Senior Research Associate

Salary: £45,585 to £48,350 per annumNewcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.Closing Date: 21 June 2024The RoleWe’re pleased to announce a new role based within Newcastle University’s Biostatistics Research Group (BRG, www.newcastle-biostatistics.com). Funding is available for a Senior Research Associate to work in the new Lifearc-funded Rare Disease Trial Acceleration Platform (RD-TAP) to develop and apply innovative biostatistics methods for rare disease clinical trials. The postholder will have the opportunity to develop their own research projects for funding (for example through fellowships or project grant applications).The BRG is a dynamic group of 33 applied and methodological biostatisticians who work together to develop and implement state-of-the-art statistical methods in health research. The role will be based in our offices on the University main campus. In alignment with Newcastle University's flexible working policies, you will have the opportunity to work from home for up to half of your working week, providing a balanced work environment.We’re looking for an individual that has a PhD in a statistical subject with several years of experience as a postdoctoral researcher (equivalently, for candidates without a PhD, a longer period of experience together with a relevant masters). Having an impressive set of relevant published papers and successful involvement in grant applications is essential.We are especially interested in individuals with research experience in developing and/or applying methods that are relevant to rare diseases. This includes, but is not limited to, innovative trial design (adaptive designs, master protocols) or using external information (external/synthetic controls, Bayesian borrowing). Applications from applicants with other relevant research expertise is also welcome.The role will report to Professor James Wason, who you will meet with regularly. You will also take part in regular RD-TAP meetings and collaborate with individuals within and external to the group. There will be opportunities to get involved in supervision of PhD students and line-manage colleagues.We are looking for an individual who is ambitious to achieve results, who works well with others and who is willing to be involved to maintain and improve our positive research culture.This post is fixed term for a period of five years.For informal enquiries contact:Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here:Find out more about our Research Institutes here:As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.Key AccountabilitiesProject-specific accountabilities

• Develop and apply innovative biostatistics methods for improving the design of rare disease clinical trials
• Support the application of innovative statistical methods to rare disease trials in grant applications, working with a collaborators in RD-TAP and beyond

Senior Research associate accountabilities

• Plan and lead high quality research, project managing the research activity, supervising and taking responsibility for the research team. Plan the research to be undertaken, as a self-contained item or as part of a broader programme
• Develop Research proposals and funding bids to develop own research objectives and proposals for funding, as a self-contained item or as part of a broader programme
• Lead the writing up of own/collaborative research and publish in high quality peer reviewed journals and disseminate findings at conferences nationally and internationally
• Contribute to the supervision, with guidance, of postgraduate research students or Research Associates performing projects
• Work with other members of the BRG, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute
• Identify and undertake a programme of professional development, including further training in research methods and other transferable skills
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education research environment

The PersonKnowledge, Skills and Experience

• Considerable experience in conducting research, as evidenced by publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
• Experience in contributing to research funding applications
• Strong technical and methodological statistical skills applied to health research
• Experience of programming in R or other statistical programming languages
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and administrative skill
• Experience in conducting and publishing methodology research

Desirable

• Experience of being involved in applied health research as a statistician
• Experience of managing, mentoring or supervising staff or students
• Experience of teaching statistics

Attributes and Behaviour

• Keen to help others and play role in positive research culture
• Enthusiastic to grow and develop as a researcher
• Follows-through on commitments and drives projects forward

Qualifications

• Having a PhD, or masters with substantive experience in research equivalent to a PhD

Desirable

• PhD in statistics or other quantiative subject with strong statistical component

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.At Newcastle University we hold a silver award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.Requisition ID: 27215