Research & Policy Officer

The Sutton Trust is the UK’s leading foundation dedicated to improving social mobility. The organisation conducts rigorous research into the issues of low social mobility and educational disadvantage, undertakes policy advocacy to effect systemic change, and delivers programmes to over 10,000 young people each year across the country. The Trust seeks to ensure young people reach their potential, regardless of their background, school or where they live.

The Trust is recruiting a creative and committed Research and Policy Officer to join our team, as fixed term cover for paternity leave. Reporting to one of the team’s Research and Policy Managers, the successful candidate will play a significant role in developing and preparing the Trust’s research and policy outputs, working across the core areas of the Sutton Trust’s work (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace). This will include helping to produce original, data rich and policy relevant research reports, along with contributing to other Trust research projects where required. They will also support the policy and advocacy work of the Trust, including performing background research on topics relevant to educational inequality and social mobility as required.

Main duties

• To contribute, with colleagues, to 2 or more data-rich research reports accessible to practitioners and policy makers, over the course of the year, as agreed with the Research, Comms and Policy leadership team.
• To support the Sutton Trust’s programme of research and policy work, including:
  • Providing staff with background research, analysis and data on relevant topics
  • Producing literature reviews
  • Supporting research funding bids
  • Providing administrative support
• Working with Communication colleagues to develop messaging and content for disseminating and publicising reports.
• Supporting advocacy work, as required, with MPs’ staff, civil servants, special advisers and other policy makers.
• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Person Specification

Essential:

• Strong analytical skills and understanding of research methods, particularly quantitative research and literature reviews. This should include experience of using data analysis software such as R/SPSS/Stata/Python or equivalent.
• A qualification in a social science or other numerate discipline, including statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, data science or similar discipline in the social or natural sciences at undergraduate level, or comparable experience.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Personable, flexible and discreet; able to fit in to a small team
• Being sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage;
• Is eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work)

Desirable:

• Experience undertaking research projects in an academic or working environment.
• Knowledge of one of more of our priority policy areas (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace), and the wider education policy environment in England.
• Strong understanding of government and the public policy environment.
• Experience in education (for example, as a teacher or in another front-line educational role), education policy or a closely related field.
• Experience working within or an understanding of the not-for-profit sector.
• A postgraduate qualification in a numerate discipline (see above).
• High degree of initiative and the ability to take responsibility for projects

Terms of Appointment

• Contract: Full-time, 1-year fixed term contract
• Salary: £31,000-£35,000
• Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.
• Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and may also be required to attend events / meetings outside of their normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends
• DBS check may be required

Interviews

Applications should reach us by 9am, Monday 28th October, with first round interviews held on 11 and 12th November, and second round interviews held on 19th November. Both rounds will be held at our London offices.

Safeguarding statement

The Sutton Trust believes that a child, young person or vulnerable adult should never experience abuse of any kind. We all have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. Therefore all posts undergo a safer recruitment process, including but not limited to, disclosure of criminal records where necessary and eligibility to work in the UK. We have procedures in place to promote safeguarding and a safe culture at the Trust.

Contextual recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support.

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.

We also operate contextual recruitment at the Sutton Trust. Our application process gives you the option to include information about your background, such as whether you were eligible for free school meals, whether your parents went to university, or whether you attended a state school. For more examples and information on contextual recruitment, please see our website.