Local Authority Research Practitioner WCC622859

Job Details:

Salary range: £42,912 - £49,155 per annum. Salary negotiable depending upon experience  
Work location: Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, SW1E 6QP
Hours per week: 36 (part time hours will be considered) 
Contract type: Temporary up to 24 Months      
Closing date: 7 December 2025
Interview date: Week commencing 15 December 2025

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF AWARD-WINNING CARBON SAVINGS ON HIGHWAYS PROJECTS 

The Finance Team in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where we go above and beyond for our residents – in all sorts of pioneering ways. By being smart and courageous with the council’s finances we can achieve more for our residents and wider society, especially when working closely with other council departments. 

Our approach to responsible procurement and the way we work collaboratively with our suppliers can bring significant benefits, including huge reductions in environmental impact. 

Take the award-winning Kings Street footway scheme. This was the first scheme of its kind in the UK to switch all possible high carbon materials and equipment for zero and low carbon alternatives. This included using electric tools and excavators, low carbon foundations, concrete and paving and zero-emission deliveries to site. The result? a 79% carbon saving compared to traditional techniques.

And why does this success matter? Because Kings Street has formed a blueprint for future projects. Its success has been translated to five further paving schemes, which have achieved savings of up to 94% operational carbon against comparable sites. A subsequent resurfacing project in Third Avenue achieved another UK first in its use of 85% recycled material on the roadway. These schemes demonstrate that partnership working with our suppliers can help us meet the councils net zero carbon targets. 

Please view the extraordinary story of the King Street footway scheme here

The Role:

As local authority research practitioner #2035 programme, you too can make a powerful contribution. Westminster city council has set an ambitious 10-year programme (to 2035) to tackle health inequalities, the climate crisis and racism as priorities. This post will help make that ambition a reality by building research, monitoring and evaluation (MER) infrastructure, capacity and capability within the #2035 workstream. You’ll commission research projects that span the entire council: Children’s Services, Housing, Sustainability. Your aim will be for all projects to bring a tangible impact to Westminster residents.  

Developing research and evaluation frameworks will be key. You’ll design, pilot monitoring, evaluation and research frameworks (MER) tailored to #2035 goals. Then, you’ll collaborate with directorates, programme management team and partners to ensure synergy across the council.  

You will conduct a skills and capacity audit for research and evaluation in #2035-related teams. Alongside this, you’ll develop and deliver a targeted training plan (workshops, seminars, resources) so that they’re confident on MER and sure on best practice. 

Evidence mapping and knowledge sharing will be a core part of the role. You’ll map the current evidence base that informs #2035, identify research gaps, and produce accessible insight products (newsletters, briefings). You’ll share your findings so that the council can improve. Plus, to help the council make the most of wider research opportunities, you’ll connect with local universities, the National Institute for Health Research, the Integrated Care System and others. 

You’ll be joining the Strategy and Intelligence team, specifically the research analytics business team (RABIT). We foster a good work atmosphere, and our people enjoy the variety of work. Evaluation will be a significant undertaking, and #2035 is an ambitious programme – for the right candidate, it’s an exciting opportunity to leave a positive mark on Westminster.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information. 

About You:

To this role, you’ll bring experience in any of the following fields: Public Health, Health Promotion, Community Development, Children and Young People. You’ve coordinated complex programmes/projects, turning to techniques such as planning, scheduling, risk and issue management, and change control. In particular, you’ve designed and delivered primary research or evaluation in public health or social policy. To achieve this, you’ve built effective working relationships with senior managers and stakeholders, as well as encouraging positive internal collaboration. This is coupled with excellent communication skills (including report writing) and an ability to steer skills development in others. 

You’re familiar with inclusive research methods (participatory approaches) and extensive experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Analysis skills are also key. 

You’re comfortable working across multiple projects at the same time. You’re proactive at identifying issues and coming up with creative solutions. 

It would be nice to see a project management qualification, a CPD in Public Health, Health Promotion, Environmental Health but equivalent experience also works.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role. 

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.   
 
At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties  
 
As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.  
 
The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible. 

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.