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Research Assistant - Public Policy London, England

ICF

Full Time London, England 27000 - 29974 GBP ANNUAL Today

Job description

We are looking for Research Assistants to join our UK policy research and evaluation teams.

The Research Assistant role is an entry-level role for social and environmental researchers who are new to the profession. The role will give you experience of working across a wide range of projects and topics, coupled with research training that will enable you to grow your career at ICF. We are looking for people with demonstrable interest in one or more policy research topics and / or research methods relevant to our UK Government and UK third sector clients. These include:

Social policy, i.e. research with people that use services and agencies that work in the health, education, employment, social care, food and the food chain, business and regulation of businesses, justice, housing policy areas or similar
Environmental policy, i.e. research with stakeholders involved in policy connected with biodiversity, land use and environmental management, farming, fisheries, or similar
Research methods: i.e. applied research involving the analysis of primary data, including: qualitative analysis, applied economics and economic analysis connected with UK government policy, evaluation of policies and projects including impact evaluation and quasi-experimental approaches, service design / user experience research, data science and data visualisation or similar

People who have experience of working in front line services with an interest in pursuing a career in research are very much welcome to apply.

What you’ll get to do:

From day one, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a varied range of influential research projects across the UK. Our work is multidisciplinary, and by becoming part of a growing team of more than 50 social scientists, policy analysts, data analysts, behavioural researchers and economists, you will gain experience of different policy areas and research methods. You will be working across multiple projects and we will support you to develop your own career pathway as you grow your skills, through excellent training and development opportunities.

ICF’s clients include government departments and agencies such as NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, Health Education England, the Department for Education, the Department for Work and Pensions, DEFRA, the Food Standards Agency, Natural England and the Department for Business and Trade – as well as local government and leading charities. Many of our researchers also support wider ICF teams with a range of social and economic policy research projects for the European Commission.

Examples of some of our recent projects include the evaluation of the Housing First Pilots for homeless people, research on health needs following COVID-19 for a local authority, the evaluation of the Childhood Obesity Trailblazers for DHSC, designing an evaluation strategy for a major charity’s new programme to tackle the health effects of air pollution in urban environments, and the evaluation of a major regulatory programme for the FSA.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

Perform research and analysis on public policy issues and programmes for public and third sector clients, by:

Carrying out open source research, and analysing / summarising academic and policy literature.
Conducting face to face, telephone and video interviews, writing up interviews and focus groups, and carrying out qualitative analysis using a variety of tools and software.
Managing surveys, and analysing quantitative data using a variety of tools and software.
Generating insightful findings, preparing descriptive and analytical texts and data visualisations.
Providing research and administrative support to other team members.

Essential Requirements:

Excellent oral and written English.
Excellent time management skills.
University qualification relevant to social or environmental policy (graduate or postgraduate, for example but not limited to social sciences, economics or health economics, applied statistics, human geography or anthropology, environmental policy or management, political science, service design, psychology or sociology, public policy research or public administration).
Experience of using a variety of methods (qualitative and/or quantitative) in research projects (either own project and/or as part of a team).
Strong interest in UK policy, the improvement of public services and use of evidence in policy making.
Intermediate or advanced computer user skills related to carrying out research and data analysis.

Desirable:

Skills in editing or proofreading other people’s written work.
Experience in undertaking evaluations of projects or programmes.
Knowledge of the work of UK government departments.

Personal Qualities:

Highly developed interpersonal / communication skills, and ability to work with a multidisciplinary team spread across the UK and Europe.
Sound research and business ethics.
Ability to manage own time and be flexible to handle multiple priorities, managing a varied workload to meet deadlines.
Ability to write skilfully and accurately summarise and synthesise information and evidence from a wide range of sources.
High level of attention to detail and accuracy.
Strong, demonstrable commitment to helping us build an inclusive team that values diversity.

Ready to apply?

The base location for the role will be either London, Birmingham, Leeds, Plymouth or Manchester. Please state your preference in your covering letter. We have a hybrid working model that supports our employees to work from a base office and from home.

Interested candidates are invited to follow the link and submit a one-page cover letter and a two-page CV.
Applications without a cover letter will not be selected.
You must upload your cover letter and CV as two separate files (Word or pdf).
Applicants may have to complete a written test at home as part of the recruitment process, to be scheduled at a convenient time for the candidate.
Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to take part in a written test or interview.
Applications will be closed 12/05 at 6 PM.

#indeed

About us:

Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative, committed, ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to benefit people, businesses, and governments around the globe. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building an inclusive workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are committed to creating a culture where we embrace our differences in ideas and identities. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals.

Learn more about

what we do

and our commitment to

inclusion

The benefits of joining ICF:

Our people at ICF are our most important asset, so we invest in them from the moment they arrive. When you join our team, you’ll have access to a vast array of benefits to help you live your life well.

We offer a hybrid working policy, which will provide you with the flexibility to collaborate in the office, as well as in the comfort of your own home, ensuring you are able to successfully deliver the requirements of your role.

To support you, our employee wellbeing hub is designed to provide highly personalised support across a comprehensive range of wellbeing issues, such as mind, body, finances, community, career programs and HR support.

We enjoy celebrating success, which is why we have a competitive recognition program called ‘You Matter’, which awards points as a ‘thank you’ for your work achievements. These can be spent on a large variety of high-quality items, as well as online or high-street vouchers, all with zero tax payable by the employee.

ICF also offers a range of competitive benefits, which include:

Single Private Medical Insurance cover with no restrictions on existing conditions.
Dental insurance and an online GP service.
25 days annual leave, plus UK bank holidays (annual leave increases with years of service).
Pension scheme with 5% of salary employer contribution
Life assurance paying 4x annual salary and Group Income Protection paying 66% of salary for up to 5 years if you are off work on long-term sick.
Enhanced parental leave policies, enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental pay.

London, United Kingdom (GB75)

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