Head of Strategy, Research Engagement & Inclusion

Job summary

You will be engaging, developing and maintaining productive, high quality relationships with multiple stakeholders across the region. The role requires someone who has excellent communication, facilitation and engagement skills with the ability to think strategically and innovatively to broaden participation in research to enhance research delivery and support effective partnership working. This is an exciting and influential position that will enable the successful candidate to use their detailed knowledge of the research and health care. This is also an opportunity to be part of an ambitious collaborative health and care region and RRDN that is committed to improving diversity and inclusivity across our workstreams. Time will be invested in creating supportive relationships and working collectively to support innovation and improvement and to motivate and inspire teams. Please consider applying if you are passionate and keen to support this important agenda and can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic and talented Senior Manager to join the NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) in Yorkshire & Humber. The Head of Strategy Research Engagement and Inclusion is a critical member of the Y&H RRDN Management Team who takes a lead on coordinating and delivering regional responses to key RDN strategies, ensuring all engagement and inclusion opportunities are considered, supported and optimised for all stakeholders. The role is also an exciting opportunity to lead at regional and national level.

About us

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our vision is to provide the highest quality specialist and integrated care. We will do this through delivery of our multi-year goals and strategic priorities, which you can read about on this page. Central to it all is The Leeds Way our values and behaviours that are at the heart of everything we do.

Details

• Date posted: 26 July 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 8b
• Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 001686
• Job locations: St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9 7TF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

For questions about this job, contact:

Name Fiona Halstead Position Strategic Development Director Email yh.rrdn.admin@nihr.ac.uk

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated, enthusiastic and talented Senior Manager to join the NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) in Yorkshire & Humber. The Head of Strategy Research Engagement and Inclusion is a critical member of the Y&H RRDN Management Team who takes a lead on coordinating and delivering regional responses to key RDN strategies, ensuring all engagement and inclusion opportunities are considered, supported and optimised for all stakeholders.

The role is also an exciting opportunity to lead at regional and national level.

Why you should join our Team

The NIHR Yorkshire and Humber (Y&H) Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN) is one of 12 RRDNs across the whole of England who work alongside the NIHR Research Delivery Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) and together are known as the NIHR RDN. The NIHR RDN enables the health and care system to attract, optimise and deliver research across England and has 3 primary purposes: (1) enabling research delivery across England; (2) investing in capacity and capability for delivering the RDN Portfolio; (3) supporting the implementation of national policy.

This role is therefore part of regional and national team that support the vision for the UK to be a global leader in the delivery of high-quality research that is inclusive, accessible, and improves health and care.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

What you will bring to the role

You will be engaging, developing and maintaining productive, high quality relationships with multiple stakeholders across the region.

The role requires someone who has excellent communication, facilitation and engagement skills with the ability to think strategically and innovatively to broaden participation in research to enhance research delivery and support effective partnership working.

This is an exciting and influential position that will enable the successful candidate to use their detailed knowledge of the research and health care.

This is also an opportunity to be part of an ambitious collaborative health and care region and RRDN that is committed to improving diversity and inclusivity across our workstreams. Time will be invested in creating supportive relationships and working collectively to support innovation and improvement and to motivate and inspire teams. Please consider applying if you are passionate and keen to support this important agenda and can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria.

The role will be contractually based in Leeds with working bases also in York & Sheffield.

Working Pattern: 37.5 hours Interview Date: Between 17 & 24 August 2026 TBC

For further information please review the Job Description carefully

For informal discussion Fiona Halstead Strategic Development Director will be available from 3 August 2026 yh.rrdn.admin@nihr.ac.uk

About Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

Our Trust values

The Leeds Way is working together to support each other and deliver the best possible care to patients.

We are….

Responsible Open and Honest One Team Kind

Our Trust priorities

Our purpose: Excellent, safe and sustainable care for every patient every time

Our priorities:

People Improvement and Innovation Partnerships Outcomes

To comply with UK Government regulations on Skilled Worker sponsorship, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust is unable to provide sponsorship to applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria or the salary threshold concessions set out under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please take this into consideration before submitting your application. Full guidance on these concessions, including details of who may qualify, can be found here.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.