Researcher

Download a copy of the Job Description.

Contract type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)
Salary: £30,285 – £33,530 per year (depending on experience)
Location: Whitehall, Greater London (Hybrid)
Line manager: Lead Researcher in the Participation and Policy Team
Application deadline: Sunday 1st June, 23:59 GMT (UK)
Interviews: w/c 16th June (first stage, virtual) & w/c 23rd June (second stage, in-person at our offices in Whitehall)

About Demos

Demos is a highly respected cross-party think tank with a unique approach to making policy to solve our long term problems. Building on nearly 30 years of creativity, ideas and impact, Demos is working to shape a more collaborative democracy, in which power is devolved, citizens participate in policy making, and together as a nation we find answers to the challenges of our century. Demos also has a dedicated digital research hub – Demos Digital – which is a centre of excellence in digital policy. 

Demos’ work focuses on these core pillars: 

• Public Service Reform, to liberate citizens and public servants and prevent problems
• A Citizen Economy, where people, businesses, charities and government work together to achieve growth that works for people as well as profits
• More Trustworthy Technology, in which technological progress aligns with the needs and values of citizens
• A more Collaborative Democracy, in which politicians, experts and citizens partner to tackle the challenges facing our country

About the role

We are looking for a brilliant researcher to support our team with delivery of our research and policy programmes. 

The post will suit someone looking for a junior research and policy role, who is passionate about social change, enthusiastic about Demos’ mission, able to work across multiple projects, and wants to work with and support the development of a collaborative and dynamic team. We are looking for people with an interest in research and policy, and ideally some practical experience of research design and delivery. This experience can be either in an academic or professional setting – even if you haven’t worked in a think tank before, we would still be interested in hearing from you. A positive, can-do attitude and enthusiasm for learning about different topical policy areas is also essential. We encourage you to apply if this sounds like you.

The role will suit someone interested in:

• Developing their own policy ideas and advocating for them to the highest ranks of government.
• Engaging with people’s lived experiences through our research, from in-depth focus groups to deliberative workshops and quantitative polling. 
• Collaborating with partners to amplify our research findings and advocating for a stronger democracy. 
• Appearing in the national media and at events to discuss your research findings and talk about your ideas.
• Authoring reports that are read across the political spectrum at Westminster.
• Being part of a welcoming, creative community of thinkers – both at Demos and among the many other organisations we work closely with. 

You’ll work within our core research and policy team. Recent projects include:

• Mission-Ready Nation: Enabling mass mobilisation around national missions
• Infrastructure for the future: Fixing the foundations of growth in Britain
• The Preventative Shift: How can we embed prevention and achieve long term missions

What you’ll be doing

• You’ll be involved in the delivery of research and design of research materials, using qualitative and quantitative methods to undertake original research to inform evidence-based policy recommendations. 
• You will be looking for opportunities to develop your project management skills. 
• You’ll write high-quality research reports, blogs, and other outputs for a range of audiences, and work with our Impact team to communicate our research findings clearly, compellingly and creatively. 
• You’ll help develop Demos’ networks with different stakeholder groups, including policymakers, industry, academic, media and civil society. You will be keen to identify fundraising opportunities and support writing proposals. 

What you’ll need to be successful  

The types of skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours we are looking for are below. We welcome a range of applications which include at least some of these attributes.

Skills

• Enthusiastic, with a can-do attitude and ability to juggle priorities in a dynamic workplace
• Keen to learn and take up opportunities for professional development
• Ability to use, analyse and interpret data
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills: comfortable writing for a range of audiences, presenting complex information in easy-to-understand and engaging formats 
• An interest in how policymaking works, and how change happens 
• Demonstrable interest and passion for public policy making and social change, at the community, local, national or international level, and interest in the future of technology and the political questions it raises. 

Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of research design, methods and ethics 
• A strong interest in, and demonstrable knowledge of, public policy making and social change at the community, local, national or international level

Experience

• Conducting primary research, including research design (discussion guides, surveys etc.) and moderation 
• Conducting secondary research, including literature reviews and evidence reviews
• Playing a critical role in project delivery and providing project management support 
• Supporting fundraising efforts, including drafting grant applications and/or project proposals 
• Building networks and collaborating with external partners

Behaviours

• Highly collaborative in approach to working with colleagues and external partners
• A passion for the kind of politics we want to promote, coupled with an open mind and inclusive approach to working with people whose ideas and opinions differ
• Enthusiastic, with a can-do attitude and willingness to juggle priorities in a dynamic workplace

Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice (DIEJ) at Demos

At Demos, we recognise, celebrate and promote the positive contributions that are made by diverse groups. We exist to proactively tackle social and economic exclusion, and engaging with and promoting the voices of people whose voices may not otherwise be heard is core to our work. We believe that this should be reflected in our team and we strongly encourage applications from people from minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, or others with lived experience of disadvantage. We expect all members of our team to recognise and value differences and the unique contributions that people make to the way we conduct our work and develop our insights, and encourage people to bring their diverse perspectives and backgrounds into their work on a day-to-day basis. We would be happy to discuss flexible working requirements with any candidates.

What we offer

• Generous leave entitlement: 27 days + Bank holidays + 3 additional days off between Christmas and New Year
• Enhanced pension contribution: 6%
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced parental leave
• A forward-thinking, supportive and collaborative team

At Demos we centre staff wellbeing as a key priority; we will make every effort to ensure staff feel happy, healthy and valued as part of our integral team.

Application and selection process

To apply, please provide the following through our application submission form.  

• An anonymised CV (with any references to your name and personal details removed)
• Answers to four screening questions (up to 250 words each) highlighting your interest and experience, relevant skills and your reasons for applying to work with Demos 
• A completed copy of our diversity monitoring form (optional)

The screening questions will be evaluated and graded anonymously to minimise bias in our screening process. 

We will conduct 30-minute first round interviews virtually in the week commencing 16th June. Second round 50-minute interviews will be held in person at our offices in Whitehall in w/c 23rd June.

Candidates shortlisted for second stage interviews will be asked to prepare a presentation proposing a research project, and to provide a non-academic writing sample (e.g. policy brief, blog post, or policy report style writing) that evidences their familiarity with a policy topic and their ability to communicate an idea clearly to an audience. 

Please do get in touch at [email protected] if you require any adjustments to be able to engage with our recruitment process.

Questions?

If you have any further questions or aren’t sure if the role is right for you, please feel free to reach out to us by emailing [email protected] and we would be happy to answer any queries. 

We look forward to hearing from you!