Health Services Researcher

Key Areas for Performance

HIQA has identified key behavioural and technical competencies for effective performance through a Competency Framework as seen below. Please refer to the role description for an overview of each competency and the proficiency levels required for this role. For more in-depth information on the competencies, it is important that you review the full competency framework guidance document which is available at: https://www.hiqa.ie/about-us/careers

Proficiency Levels

This Competency Framework is based on four levels of proficiency that build on each other:

Emerging/Developing: The level of competency required to carry out some of the core requirements of the role, with support or leadership required to develop competency in other requirements.

Proficient: The level of competency required to carry out the core requirements of a role.

Skilled: The level of competency required to carry out the core requirements of a role, and develop capability in others or demonstrate the competency in a more senior or complex role.

Master: The level of competency required to carry out the core requirements of a role, develop capability in others, demonstrate the competency in a more senior or complex role and be seen as a role model in the organisation or field in that area of competence.

Role Purpose

The purpose of this role within the relevant business unit and for HIQA as a whole:

The purpose of this role is to join a multidisciplinary team with responsibility for the effective implementation of HIQA’s programmes to deliver high quality health technology assessments, other evidence based advice and evidence synthesis outputs and therefore to embed evidence based methodology in the health decision making processes in Ireland.

The HTA Directorate comprises approximately 60 analysts. The scope of the HTA Directorate’s work includes providing evidence synthesis and evidence based advice to inform public health policy, and providing health technology assessments to inform decision making on investment or disinvestment in health technologies and programmes, including decisions in relation to national screening and national immunisation programmes.

Teams within the HTA Directorate also perform evidence synthesis to support the development of National Clinical Guidelines and the development of national health policy, and evidence synthesis reviews to inform decisions related to the generic justification of practices involving medical exposure to ionising radiation.

Since 31 March 2025, HIQA hosts the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, Ireland’s National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group. Staff from the HTA Directorate provide the clinical, technical and administrative secretariat for the committee to support the development of independent evidence based advice on vaccines, immunisation and related health matters to inform health policies in Ireland, and updates to the Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland.

HIQA works collaboratively with high level stakeholders, with academic groups and with international health technology assessment agencies to deliver these objectives. Methods development and academic outputs are actively encouraged and the Directorate hosts a range of postgraduate fellowships and an active postgraduate degree training programme.

The post holder will actively engage in the work of the HTA Directorate and of HIQA to deliver on the annual business plan in line with the strategic objectives as outlined in HIQA’s Corporate Plan.

Behavioural Expectations

The way that HIQA people are expected to work to role model HIQA values:

The incumbent of this role is expected to demonstrate HIQA’s values in the delivery of everyday work and interactions with clients and colleagues, by putting people first, being fair and objective, being open and accountable, demonstrating excellence and innovation and working together.

Common Tasks

Team Member

• Seek clarity on the tasks associated with own role

• Complete tasks in compliance with policies and procedures

• Adhere to relevant legislation, standards and internal audits

• Fulfil any mandatory or professional competency requirements

• Maintain confidentiality and a professional approach

• Raise any concerns in relation to workplace health and safety

• Actively identify learning needs and development opportunities

• Actively contribute as a team member

• Follow direction and take on new and different tasks

• Set and achieve performance goals that contribute to HIQA strategy

• Regularly seek feedback to meet performance expectations and goals

Role Specific Tasks

The nature of the tasks and activities associated with the role will vary accordingly. It will involve:

The key tasks and activities associated with the role include but are not limited to:

• Contributing to the production of broad comprehensive health technology assessments, evidence reviews and appraisals of evidence submissions by multidisciplinary teams within defined timelines

• Liaising with Expert Advisory Groups and other key external stakeholders

• Conducting systematic literature reviews and analysis of clinical and economic data to inform development of analytical models and or summary report writing

• Gathering, analysing and interpreting epidemiological, clinical effectiveness and economic data to populate simulation models to estimate clinical benefits, cost effectiveness and budget impact

• Contributing to the development of simulation models to estimate clinical benefits, cost effectiveness and budget impact of health interventions

• Working across some or all of the key evidence domains to include description of the technology, epidemiology, clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, budget and resource impact, organisational issues, social and ethical issues

• Contributing to drafting and writing reports that present complex information in an easily understood and accessible format

• Coordinating with the Communications Department the publication of key documents and the coordination of consultative processes

• Working on collaborative projects with academic partners and with other national and international bodies involved in health technology assessment, technology appraisals and health evidence synthesis

• Assisting in the development of processes, policies, quality standards and training materials to ensure evidence syntheses and appraisals are completed in accordance with described standards and are of a high quality

• Leading on or contributing to peer reviewed academic publications

• Contributing to the development of evidence synthesis methodology

• Contributing to the development of National health technology assessment Guidelines

• Assisting in health technology assessment, technology appraisal and evidence synthesis capacity building in the wider health service

• Proactively engaging in performance development reviews and actively seeking out learning and development opportunities

• Mentoring more junior members of the team as required

• Providing support to other directorate staff as required

• Undertaking other duties and responsibilities as may be determined by the Director of Health Technology Assessment

The contents of any role description are not exhaustive and are intended to be indicative of the scope of the role.

Qualifications

Essential

In determining your eligibility the following are the essential qualifications that will be assessed as part of the shortlisting stage of the selection process:

• Degree qualification (Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications or equivalent) in a discipline relevant to Health Services Research, health economics or a relevant clinical area or a postgraduate degree in a relevant area, such as Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Economics, Health Services Research, or in a health related science with a high content in health services research

Desirable

• Postgraduate degree in a relevant area, such as Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Economics, Statistics or Mathematics, Health Services Research, or in a health related science with a high content in health services research

Experience

Essential

In determining your eligibility the following are the essential knowledge and experience that will be assessed as part of the shortlisting stage of the selection process:

• Three years of experience in relevant health services research

Other knowledge and experience deemed necessary for the role:

• Extensive practical experience of evaluating and interpreting complex scientific and or economic literature on health interventions

• Extensive practical experience in a relevant field of expertise, for example health services research, epidemiological analysis and or statistical analysis, data analysis, simulation modelling of clinical benefits, cost effectiveness and budget impact of health interventions, systematic review of clinical effectiveness, safety and cost effectiveness, clinical practice

• Extensive demonstrable experience in writing and editing technical reports

• Proven team working and project management experience to deliver high quality outputs to agreed timelines and quality standards

• Extensive experience of presenting information through a variety of means to a range of audiences

• Extensive experience working with software packages that aid in the analysis of data

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desirable

• Practical experience of analysis of data using a variety of quantitative and or qualitative methodologies

• Experience of liaising with both internal and external stakeholders to present information and or gather data

• Knowledge of the healthcare system in Ireland and an understanding of the role of health technology assessment and evidence synthesis to inform health policy and health service decisions

• Academic publication record

• Experience of systematic review of clinical literature

Principal Conditions of Service

Probation

A probationary period of six months applies to this position.

Pay

Candidates will be appointed on the minimum point of the salary scale (€75,448) and in accordance with Department of Finance guidelines. The rate of remuneration will not be subject to negotiation.

The incremental progression for this scale is in line with Government pay policy. The salary scale for this position is as follows:

Engineer II (PPC)

€75,448 €77,172 €78,891 €80,619 €82,342 €82,801

€84,499 €86,262 €89,133¹ €92,011²

After 3 years’ satisfactory service at the maximum

After 6 years’ satisfactory service at the maximum

Entry will be at the first point of the scale. An exception may occur where an appointee has been serving elsewhere in the public service in an analogous grade and pay scale. In this case the appointment may be assimilated to the nearest point of the advertised salary scale with their incremental date adjusted accordingly.

Please note the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Superannuation

Pensionable public servants recruited on or after 1 January 2013 will be members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. The legislation giving effect to the Scheme is the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.

For those not subject to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, the Health Information and Quality Authority Superannuation Scheme will apply.

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 27 days, rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service.

Hours of Attendance

Hours of attendance will amount to not less than 35 per week. The appointee may be required to work additional hours as may be reasonable and necessary for the proper performance of duties, subject to working time regulations.

Blended Working Arrangements

HIQA has introduced blended working to offer more flexible working arrangements to all employees. The organisation aims to strike a balance between being flexible, efficient and resilient by facilitating blended working where practical, while enabling onsite interaction, collaboration and support as required.

All roles in HIQA have been assessed under the criteria of business needs and role suitability for blended working. This determined the proportion of time that employees will spend working in HIQA offices and working from home, depending on their role.

Depending on the role, there may be a requirement to attend the office for more than the allocated number of days for training and onboarding purposes at the start of employment and during the probation period.

HIQA is moving from Interim Blended Working to a long term Blended Working Model. The existing policy and documentation will be revised and updated once the framework for the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act is published. The model is in line with the Civil Service Framework for Blended Working in Ireland

Further guidance on HIQA’s Blended Working Policy, including eligibility criteria, will be issued to successful candidates. This is an opt in policy and details on how to apply will be provided before commencement.

Citizenship Requirements

Eligible candidates must be:

a) A citizen of the European Economic Area. The European Economic Area consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or

b) A citizen of the United Kingdom; or

c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the European Union and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

d) A non European Economic Area citizen who has a Stamp 4 or Stamp 5 permission

Candidates must be eligible by the date of any job offer. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure these permissions are in place.

Candidates will be required to provide verification of citizenship eligibility and qualifications in a form acceptable to the Health Information and Quality Authority.

Candidate Obligations

Candidates should note that canvassing will disqualify them and result in exclusion from the process.

Candidates must not:

• Knowingly or recklessly provide false information

• Canvass any person with or without inducements

• Impersonate a candidate at any stage of the process

• Interfere with or compromise the process in any way

Where a candidate is found guilty of canvassing or in breach of any of the above:

• Where not appointed, they will be disqualified as a candidate; or

• Where appointed, they shall forfeit that appointment

Candidates must:

• Have the knowledge and ability to discharge the duties of the post

• Be suitable on the grounds of character

• Be suitable in all other relevant respects for appointment to the post and, if successful, will not be appointed unless they:

• Agree to undertake the duties attached to the post and accept the conditions under which the duties are or may be required to be performed

• Are fully competent and available to undertake, and fully capable of undertaking, the duties attached to the position

• Are passed medically fit to take up the appointment

Prior to Appointing

Prior to recommending any candidate for appointment, HIQA will make all enquiries deemed necessary to determine suitability. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed, a final determination cannot be made nor can it be deemed or inferred that such a determination has been made.

Should the recommended person not accept the appointment, or having accepted it relinquish it, HIQA may at its discretion select and recommend another person for appointment based on the results of this selection process.

Deeming of Candidature to be Withdrawn

Candidates who do not attend for interview when and where required, or who do not furnish requested evidence relevant to their candidature, will have no further claim for consideration.

Confidentiality

Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts 2014, all enquiries and applications are treated as strictly confidential and are not disclosed to anyone outside those directly involved in the process.