Research and Development Leader for R&D

Job Position: Research and Development Leader at FoU Östergötland The position is located within the Social Administration, one of eight departments in Linköping Municipality. The Social Administration is responsible for official duties, service procurement, and in-house operations within individual and family care, LSS, and social psychiatry. We ensure that all residents receive the support they are entitled to. FoU Östergötland is a collaboration between all municipalities in the county, with the Social Administration of Linköping Municipality as the main administrator. Do you want to enhance daily life and improve the quality of life for Linköping residents? With us, you can make a significant difference and contribute to making Linköping a better place. Welcome to our team! Job Responsibilities FoU Östergötland is seeking a researcher with a quantitative focus to support and conduct research and development work in care, social services, and social work on behalf of municipalities. The researcher will contribute to developing methods and approaches based on scientific research, established experience, and leveraging the target groups' experiences in care, social services, and social work. The role requires an interactive work approach and close collaboration with stakeholders, professionals, and research environments nationally and internationally. Through this interactive approach, the researcher will also contribute to a practice that strengthens municipalities' ability to address current and future welfare challenges. In the Research and Development Leader position, you will conduct analyses and research initiatives that contribute to research-based development within social services. This includes systematically evaluating measures and programs to assess their effectiveness, relevance, and practical usability in social service operations. A central part is also actively promoting knowledge circulation by developing interactive feedback and learning forms between research, practice, and education, as well as offering research-based R&D support to both decision-makers and professionals. This also involves publishing and disseminating research results in relevant forums, both within municipal welfare services and academic contexts, and actively participating in and developing national and international research and development collaborations. Workplace We are now seeking a Research and Development Leader for the FoU Östergötland unit, located under the Staff Division (cross-sectoral development). The unit's mission is to conduct and support research and development work in municipal care, social services, and social work, closely linked to the regional support and collaboration structure (RSS). The goal is to support municipalities in developing knowledge-based operations and contribute to good conditions for addressing current and future welfare challenges. The R&D activities are characterized by an interactive work approach through close collaboration with clients, professionals, research environments nationally and internationally, educational actors, and other stakeholders. You will be based in an activity-based office in central Linköping, with working hours during the day, Monday-Friday, and a flexible time agreement. Candidate Profile We are seeking someone with a doctoral degree in a relevant field, such as social work, public health, or healthcare science. You should have documented experience in designing, conducting, and analyzing quantitative studies in care, social services, or social work. We value experience in contributing to the development and implementation of evidence-based approaches in the welfare sector, as well as experience and knowledge of change processes and learning at the operational level. Previous experience/interest in co-creation and interactive research in close collaboration with practitioners, users, decision-makers, and civil society is a requirement. Experience working within social services, understanding its conditions and challenges, and experience with municipal operations and/or public administration are beneficial. To fulfill the position's responsibilities, you must have knowledge of quantitative research methods and statistical analysis tools, and the ability to handle large and complex datasets, including registry data from sources like Statistics Sweden and the National Board of Health and Welfare. You need to be able to design studies that address complex problems and needs within operations and contribute to practical utility. As you will independently produce high-quality written materials and need to collaborate smoothly with partners both within and outside Sweden, you must have excellent Swedish and English skills, both spoken and written. To succeed in the role, you must be self-driven and take responsibility for your tasks. You need to collaborate well with both internal and external contacts and adapt to changing circumstances. Strategic thinking with a broad perspective on long-term consequences is important, as is working goal-oriented and focusing on results in prioritization and planning. Welcome to apply! Additional Information When applying for a position in Linköping Municipality, you register your application by logging in via e-legitimation (such as BankID or FrejaID) instead of an email address. Lack e-legitimation? Please contact the responsible HR consultant or manager, who will help you register your application. Start Date: By agreement Employment Type: Permanent