Senior Research Officer

Venesky-Brown’s client, a public sector organisation in Edinburgh, is currently looking to recruit a Senior Research Officer for an initial 23 month contract, on a rate of £220.98/day (Outside of IR35). This role will be primarily office-based, with a degree of flexibility of up to two days per week working from home.

Responsibilities:

- Undertake specialist, strategic, and impactful research, including the gathering, processing, and analysis of highly sensitive and confidential data, to inform and guide the work of the Inquiry, ensuring high quality data is used across the organisation.

- Provide regular specialist advice and guidance to the Chair, Senior Counsel to the Inquiry, and Chief Executive of the Inquiry, along with other senior Inquiry colleagues, such as the Solicitor team, on all aspects of research. 

- Provide strategic advice and specialist knowledge to the Chair and Senior Management Team, which will impact and influence the development of the organisation practice and policy.

- Through the application of specialist knowledge and professional expertise, provide achievable and judicious solutions to complex research and policy issues.

- Be autonomous for setting own projects, objectives and targets.

- Be responsible for the design, creation, implementation, and day-to-day management of research databases.

- Carry out analysis of information gathered by the wider Inquiry teams for research purposes and be able to communicate findings to a variety of stakeholders in sensitive, compelling, and creative ways.

- Be responsible and accountable for the production (research and compilation) of specialist reports, managing and coordinating resources to ensure project targets are achieved within agreed timescales. 

- Using specialist knowledge relevant to individual projects be responsible for copy-editing and proof-reading reports, ensuring consistency and accuracy within and across outputs, both in terms of their content and format.

- Be responsible for providing business research solutions through the development and/or adaption of existing procedures.

- Research, identify and obtain information relevant to the work of the Inquiry including, but not exclusively, historical, national and local government records, other institutional records, legislation, and published research.

- Produce rapid reviews of research.

- Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, establishing effective working relationships with colleagues across the Inquiry.

- Where required, support other tasks within the Policy and Research Team.

Essential Skills:

- Graduate or postgraduate qualification combined with significant experience.

- Proven experience of gathering, managing, manipulating and analysing complex and sensitive data for research purposes.

- Experience working on complex, large-scale research projects and datasets.

- Excellent IT literacy, including advanced use of Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, and Outlook.

- Experience of using research analysis software such as NVivo, SPSS, R, or Jamovi.

- Excellent communication and presentation skills, and command of English grammar and usage.

- Highly organised and efficient.

- A strong commitment to quality and meticulous attention to detail.

- Proven experience of working under pressure and to tight timescales.

- Proven experience of working independently, as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

- Personal resilience and the ability to deal with what can be a distressing subject matter.

If you would like to hear more about these opportunities, please get in touch.

To apply please send an up-to-date CV, accompanied by a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words, to jackw@venesky-brown.co.uk by Friday 10th May at 9am.

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