Research officer jobs in Belfast

Purpose of Role:

Success looks like:

• Healthwatch Bucks delivers a balanced portfolio of projects that engage effectively with service users and communities and reflect its agreed priorities and lead to improvements in the delivery of health and social care
• Healthwatch Bucks projects are effectively managed and deliver to time, cost and quality in line with Healthwatch Bucks project management processes
• Healthwatch Bucks projects are recognised by health and social care service users and other stakeholders as supporting improved outcomes for health and social care

About the role

At SEA, all our work is grounded in evidence and shaped by the lived experiences of victim-survivors. As Research Officer, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, survivor-centred research on economic abuse as part of a major new three-year project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Working closely with the Senior Research Officer, colleagues across SEA, academic partners and external stakeholders, you will support research exploring coerced debt as a form of economic abuse and the responses to it across systems and services. The role will involve qualitative and quantitative research activities, including data collection, analysis, stakeholder engagement, and producing accessible and impactful research outputs.

Your work will help strengthen understanding of economic abuse and inform policy, practice and systems change on coerced debt that improves responses for victim-survivors.

About you

You are a skilled researcher who is passionate about conducting high-quality research which can create real-world impact for victim-survivors of economic abuse.

You will have the ability to sensitively work with victim-survivors to learn about their lived experiences of economic abuse , including coerced debt, as well as the ability to conduct research with professional stakeholders.

Using your research skills, you will be able to analyse data, and will be able to demonstrate a good understanding of economic abuse in the context of intimate partner abuse, including of how perpetrators can misuse systems to enact abuse. You will be able to demonstrate an ability to deliver research projects in a timely manner and to communicate findings clearly to a range of stakeholders.

About SEA

Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only charity in the UK dedicated to raising awareness of economic abuse and transforming responses to it. All our work is informed by Experts by Experience – a group of women who speak about what they have gone through so that they can be a force for change. Economic abuse occurs when someone’s partner controls (through restriction, exploitation and/or sabotage) how they acquire, use and maintain economic resources such as accommodation, food, clothing and transportation.

What we offer

• 25 days annual leave, plus 5 Wellbeing Days and Statutory Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Home working (UK based)
• Flexible working
• 5% Employer Pension Contribution
• Reflective practice
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced sick pay, family leave and carer’s leave
• The chance to be part of our highly professional, supportive team

To apply

Please apply via our website.

Applications open from 21 May 2026 and close at 11.59pm on 17th June 2026. Interviews will take place week commencing 6th July 2026

Direct applications only – no agencies please.

Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is committed to developing an inclusive team which reflects the diversity of the communities we support. Our culture celebrates diverse voices, and we particularly encourage applications from Black and minoritised applicants and disabled applicants who are under-represented at SEA.

SEA is a Disability Confident Committed, and Kinship Friendly Employer.

The chosen candidate will ideally be based in Hertfordshire, and any travel expenses from within the county will be covered.

This is a fixed-term contract for 9 months, with a possible 3 month extension.

About Us

Healthwatch Hertfordshire are an independent champion for people who use health and social care services. Being a values-driven organisation with a national reputation for our research and engagement work, we are here to find out what matters to local people and help ensure their views shape the support they need.

Our purpose is to help make care better for people by improving how services are run now and in the future. We have an ambitious vision to ensure that health and social care work for everyone.

The Role:

We are looking for someone who enjoys talking to people, listening to their experiences, and turning those conversations into meaningful change.

You will gather evidence from Hertfordshire residents about their experiences of health and social care services, analyse the findings, and produce clear insight driven reports that drive service improvement through insightful recommendations, and partnership with decision makers.

The broader health and social care landscape is actively changing around us, and we need someone who can work flexibly, respond to changing needs, and stay confident and calm during change – making sure our values and duties to the public are successfully delivered.

Responsibilities

• Building relationships with local residents, including those from underserved and marginalised communities
• Running focus groups, surveys, and engagement events
• Engaging with senior stakeholders (internally, NHS, county council, voluntary sector)
• Managing research and engagement projects from start to finish
• Writing clear, practical reports and insights
• Presenting findings and recommendations

Essential Criteria

• You live in or near Hertfordshire and can travel regularly across the county
• You are confident and experienced communicating with the public, diverse communities, and senior leaders
• You have experience designing and delivering research questions, running focus groups, and crafting and analysing survey data
• You can write clear, engaging reports for health and care decision makers and the broader public, drawing recommendations from the insights

Skills and Experience

• Ability to scope, design, organise, deliver, and analyse insight from focus groups and online surveys
• Experience of engaging directly with members of the public to gather insights
• Talking to people from a wide range of communities
• Good organisation and project management skills
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to work collaboratively and in a flexible and agile way

If you do not meet the entire criteria but believe you have preferential experience and transferable skills, we welcome you to apply.

To Apply

Please submit your CV and a tailored covering letter to Louis Eastwell of Hire Purpose, before 23:59 on Sunday 31st May 2026.

You are welcome to initially submit a CV prior to completing a covering letter.

Louis is exclusively managing this recruitment campaign and will be speaking with all longlisted candidates prior to a formal interview with Healthwatch Hertfordshire.

Application Guidance:

A tailored covering letter highlighting how you meet the essential requirements of the role, outlining your relevant experience, skills, attributes, and your motivation for applying and supporting Healthwatch Hertfordshire’s mission.

Hire Purpose champions inclusive recruitment.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. We uphold equal opportunity principles and challenge bias at every stage, partnering only with organisations that share our commitment to integrity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Hire Purpose is also proudly a B Corp certified business that has met B Lab UK’s high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

About The Role
At Alzheimer’s Society, we are determined to end the devastation caused by dementia. Research is one of the most powerful ways we can make that happen. Across the UK, the research we fund is helping people get earlier diagnoses, better care and providing hope for the future.
As Senior Research Portfolio Officer, you’ll help make sure that research has the biggest possible impact. You’ll support a portfolio of projects and partnerships, helping great ideas move forward and making sure the learning, progress and outcomes reach the people who need them most.
This is a role for someone who enjoys connecting people and ideas. One day you might be speaking with researchers about a new project, the next you could be working with colleagues to turn complex findings into something clear, engaging and meaningful. Throughout it all, you’ll help keep the experiences of people affected by dementia at the centre of our work.
What you’ll do
You’ll be part of a team working to make dementia research more connected, visible and impactful. You’ll build relationships across the research community and work closely with colleagues across the Society to help share the difference our funded research is making.
You’ll help bring research to life, spotting opportunities for collaboration, supporting key partnerships and helping ensure promising ideas can lead to real world change for people affected by dementia.
In this role, you will:

- Manage a portfolio of funded research projects and partnerships, helping them deliver meaningful impact.
- Build strong relationships with researchers, clinicians, partners and colleagues across the organisation.
- Support the tracking and sharing of research outcomes and impact.
- Spot opportunities for future funding, collaboration and partnership working.
- Help communicate research in ways that are clear, engaging and accessible.
- Represent Alzheimer’s Society at meetings, workshops and conferences.

About you
You’re someone who enjoys working with people, bringing ideas together and helping things move forward. You’re organised and thoughtful, and comfortable managing different priorities while keeping sight of the bigger picture.
We know not everyone will meet every point listed below. If this role interests you, we’d still love to hear from you.
You’ll also bring:

- Experience managing or coordinating multiple projects or programmes with different timelines and priorities.
- The ability to explain complex or technical information in a clear and accessible way.
- Strong relationship building skills and experience working with a wide range of people.
- A creative approach and the ability to spot opportunities to increase the impact of research activity.
- A practical, solution focused mindset and the ability to adapt when priorities change.
- A commitment to inclusion, collaboration and improving the lives of people affected by dementia.

Interviews are provisionally planned to take place face to face during the week commencing 8th June.

About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

About The Role
Behind every research breakthrough, there is a process that makes it possible.
A conversation that helps shape an idea. A fair and thoughtful review. A decision that backs the right work at the right time.
As a Research Grants Officer, you will be part of that process.
You will help run a research funding programme that is not only efficient, but fair, inclusive and supportive. Working closely with the Research Grants Manager and colleagues across the Research and Influencing directorate, you will manage funding rounds and support a portfolio of active research projects.
You will be there from the very first question a researcher asks, through to the moment funding decisions are made, and beyond. Along the way, you will help create a positive experience for everyone involved, from early career researchers to leading experts, and the volunteers who bring lived experience into the process.
It is detailed work. But it is work that makes a real difference.
What you will do
You will be at the centre of the grants process, helping to keep things running smoothly and making sure people feel supported at every step. No two days will look exactly the same, but your focus will always be the same, helping great research happen.
In this role, you will:

- Manage grant applications from start to finish, making sure each stage runs smoothly and on time
- Be a friendly and reliable point of contact for applicants, answering questions and helping them submit strong proposals
- Coordinate peer review and lay review, bringing together expert insight and lived experience to inform funding decisions
- Prepare papers for funding panels, attend meetings and capture clear, accurate notes of what is discussed and agreed
- Share outcomes with applicants in a clear, respectful and timely way
- Support the management of funded projects, helping track progress and making sure reporting is up to date
- Build relationships with researchers, clinicians and volunteers, helping them feel valued and encouraging them to stay involved

Alongside this, you will look for ways to improve how we work. That might mean updating guidance for applicants, spotting trends in our data, or helping to shape a process that is simpler, fairer and more accessible.
You will also be part of the wider team, supporting events, responding to enquiries and stepping in to help colleagues when it matters.
About you

- You have experience in, or a strong interest in, science, health or policy, and are curious about dementia research and the difference it can make
- You build positive relationships with a wide range of people, including senior researchers, and enjoy working with others
- You communicate clearly and confidently, whether you are writing, speaking or explaining something complex in a simple way
- You are organised and reliable, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage your time well
- You take initiative and are comfortable working independently, while knowing when to ask for input or support
- You work well as part of a team and are willing to step in and help when deadlines approach
- You care about inclusion and want to make sure the way you work is open, respectful and accessible to others

We know that people do not always apply for roles unless they meet every requirement. If this role interests you but you are not sure you tick every box, we would still encourage you to apply.
This position is offered on a fixed-term contract/secondment basis until June 2027.
Interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled to take place during the week commencing 1st June 2026.

About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.

Research & Participation Programme Officer
Contract: Fixed-term, 24-months
Work Pattern: Full Time, 35 hours per week (1.0FTE) (We are open to flexible hours and working patterns, including accommodating part-time and compressed hours (0.8 FTE) where possible).
Salary: £34,408 per annum
Location: Northern Ireland. (NCB promotes a hybrid, flexible way of working with 2 days working in the Belfast BT15 office).

The Vacancy

This role will work across NCB’s Research and Participation teams, ensuring children and young people’s voices and lived experiences are embedded in the organisation’s evidence generation and implementation work.

Working across these high-performing teams, this role brings together research skills involving designing and undertaking primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative research and analysis, combined with strong youth participation practice that supports seldom heard children and young people to be part of influencing systems change.

The successful candidate will work with senior colleagues in the Research and Participation teams to deliver a range of projects and programmes on topics including social care and the transition to adulthood; education; mental health & wellbeing; child poverty; youth violence and early years.

About NCB

For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.

Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.

The Benefits

• 30 Days Annual Leave
• Winter Holiday Closure & Break
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible Working
• Employee Assistance Programme

Closing date: 8:00am on Wednesday 27th May 2026.
Assessment and interviews to be conducted on 4th and 5th June 2026.
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

We are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.

N.B. Unlike other new roles posted during our period of organisation change, this role will be advertised both external and internally from the outset, rather than internal only for 1-2 weeks. This is due to the requirements of the funder and grant conditions. If you have any questions on this, you will be able to contact the NCB People Team.

No agencies please.