Job title: Translational Research Assistant

Salary : £32,000 - £35,000@ 1.0 WTE / 37.5 hrs per week (part-time applications will be considered)

Contract Terms: Fixed-term contract until 31st March 2026, on KSS AHSN Ltd Terms (trading as Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex)

Base: Hybrid (Principal office: The Beehive, Gatwick, RH6 0PA) with travel across Kent, Surrey and Sussex

Reports to: Chief Medical Officer

Job purpose and responsibilities

Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (Health Innovation KSS) supports the development and delivery of innovative solutions to improve health and care across the region. In partnership with the NIHR ARC Kent Surrey Sussex, we aim to improve outcomes for local populations by translating research into practice, co-producing solutions with communities, and strengthening the research ecosystem. Our research programmes include Ageing and Dementia, Primary and Community Health, Population Health, Mental Health and Women’s Health.

We are seeking a proactive and highly organised Research Assistant to support the delivery of the translational research programme of work. The successful candidate will play a key role in managing and coordinating research projects, supporting stakeholder engagement, grant development, public involvement activities, and the translation of research into impactful, real-world solutions.

Key responsibilities:

1. Project Management

• Assist in the planning, delivery, and monitoring of research delivery programmes across priority themes.
• Support project management including developing project and programme management plans, timelines, reporting, documentation, and stakeholder liaison.
• Coordinate with researchers, academics, clinicians, policy makers, and community organisations to support project delivery.

2. Stakeholder Engagement and Public Involvement

• Support the organisation and facilitation of stakeholder and community engagement events.
• Promote meaningful Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.
• Help co-produce research and implementation activities with local communities and system partners.

3. Grant and Funding Development

• Provide support in the identification and preparation of grant proposals and funding applications, including writing, editing, and partner coordination.
• Work with academic, clinical, and industry stakeholders to draft and align applications with ICS priorities and translational potential.

4. Communications and Knowledge Sharing

• Support communication activities to raise awareness of research, partnerships, and impact.
• Support translation of research findings into practical tools, service models, and policy guidance.
• Contribute to internal and external communications in collaboration with the communications team.

This will include:

• Support dissemination activities, including the preparation of reports, briefings, and academic publications.
• Drafting web content, newsletters, and social media posts related to research and impact.
• Creating summaries and visual materials for key stakeholders, as well as lay and professional audiences.
• Supporting the development of case studies, blogs, or video content
• Assisting in the planning and promotion of webinars, events, and public engagement activities.
• Ensuring communications reflect principles of inclusivity and accessibility

Key skills, experience and personal style

• Educated to master’s level or equivalent, in a relevant field – e.g. health, public health, wellbeing. Desirable to have Post Doc, PhD or equivalent experience
• Experience of working in health or wellbeing research and implementing research into practice
• Project management experience.
• Good understanding of UK health and social care landscape and services
• Confident in reviewing the evidence and understanding implications for policy and practice
• Previous experience of undertaking research projects through to completion
• Knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative approaches and previous experience of applying them
• Experience of cross-disciplinary research
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate research findings to stakeholders from a wide range of organisations including health and social care and community groups.
• Ability to work in a team, and to work towards project aims and objectives, and their associated deadlines
• Understanding of own strengths and limitations and impact on others. The confidence, determination, perseverance, resilience and energy to overcome obstacles to achieve the best outcomes.
• Is positive, proactive and has a “can do” attitude
• Ability to work using their own initiative but also work within a team. Demonstrates ability to handle change effectively. Has a flexible and adaptable approach to work.
• Respectful of the company’s core values. Values diversity and looks for opportunities to improve equality.
• Ability to travel, in particular, across Kent and Medway, Surrey and Sussex.

Values and Behaviours

Health Innovation KSS has developed a clear vision for the direction of the company. A set of values and behaviours have also been developed and agreed to underpin this vision. Our values and behaviours framework can be found below. Applicants and employees will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to these values and behaviours, which will be assessed through the recruitment, selection and appraisal processes.

Diversity and Equal Opportunities

It is the desire of Health Innovation KSS to broaden diversity within its workforce.

Health Innovation KSS is an equal opportunities employer and ensures that all new, existing and prospective employees are treated fairly through the principles of equal treatment and promotion of diversity.

This includes:

• ensuring that all individuals who come into contact with Health Innovation KSS, whether as employees, stakeholders or in any other capacity are treated with dignity and respect;

• ensuring that the opportunities Health Innovation KSS provides for learning, personal development and employment are made available on a non-discriminatory basis and;

• providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for employees, stakeholders, visitors and others.

Along with all other Health Innovation networks (HINs), we are committed to a series of pledges to further support the diversity and innovation agenda.

Next Steps

To apply for this role, you must do so by following the application process, below.

You will answer some eligibility questions as well as some which are related to your job. After the job closes, our selection panel will review your application answers and CV. It is our aim to manage our recruitment processes in a fair, consistent and unbiased way. Please be assured that your application and CV will be entirely anonymised, at this stage of the selection process.

The closing date for final applications is 25 August 2025. Interview dates TBC.