Researcher/Junior Researcher

Our work

Our Consultancy Team has an excellent reputation in the social sector. The projects we deliver are diverse in their size and scale, but fall into three main categories:

·        Mixed methods evaluation: supporting organisations to help them understand their impact and assess where value is created. We are also experienced in more developmental approaches to evaluation, helping organisations learn and adapt in real time.

·        Social research: exploring social issues affecting people and communities in greater depth.

·        Learning partnerships: supporting organisations with a more structural learning approach tailored to their context and culture. This can include long-term relationships over several years, as well as shorter more strategic advice.

Alongside or track record and expertise in place-based change and in large, complex programmes of change in places, we work across many policy and practice areas. We have particular expertise around youth social action and safety, systemic approaches, and using participatory, equity-driven approaches.

Our clients

Our clients are charities, local and regional government bodies and funders. Current and recent examples include The National Lottery Community Fund, BBC Children in Need, the Health Foundation, Youth Endowment Fund, Right to Succeed, and a range of local and regional government bodies including the London Mayor's Office and several London borough councils.

What to expect

You will work on a variety of projects and tasks, working with other consultants in our team to help a range of organisations with their research and evaluation needs. Your work will be varied and will depend on the needs of our clients; an opportunity to gain a flexible skillset in research and evaluation as well as build your knowledge of the non-profit sector and public sector.

This could look like:

•              Training community researchers to explore the impact of a Social Housing Association’s community development project through the voice of residents.

•              Visiting organisations across the UK to understand how they shared power with children and young people through youth social action funding.

•              Working with government in London to understand how services for girls and young women at risk of exploitation or violence can coordinate better.

•              Working with local coalitions up and down England who are pioneering new approaches to reducing homelessness, helping them learn and develop their work.

Junior Researcher and Researcher roles

A Junior Researcher position is for candidates who can demonstrate an enthusiasm for research but may be looking for an opportunity to build their experience and training. For example, you may have studied research methods but have less applied experience, or, you may have some applied experience, but you have never studied research methods.

A Researcher position is for candidates with at least 1-2 years of professional experience, especially in a research context. We welcome candidates who have worked in any sector, as long as you can demonstrate that you have relevant experience and alignment to our mission and values.

About you

You will be someone who: 

·        Shares our values and demonstrates them through their work.

·        Is capable of building professional relationships with colleagues and partners.

·        Manages their time effectively, capable of being flexible and adaptable.

·        Is proactive about your professional growth and learning.

·        Is great identifying challenges and good at problem solving.

·        You will have relevant skills and experience. You may have gained this experience in an academic, professional or voluntary context.

We do not expect candidates to have all the experience described below, especially those applying for a Junior Researcher role.

Examples of relevant experience includes some of the following:

·        Engaging with places and communities, working with people from diverse backgrounds.

·        Conducting social research, which may include conducting literature reviews, conducting interviews, taking ethnographic approaches, coding qualitative data, designing surveys, summarising and visualising quantitative data.

·        Conducting programme evaluations, which may include facilitating the design of a theory of change, designing an evaluation framework, or conducting an economic analysis (e.g., value for money, social return on investment).

·        Creating polished outputs through a combination of excellent research skills and strong visual design skills.

Renaisi-TSIP encourages applicants from all backgrounds, including those with a disability. As a Disability Confident Employer, Renaisi-TSIP guarantee an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria set out in the job description.

Job description

Duties and responsibilities

Conducting Research and Analysis

·        Supporting with drafting research tools, evaluation frameworks and analysis plans.

·        Undertaking qualitative research (for example, conducting interviews with client's staff or programme participants in different locations in the UK, conducting document reviews and facilitating focus groups).

·        Undertaking quantitative research (for example, analysing survey results).

·        Managing analysis processes (for example, creating coding frameworks or summarising data in Excel).

·        Researchers only: Taking the lead with research coordination (for example, arranging interviews and fieldwork visits).

Supporting clients

Especially relevant to the Researcher role.

•       Drafting sections of professional reports in MS Word and PowerPoint.

•       Presenting findings to clients and facilitating learning workshops.

•       Supporting with day-to-day client relationships, such as attending meeting clients to give project updates.

Company

•              Contribute to organisational learning, for example through internal initiatives such as sustainability or equitable evaluation.

•              Promoting the image of Renaisi-TSIP, which may include attending conferences, training, exhibitions and other events and preparing publicity material.

•              Promote equal opportunities and cultural development.

•              Carry out all duties in accordance with Renaisi-TSIP’s Equal Opportunities Policy.

Person Specification

Values and equalities

• Demonstrable commitment to the principles and practice of equal opportunities in employment
• Identify with the values and ethos of Renaisi-TSIP

Experience

• 1-2 years of relevant professional or academic experience
• Experience of analysing and synthesising complex information
• Experience of producing written work to a high standard
• Experience using Excel or a similar software package
• Experience of performing quantitative and qualitative research using a range of methods (for example, interviewing or running focus groups, handling and analysing quantitative datasets in Excel)
• Experiencing of working or volunteering in the social sector

Knowledge

• Knowledge of good research ethics
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Understanding of safeguarding policies and protocols
• Knowledge of the social sector, or a specific part of the sector e.g., youth work, health equity

Skills

• Able to communicate ideas and principles, effectively, clearly and in a variety of formats and mediums
• Able to establish positive working relationships with people from a range of professional disciplines
• Able to complete tasks to tight deadlines
• Able to prioritise and plan work
• Able to take responsibility for managing small research and evaluation projects
• Interpersonal skills and empathy for others
• Excellent IT skills
• Good analytical skills and critical thinking
• Descriptive analysis skills, including summarising and visualising data
• Knowledge and awareness of economic evaluation methods or inferential statistics

Qualifications

None are specifically required for this role, and we would rather see evidence of skills through experience and previous outputs.