Research & Insight Manager
Background
Engaging Communities Staffordshire (ECS) is an innovative Community Interest Company, established to
ensure health and social care organisations work better together on how they listen, engage and involve
people across the County. ECS holds the contract to deliver Healthwatch Staffordshire, NHS Complaints
Advocacy, and also delivers a range of social research and engagement services to several major clients.
There is a long term vision that ECS should be a market leader for research, insight and community
engagement across a range of public services across the country.
The aim of our services are to collate together public/patient/service user/frontline staff feedback and
experience across health, social care and wider public services to allow a holistic, cross-organisation analysis
of views and opinions to be undertaken, using a range of tools e.g.:

Bespoke insight reports – e.g. “deep dives” into specific issues/services

Qualitative: Focus Groups, Interviews, Case Studies, Social Media Analysis

Quantitative: Surveys, Trend Analysis

Consultation exercises, working closely with our Engagement team

Mixed Methodology Studies

Thematic Service Reviews

Programme and Project Evaluation

Utilising new research techniques such as behavioural insight analysis
We are therefore seeking a high performing individual with a strong track record in delivering and managing
robust and high quality research projects that have impact, and in business development to deliver new
projects and clients, and to lead the service going forward.
Salary
£40,000
Role Purpose
To manage, develop and deliver the Research and Insight Service, to ensure that high quality, added value
research and insight is delivered to our clients, and to seek new business opportunities to support the
development of the company. To take the strategic lead for the ECS IT Policy and development, including
the integration of all IT systems.
Key Accountabilities
 To manage, develop and deliver the Research and Insight Service, through a wide range of projects,
utilising a variety of research methodologies and techniques, conducting fieldwork and producing
well written and accessible reports.
 To lead and develop the strategic process for gaining new business, including identifying commercial
opportunities, and co-ordinating and overseeing financial aspects of bids and service developments
 To identity commercial opportunities to develop and market both the Research and Insight Service
and ECS’ other service lines.
 To design and produce appropriate high quality analytical outputs/reports that meet clients’ needs.
 To demonstrate sufficient understanding of complex qualitative and quantitative research to deliver
and provide quality assurance and supervision of research projects.
 To continue to develop ECS’s database systems to enable them to meet our vision of a single
repository of intelligence on user experience of health and social care services.
 To liaise and develop relationships with clients across the health and social care sector in
Staffordshire, and other interested stakeholders, to explore, develop and deliver research
specifications and solutions.
 To act as the company’s Information Officer, being able to identify, and develop data sharing
protocols to gain access to and manage relevant datasets on patient and service user feedback.
 To manage the ECS Provider Network, and where appropriate manage competitive tendering
exercises with the Network.
 To proactively develop strong relationships with other insight professionals across the public sector
in Staffordshire to seek partnership opportunities and to avoid duplication.
 To liaise and develop links across the wider Healthwatch network, identifying areas for collaboration
and for shared learning.
 To act as a senior manager within the company, taking a full and active role in the ongoing
development of the company, and establish excellent working relationships with all other staff,
Board members and volunteers.
 To line manage and develop the Research & Insight team at ECS
 To act as an advocate for ECS across Staffordshire and at appropriate national forums.
Person Specification
Essential
 Educated to degree level or with equivalent work experience, and either holding or be willing to work
towards certified membership of the Market Research Society within one year.
 Experience of research and insight work, with a good working knowledge of a range of insight tools
and techniques, including qualitative and quantitative.
 Experience of business development, including winning new business and developing commercial
opportunities
 Well-developed IT skills, including spreadsheet, database, website and CRM systems, with the ability
to develop systems and tailor off the shelf IT packages to meet company needs
 Demonstrable experience of project managing research projects and delivering high quality insight.
 Ability to carry out and supervise the analysis and interpretation of complex data and information.
 Understanding of the role that service user feedback has in informing decision making and driving
forward service improvements.
 Experience of managing staff.
 Experience in partnership working
 Excellent communication, written and interpersonal skills.
 Ability to manage complex projects, with conflicting demands and pressures.
 Ability to manage and prioritise own workload.
 Understanding of data protection, data security and data sharing protocols.
 Ability to manage and develop external relationships with partners and stakeholders.
 Demonstrable skills of working effectively as a leader and as a team player.
Desirable
 Postgraduate Qualification.
 Professional Accreditation - Certified Membership of Market Research Society
 Experience of research and insight work in the health and social care sector.
 Experience of working with the public sector.