Hybrid Senior Researcher

at National Centre for Social Research

• Job title: Senior Researcher
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior
• Salary: £30,000 - £43,109 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, London, United Kingdom

About the role

• Senior Researcher focusing on statistical impact evaluation at NatCen. Designing and analyzing trials to inform national policies across various sectors.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to designs of randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental evaluations.
• Implement statistical analysis of data from large randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental evaluations, including survey and administrative data, and interpret the results within a policy evaluation context.
• Be part of the tendering process for research projects by contributing to the writing up of proposals.
• Contribute to drafting research reports and preparing other outputs for clients.
• Advise other researchers on evaluation methods.
• Contribute to teaching on short courses in statistical impact evaluation methods.
• Disseminate findings via conferences and written reports/papers.
• Undertake continuing personal development to enhance research skills, keeping up to date with recent developments in evaluation methods and relevant policy areas.
• Maintain and promote high ethical and information security standards.

Requirements

• An undergraduate degree and/or postgraduate degree in a relevant subject, such as social science, economics, or statistics.
• Technical knowledge and practical experience of statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of basic statistical concepts, regression modelling, and interpreting statistical results.
• Experience of counterfactual impact evaluation design and analysis, including randomised control trials and/or quasi-experimental designs such as synthetic controls, difference-in-differences, matched statistical designs, propensity score weighting, and regression discontinuity design.
• Ability to manage complex administrative and survey data, including cleaning, linking, creating derived variables, quality assuring and preparing data for analysis.
• Familiarity, and ability to write syntax, with the statistical software R and/or Stata.
• Ability to work on more than one project at a time; work well under pressure and to strict deadlines delivering high quality output.
• Good written and oral communication skills. This includes the ability to write technical reports, contribute sections for a research report, and to explain complex issues in a clear manner.
• Ability to form positive relationships with colleagues, clients, and external researchers, and to liaise effectively with them to deliver projects.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday (three of which must be taken during Christmas closure) plus 8 bank holidays. Leaves increases to 30 days after 3 years’ employment.
• All new employees will be automatically enrolled on the pension scheme 3 months from their start date unless stated otherwise. The minimum employee contribution is 3% and the maximum employer contribution is 5% of salary.
• Staff can also join our defined contribution pension scheme. The minimum employee contribution is 4% and the maximum employer contribution is 7.5% of salary.
• All employees are eligible for a lump sum benefit payable to the named beneficiary (this does not have to be a spouse, partner or dependent, and can be split between beneficiaries) on the employee’s death of 5 times their annual salary.
• This is an online employee benefits scheme featuring discounts at over 800 retailers and service providers in the UK, both online and in store.
• Employees can sign up to healthcare cash plan which lets you claim back the cost of treatments, such as laser eye treatment, dental treatment, physiotherapy, hospital scans etc.
• We will pay the cost of one professional membership subscription per individual per annum, where that subscription is required for the job.
• This is a government initiative which allows NatCen to provide bikes and associated safety equipment to employees to use as a means of transport for work purposes.
• We offer an interest free loan to buy annual season tickets for travel to work.
• NatCen will contribute up to £30 per year for an eye test. If the glasses/contacts are solely for VDU use then NatCen will contribute up to £100.
• Flexible working is supported where it helps to meet the aims of the company, as it increases motivation and reduces the level of stress.
• Employees who meet the qualifying criteria can claim up to 18 working weeks unpaid leave per child under 5, or up to 18 years of age if the child has a disability.
• EAP is a confidential helpline designed to help you deal with personal and professional problems that could be affecting your home life or work life, health and general wellbeing.
• We support continuing professional development in a number of different ways through our e-learning site which is packed full of a wide range of short modules covering a range of topics including IT skills, data protection and management.