Senior Policy Researcher

Home based within the UK with some travel to Salisbury or London offices, attendance to staff conferences, 121s and team away days. Please submit your application no later than 9am on 26th June 2024. We reserve the right to close early or extend this date depending on the number of applicants.  

This role will help drive forward the delivery of the Trussell Trust’s policy research strategy, developing and contributing to critical pieces of research that help progress our vision of ending the need for food banks. 

The Senior Policy Researcher will be responsible for developing and delivering insightful and timely qualitative, quantitative and participatory policy research. As well as producing and scrutinising high-quality mixed-methods research, they will work closely with colleagues to ensure that this is accessible for a range of audiences in order that it can best meet the organisation’s policy influencing goals. 

Role responsibilities 

• Coordinate, design, and deliver research projects and ad hoc analysis on policy areas which contribute to our strategic goal of ending the need for food banks, including (but not limited to) Universal Credit, disability benefits, mental health, in-work poverty and debt 

• Manage commissioned research projects, including codesigning data collection tools, monitoring budgets, quality assurance and strong project management 

• Embed equality, diversity and inclusion principles in internal and commissioned research project design, prioritising participatory methods that support the voice of lived experience 

• Advise and support Policy Research Officers and Network Policy & Research Officers in supporting the food bank network to understand and use our research, but also to deliver their own, where appropriate 

• Help internal and external stakeholders make best use of the Trussell Trust’s data and policy research, including quality assurance of outputs, and compelling written and oral communication of our research findings 

• Liaise – as required – with other data and research-related colleagues to develop and deliver analytical projects, and share knowledge 

• Support key colleagues to plan and deliver the Trussell Trust’s wider influencing strategy, including colleagues in the Policy and Research department and beyond 

Person Specification 

Technical skills and minimum knowledge: 

• Track record of delivering social research and data analysis to support policy development or campaigns activity 

• Understanding of quantitative and qualitative social research principles and analysis methods 

• Advanced writing skills, understanding writing with impact and producing concise outputs for a range of audiences 

• Confidence and ability in explaining and presenting complex research findings and methodology to non-expert audiences 

• Self-sufficient use of I.T., including proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and project management processes 

• Proficient use of SPSS or similar statistical software, and/or NVivo, and experience of Tableau or similar data visualisation software.  

Behaviours and competencies: 

• Balances competing priorities, working to tight deadlines and maintaining a constructive approach to challenges 

• Communicates effectively, working collaboratively across teams and organisations 

• Shows a strong eye for detail in reviewing analysis and outputs 

• Demonstrates a curiosity to interrogate data and research, and what it can teach us about poverty in the UK  

• Demonstrates a commitment to the values of the Trussell Trust 

• Demonstrates empathy for and an ability to work with people from disadvantaged, marginalised or socially- excluded backgrounds  

• Role models inclusive behaviours and values