Vacancy -- Deputy Director Research and Development

The Director of Health and Care Research Wales/Deputy Director of the Research and Development (R&D) Division is the senior official leading research and development across the health and social care sectors in Wales. The post holder will be based within the Health and Social Services Group, Welsh Government.

This post is supported by the R&D Division, which has approximately twenty staff across two branches, each with a Head of Branch reporting directly to the Deputy Director. Administrative support is also in place for diary and email management.

The post holder will provide strategic leadership to the R&D Division, which is responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies for research and development in health and social care in Wales. They will ensure that research and development are commissioned and delivered in ways which meet the Welsh Government’s agenda. The R&D Division is also responsible for funding, commissioning and contract-managing research activity in Wales. The post holder will be supported by civil service colleagues who will oversee the effective management and administration of the Division.

The post holder will also lead Health and Care Research Wales, a national, multi-faceted virtual organisation which is funded and overseen by the R&D Division. Health and Care Research Wales provides the infrastructure to support and increase capacity in R&D, runs a range of responsive funding schemes and manages resources to promote, support and deliver research. It supports translational research with a particular focus on applied and public health research. This includes research into the prevention, detection and diagnosis of disease; the development and evaluation of interventions; the provision of health and social care services; and the implementation of research findings into practice. Additionally, the post holder will work with colleagues within Welsh Government and across the health and social care sectors to strengthen coordination and links between research, development, and innovation.

The R&D Division and Health and Care Research Wales is committed to delivering a strategic approach, which will ensure robust and timely evidence to underpin policy and practice in health and social care; increase the quality and quantity of research in Wales; have a positive impact on the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the people in Wales; and improve the research environment to aid the recruitment and retention of high calibre professionals.

The post holder will have responsibility for a wide range of research-related work and a budget of circa £42m. There will be a requirement to provide oversight of the strategic policy areas and leadership of the research activity work programmes to support the R&D agenda in Wales, as well as to provide research expertise and support in all aspects of the work, and contribute to the professional leadership of research work across the Welsh Government.

The post holder will report to the Chief Medical Officer.

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Welsh Government accepts the social definition of disability, in which it is recognised that barriers in society act to disable people who have impairments or health conditions or who use British Sign Language. We are committed to removing barriers so that all (or potential new staff) can perform at their best. The Equality Act 2010 uses the medical definition of disability (“a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term impact on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities”).

We guarantee to interview anyone who is disabled whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post. By ‘minimum criteria’ we mean that you must provide us with evidence in your application which demonstrates that you generally meet the level of competence for the role and any qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential. We are committed to the employment and career development of disabled people.

If you have an impairment or health condition, or use British Sign Language and need to discuss reasonable adjustments for any part of this recruitment process, or wish to discuss how we will support you if you were to be successful, please email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales as soon as possible and a member of the team will contact you to discuss your requirements and any questions you may have.

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Completed application form, an up to date CV, together with a personal statement of suitability for the post should be submitted by the closing date.  All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have a disability which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SCSrecruitment@wales.gsi.gov.uk to request an application pack in an alternative format or if you need to request a reasonable adjustment related to a disability in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Senior Civil Service recruitment process within the Welsh Government, please see the SCS Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link). Further guidance on Preparing Your Personal Statement (link) is also available.

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)