Job title: Translational Research Assistant
Salary : £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

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.

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.

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.