environment.
This role is part time at 0.8 whole time equivalent, and therefore may be suitable for post-holders who are also employed part time in academic settings. The successful candidate must be available to start in post before 30th June 2026.
About Us
The public health team at Kingston Council strives to ensure that Kingston residents live healthier for longer through our work with a range of stakeholders within the council and across the borough. RBK is an open, honest and transparent authority. We want to continue to build on our local relationships and work alongside and enable our communities to continue to support a resilient and thriving borough.
Our Offer To You
As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.
Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:
* A generous annual leave entitlement of 25-32 days, plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade.
* Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
* Three volunteering days per year in Kingston
* Hybrid working (dependent on the role)
* Flexible and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
* Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
* Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
* Interest free season ticket loans
* Local Government Pension Scheme
* Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
* Electric vehicle leasing scheme
* Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and coordinate research and evaluation activity across multiple areas, applying advanced specialist knowledge to support complex and multi-agency work programmes.
* Embed an evidence-based approach into cross-council prevention policies and strategies in collaboration with the public health team.
* Lead on research governance, capacity building, evaluation support, and partnership development with NHS, academia, and VCSE partners.
* Design and implement a multi-agency community engagement and knowledge mobilisation strategy for the Royal Borough of Kingston.
Qualifications and Experience
* Experience of leading research projects and developing multi-agency strategies.
* Ability to apply creative thinking and innovative advanced problem solving to complex public health and organisational challenges.
* Strong understanding of the system of public health within local government and the role of research and evidence in this environment.
* Availability to start in post before 30th June 2026 and suitability for part-time (0.8 FTE) work arrangements.
Additional Information
We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough and we strive to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve. We support family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums and inclusive staff networks. We are a disability confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria. We also guarantee the London Living Wage to all employees. Sponsorship for immigration is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications have been received. We anonymise applications to reduce conscious and unconscious bias and strive for diverse interview panels.
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