CPRD IR Senior Researcher

We are currently looking for a Senior Researcher to join our Clinical Practice Research Datalink team in the Safety and Surveillance group.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a 24-month fixed term contract/loan/internal move or temporary promotion basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.  

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 4 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 8 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly. 

Who Are We?

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research. 

The Safety and Surveillance Group brings together into a single integrated structure devices and medicines safety expertise with enforcement capabilities. These functions will be supported by our data and evidence generating capabilities complementing our signal generating capabilities produced via the new Safety Connect System.

Part of the Safety and Surveillance group, The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), with support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is the UK’s preeminent research service providing access to anonymised NHS data for research. In addition to supporting high quality observational research, CPRD has developed world leading services based on using real world data to support clinical trials and interventional studies.

What’S The Role?

This role offers an exciting opportunity to help build on the CPRD’s 30-years of data for public health and clinical research, resulting in over 3,500 peer-reviewed publications investigating a wide range of subject areas from drug safety to disease risk and more recently interventional clinical research and support for clinical trial delivery. Join us to help support delivery of our real-world data enabled clinical research support and delivery. The CPRD Senior Researcher role offers an exciting opportunity to help shape the UK Government’s premier data-driven clinical research service. We are seeking an individual who wishes to apply their analytical skills and in depth understanding of real word data in novel ways to advance our innovative data-driven feasibility, patient recruitment and clinical trials management services based on unrivalled access to population health data. 

The Senior Researcher is responsible for implementing the innovative use of real world pseudonymised patient data across the range of CPRD's interventional research services.  Responsibilities include defining the strategy and implementing standard methods and algorithmic approaches to data capture, transformation and export; undertaking complex data management tasks for interventional research studies and services; creating standard libraries of clinical concepts for use and re-use in studies and implementation within a technological service capability platform; and providing advice to clients in the application of CPRD data in clinical research. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Create strategic data management plans to support interventional research
• Create a range of standard interventional research data management algorithms
• Embed data management within the interventional research team
• Publish outputs from real world interventional research and People Management

Who are we looking for? 

Our Successful Candidate Will:

• Have a PhD or equivalent experience in epidemiology, medical statistics or a related discipline.
• Be proficient at using epidemiological and statistical techniques with a solid understanding of research study design.
• Have excellent oral and written communication skills with experience in presenting research, writing study protocols, and drafting strategic papers and manuscripts for publication.
• Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared objectives
• Ensure delivery of timely quality outcomes, through providing the right resources to do the job, reviewing and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification! 

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

The Selection Process:

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here. 

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application. 
• Test, further information will be supplied when you reach this stage.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

In the instance that we receive a high number of applications, we will hold an initial sift based on the lead criteria of: Proficient at using epidemiological and statistical techniques with a solid understanding of research study design.

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description. 

Use of AI in Job Applications:

Applicants must ensure that anything submitted must be factually accurate and truthful. Plagiarism ‘can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible. 

• Closing date: Wednesday 15th October 2025
• Shortlisting date: Thursday 23rd October 2025
• Interview date: Monday 10th November 2025

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here. 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include: 

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens
• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings 
• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required 
• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required. 

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. 

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact Florentina Oyelami, Head of Talent Acquisition, Florentina.Oyelami@mhra.gov.uk. 

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk 

Info@Csc.Gov.Uk

Civil Service Commission

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