Head of Social Research - London, United Kingdom - Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

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Description

Details:

Reference number:

Salary:

- £49,697

A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade:
Grade 7
Contract type:
Permanent
Business area:
Union and Devolution
Type of role:
Analytical
Social Research
Working pattern:
Flexible working, Fulltime, Job share, Parttime
Number of jobs available:
1Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits:

Things you need to know

Location

Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, WolverhamptonAbout the job

Job summary:

As the Union and Devolution Directorate's most senior researcher, the Grade 7 Head of Social Research will set the direction for, and lead the delivery of, our quantitative and qualitative research projects that measure and track public sentiment on issues related to the Union.

This high profile role is embedded within the Strategy, Engagement and Research Unit.

The continued delivery of this research programme is a vital pillar in supporting the Government's manifesto commitment to strengthen the Union.

It underpins the development of the UK Government's Union strategy and provides an evidence base for the formulation of policy and communications on matters related to the Union, allowing teams to identify and deliver effective outcomes for people across the UK.

The findings of these projects are routinely delivered to ministers and senior officials across government, and have been presented at Cabinet meetings and committees.

Job description:

The postholder will be responsible for:

Designing and commissioning regular quantitative and qualitative research projects in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, working closely with strategy, policy and communications colleagues to interpret their needs into actionable research questions. This includes drafting associated research materials, including questionnaires and qualitative topic guides.
Analysing the data obtained and reporting on key findings, developing materials to share and present those insights to a wide range of stakeholders including colleagues from across the Directorate, departments, Senior Civil Servants and Ministers across Government.
Responding to adhoc requests for evidence from internal and external research, including the design and delivery of an innovative research project into the attitudes of young people.
Seeking out and monitoring external research publications, reporting on key findings
Providing direct analytical input into submissions, briefing materials and papers for ministerial meetings
Leading a project to analyse and report on our existing inventory of evidence, to spot trends, potential gaps and opportunities for future insights.
Building and maintaining relationships with our external research providers, ensuring the delivery of high quality research that meets the teams needs and maintaining our associated contractual arrangements.
Management of the Research Team's budget, ensuring spending is accurately forecast and managed well. This includes preparing business planning for the next financial year and beyond, to secure the ongoing viability of the research programme.
Direct line management of junior colleagues

Person specification:

Essential skills

Significant experience of designing and delivering complex social research projects
Excellent quantitative and qualitative research skills, particularly in the areas of survey and focus group design, working with a range of analytical methods and selecting the most appropriate approach to meet project needs
Significant experience of using research insights to present to and influence senior levels, distilling complex data into concise, relevant and actionable findings and using clear communications (written and verbal) to ensure decisions take account of all relevant evidence.
Excellent demonstrable communication skills (written and verbal), with the ability to give presentations to senior stakeholders
Considerable awareness of the wider political context, with the ability to proactively consider how this impacts your work
Excellent relationship management skills, with experience of independently building constructive relationships with teams in the Union & Devolution Directorate, Finance, the wider analytical community and across Government and influencing senior decisionmakers across organisational boundaries.
High resilience and adaptability to changing priorities and processes at pace, balancing longerterm objectives with reactive demands
Be a badged member of the Government Social Research (GSR) profession or meet the criteria to be badged
Have experience of line managing junior colleagues, with the ability to set a clear direction, drive strong performance, foster high wellbeing and support professional development.

Desirable skills