Research Officer
Location: Edinburgh | Contract: 12 months | Rate: £180/day (Inside IR35)
Our client consist of a mixture of public engagement/participation and research expertise. Your role will be to support the research, analysis and write-up elements. The client has heard from over 12,500 people across Scotland, and they require a skilled researcher to help with analysis, coding, and reporting on this large data set.
You will help analyse the experiences gathered through a national exercise that took place between May 2023 and November 2024. The work was informed by human-rights based approach, equalities, trauma-informed, as well as accessibility.
The ideal candidate will have a sound understanding of social science research and qualitative methodologies, and their practical application. The candidate will also be able to work both autonomously as well as part of a team.
You will benefit from a working in an environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance work life balance.
What you'll do:
- Support the internal research and analysis team to plan and execute a series of report publications. (25%)
- Support the day-to-day research, analysis and write-up elements of the project, including research analysis, design, data protection and other considerations. (30%)
- Employ qualitative analysis tools, such as NVivo, to support the ongoing analysis and outputs of the listening project. If you have not done this before, a willingness to quickly learn this method and any other software as required. (25%)
- Support the engagement feedback loop to ensure meaningful participation in the project and the Inquiry (5%).
- Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, including engagement and participation staff, to ensure the successful operation and logistics of the project. (5%)
- Work on other duties as required to support wider client activities. (10%)
What you'll need:
- Knowledge and experience of applying a range of social research methods to address research questions, through an intersectional lens.
- The ability to critically evaluate large data sets and other research evidence with accuracy and perception to meet the needs of research users.
- The ability to communicate effectively (both orally and in writing) on complex issues.
- Experience of planning, reviewing and prioritising work and resources to deliver results.
- Candidates should hold a PHD, or a Master's degree with practical experience, in a relevant social science, public health, or related field where there was a substantive emphasis on the use of qualitative research methods.
- It would be preferable for candidates to have experience of working with Qualitative data or mixed methods analysis software (e.g. NVivo or R), or express a willingness to learn at pace.
All temporary workers must be cleared to the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Candidates must also obtain a standard level disclosure check prior to commencement.
To apply, please submit a personal statement (max 500 words) outlining how you meet the responsibilities and the four essential criteria described above, along with a CV. Applicants must also submit 1-2 examples of previous written work to demonstrate analytical writing skills. These can include published works or internal projects such as reports or briefing notes.
