Senior Research Officer

Job Introduction The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is looking for an experienced and ambitious Senior Research Officer to join our Research, Intelligence and Inclusive Growth team within the WMCA's Strategy Unit. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of regional policymaking, helping to connect research, evidence and insight with some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the West Midlands.

You'll lead the development of the region's research ecosystem, building partnerships with universities, government departments, local authorities, funders and national research organisations. You will help identify and mobilise research around regional priorities, strengthen the use of evidence in decision-making, and support innovative approaches to tackling complex economic and social challenges.

What you will be doing. Reporting to the Head of Research, Intelligence and Inclusive Growth, you will: Lead the development and delivery of the West Midlands Areas of Research Interest (ARI) programme. Build and maintain strategic partnerships with universities, research organisations and policy networks. Coordinate research and insight activities that support evidence-informed policymaking. Lead knowledge exchange activities that translate research into practical action and impact.

Develop collaboration agreements and support research funding opportunities that align with regional priorities. Strengthen research capability across WMCA through communities of practice, training and professional support. Oversee research governance, ethics and quality assurance processes. Support production of strategic intelligence, evidence reviews and commissioned research. Represent WMCA within regional and national research networks and partnerships.

What's essential. We're looking for someone who can operate confidently across research, policy and partnership environments. Experience of working with universities, research institutes or research funders. Experience building strategic partnerships and collaborative programmes. Strong understanding of research methods and evidence generation. Ability to translate policy challenges into researchable questions and practical evidence needs Experience influencing senior stakeholders and building relationships across complex organisations.

Excellent communication and facilitation skills. Strong project management and organisational skills. A commitment to improving outcomes for communities through evidence-informed decision-making Location. The location for this role is Summer Lane, Birmingham with at least 2 days a week spent in the office. How to apply . Applying for a role with WMCA is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started.

Create your Careers Account. Register with your name, email address, and a password. Build your Profile. Upload your CV to help populate your career and education details. Write your Supporting Statement. Make sure to address each of the required essential criteria. Submit your application. Do one final check and once complete, click submit. Please note, we reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist.

Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role. Anonymised Applications. Your uploaded CV won’t be visible after submission. Our process is anonymised, and only the information in your profile is used for shortlisting . Be thorough in each section. It’s your chance to showcase your skills and experience. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content.

Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application. Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site. Re