Job Title:
Research Associate - Statistical Data Analysis – Housing and Health
School/Unit:
Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences
Location:
Llandaff Campus
Salary:
Grade 6A/B, £34,804 - £39,152 per annum
Hours:
37 hours per week
Tenure:
Fixed term for 1 year - we are seeking candidates that can start immediately
Welsh University of the Year 2021 by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide.
Our performance in this year’s Guide is exceptional. Our University was the biggest riser in Wales, and the third biggest in the UK, placing us in the UK top 40 for student satisfaction with teaching quality and the wider student experience.
We are very pleased that our strong performance has resulted in the University attracting high numbers of well qualified students and we are now seeking additional staff in both our academic schools and professional services departments.
The Opportunity
Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences is a recognised centre of excellence in the UK and has established a national and international reputation for the quality of its academic and research work in the areas of sport and health sciences. Based across the Cyncoed and Llandaff campuses, we provide a broad range of vocationally focused academic programmes and pride ourselves on good student feedback and excellent graduate employability. Many of our programmes are professionally accredited to meet the requirements of the sport and healthcare professions and we engage closely with industry to provide consultancy services and professional development programmes. Our School also delivers a thriving research culture, with over 100 PhD students across a variety of disciplines. The wellbeing of our staff, students and our local community underpins everything we do as we continue to add value through our teaching, innovation and research.
You will become part of the project team updating the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This system was brought into force by the Housing Act 2004 and provides a means of assessing the risk to health from defects in residential properties. It has been used in England and Wales since 2006. The evidence base for the system is being updated and the system is being simplified, as part of a project funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
You will carry out a literature review on housing and health and property conditions in England and Wales. The review will identify current data on housing conditions in England and Wales and any new data on the health impacts from the 29 hazards detailed in the HHSRS Operating Guidance. The post holder will communicate with researchers involved in the original development of the HHSRS and develop robust statistical methods to update the national average values given for each hazard detailed in the Operating Guidance. This work will focus predominately upon scores for likelihood of harm, but may also involve updating harm outcome scores, and adjusting scores accordingly when hazards are amalgamated as part of the update of the system. The post holder will form part of a collaborative group of researchers and legal professionals, simplifying the operation of HHSRS and drafting new guidance for the system.
To be successful you will further enrich our students’ experience through your expertise and subject knowledge as evidenced through your qualifications and experience.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Carry out a literature review looking at housing and health, and property conditions. The findings will be used to inform updates and changes to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Liaise with researchers involved in the original development of the HHSRS and others on the project team.
Use the statistical approaches employed in the development of the original HHSRS, in combination with the findings of the literature review, and the latest information on housing conditions in England, to develop robust methods for updating the average scores provided in the HHSRS Operating Guidance.
Work with others on the project to amalgamate some HHSRS hazards, adjusting average score tables in the Operating Guidance accordingly.
Work with others on the project to simplify the scoring system used by HHSRS Property Assessors, to make the system easier to use, and to be more accessible to relevant industry professionals.
Be knowledgeable about the HHSRS and associated regulations and guidance.
Be knowledgable about existing and future regulatory regimes that impact upon the HHSRS (e.g. fire safety, energy efficiency measures to combat climate change, etc.) and how these may impact on risk assessment approaches, including the development of threshold standards for residential properties.
Prepare and present findings of research activity to colleagues for internal and external review.
Prepare progress reports on the research as required by the relevant Principal Investigator for internal and external review purposes.
Determine appropriate solutions to reform the HHSRS, and where necessary, assist in presenting these to stakeholders.
What we are looking for - Experience & Strengths
Quantitative research methods to undertake statistical analysis of pre-existing data sets from publicly available data sources and/or the findings of other researchers.
Ability to conduct high quality research and engage with the academic literature.
Ability to set up data analysis protocols in a reproducible manner.
Strong problem solving ability and analytical skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Proficiency in the use of computers including, but not limited to, MS Office suite, SPSS, Minitab and R.
Ability to process quantitative data and report findings from data gathering exercises.
Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy, towards tight deadlines.
Experience of working on a research project within a mutidiscilinary research environment.
Experience of carrying out secondary analysis of existing data sets from publicly available data sources and the findings of other researchers.
Experience of presenting findings from a research project in report and presentation formats.
Experience of using a range of telecommunications technology.
What we are looking for - Essential Qualifications
A PhD or equivalent qualification involving quantitative research methods and statistics.
How to apply
If you would like to talk with us about this opportunity please contact Henry Dawson, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health Housing and Public Health at hdawson@cardiffmet.ac.uk
To start your application please visit www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/jobs
Closing date: Thursday 4 February 2021, 16:30 pm.
Should a high volume of applications be received, we may need to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage you to apply as early as possible.
We are committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. Our Strategic Plan underpins our commitment to recruit and retain the best talent and we welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds. We appoint on merit.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic all of our recruitment is being conducted virtually. We aim to respond to your application as soon as possible.
Further Information
Full Job Description and Person Specification
Our Candidate Pack
Please visit our website for information about working for us, our culture, benefits, work-life balance and our career progression and development opportunities.