HDRC Surrey Research Champion

This is a 9-month opportunity for an existing employee of Surrey County Council or one of Surrey’s District or Borough councils, for up to 0.2 FTE (1 day per week). As part of the arrangement, HDRC Surrey will match your existing salary (pro-rata to the hours you work).

Location: Open to all working locations in Surrey. Most of HDRC Surrey team members work from Woodhatch Place two days a week.

Want to shape your own research project, build new skills, and work alongside experts while contributing to meaningful change in Surrey? If so, becoming a Research Champion could be the perfect opportunity for you.

We are delighted to offer an opportunity with Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Surrey for the role of Research Champion. Research Champions will be curious and passionate local authority staff who would like to learn more about research, add research skills to their repertoire or gather and/or analyse data on a specific question relevant to their work or team.

Research Champions will be hosted by HDRC Surrey. HDRC Surrey is a partnership between Surrey County Council, University of Surrey, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, and local voluntary partners including Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum (SMEF) and Good Company. HDRC Surrey aims to reduce health inequalities, support evidence‑based decision‑making, and expand the local public health knowledge base. The Health Determinants Research Collaboration is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) for the period January 2024 to December 2029.

Rewards and benefits

Salary, holiday entitlement, and benefits are identical to your current contract.

About the role

Research Champions are an important part of the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Surrey programme. They help us grow confidence and skills in using research across local authorities, nurture a culture where evidence is valued, and encourage colleagues to use insights to guide everyday decisions. Research Champions also benefit from being part of a friendly and collaborative cohort, taking part in interactive sessions where they can share learning and support one another.

Each Research Champion will lead a project of their choosing, linked to one or more of HDRC Surrey’s themes on the wider determinants of health and health inequalities. This could involve analysing data, designing and running a survey, carrying out interviews or focus groups, or completing a systematic review. There is plenty of flexibility depending on interests and experience.

To support this work, Research Champions will receive tailored training and one-to-one guidance from HDRC team members with extensive research expertise. This opportunity is therefore open to people with any level of research experience (minimal, intermediate, or advanced research), whether you’re just starting out or looking to build on existing skills. There will also be opportunities to collaborate with other Research Champions across Surrey and to showcase project findings.

Additional information

Please take note that any research involving people will need to obtain ethics clearance through HDRC’s internal systems before they commence.

Research Champions can choose whether/when to work with HDRC in-person, but some training will be mandatory and require in-person attendance.

Local Government Reorganisation

Local Government Reorganisation is ongoing across Surrey. We envision this role as an opportunity for local authority staff to develop their skills that can be applied in their roles post LGR. This appointment will end in February 2027, before the new unitaries are fully operational.

Shortlisting criteria

To be considered for this role, your answer to the recruitment question and CV, along with the statement of support from your manager, should evidence:

• A curious mindset and passion for learning new skills.
• An interest in research. This can look like appreciating tasks where you find answers to questions, work to understand other people’s beliefs, experiences and behaviours, or take on analysing a dataset of some sort.
• Your availability throughout the programme duration (Annual Leave excluded).

Application questions:

1. Please tell us what has motivated you to apply. (500 words).
2. Please tell us about the skills and experience you wish to develop as a Research Champion. (500 words)
3. Tell us about the research you would like to carry out as a Research Champion. Describe what you would like to find out, why it matters, and the potential impact it may have. Remember to relate your project to our research themes. (500 words)

Manager statement of support

With your application, please submit a statement of support from your line manager. This document should:

1. Describe whether and how the research is relevant to your team, workstreams and daily duties.
2. Describe whether and how being a research champion will support your professional development.
3. Confirm that you can be released for 0.2 FTE to HDRC Surrey for the full length of the proposed project.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to role requirements, flexible working requests, transferable skills or barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Ella Turner by e-mail at Ella.Turner@surreycc.gov.uk

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 26/04/2026 with interviews planned for week commencing 03/05/2026.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.