Research Officer

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) is an independent public inquiry, established under the Inquiries Act 2005, chaired by the Rt. Hon. Lady Smith.

The Inquiry’s offices and public hearings venue are based in central Edinburgh.

To support the successful achievement of the work of the Inquiry, the Inquiry is looking to recruit a Research Officer. The successful candidate will be responsible for their own projects, working under the supervision of the Head of Policy and Research. Primary responsibilities will include day-to-day management of research databases and data input, production of research reviews, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative information gathered by the Inquiry. This role is critical to ensure that research produced and commissioned by the Inquiry is of the highest quality and contributes to the specific aspects of the Inquiry’s terms of reference.

This post offers an excellent opportunity for a highly conscientious individual to gain further experience in a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment, where they will be making a significant contribution to the investigation of the abuse of children in care, and recommendations to changes in policy and practice to protect children in the future.

Main Duties

You will:

• 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;
• Produce literature and rapid reviews of research to inform and guide the work of the Inquiry, ensuring high quality data is used across the Inquiry;
• Review and evaluate the implementation of public policies
• 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;
• Be responsible for own projects’ objectives and targets;
• Support with copy-editing and proofreading reports, ensuring consistency and accuracy within and across outputs, both in terms of their content and format;
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, establishing effective working relationships with colleagues across the Inquiry; and
• Where required, support other tasks within the Policy and Research Team

Competencies and Experience Required

• Analysis and Use of Evidence
• Communications and Engagement
• Improving Performance
• Self-Awareness

Essential Criteria

• 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, RStudio, Jamovi, and Power BI.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills and command of English grammar and usage.
• A strong commitment to quality and meticulous attention to detail.
• Proven experience of working under pressure and to tight timescales.
• Experience of working independently, as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Highly organised and efficient, and able to prioritise tasks according to project development stages.
• Personal resilience and the ability to deal with what can be a distressing subject matter.

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