Researcher jobs in Edinburgh

Purpose of the Role:

The Senior Research, Policy and Influencing Manager will play a pivotal role in driving Cerebra’s mission to influence national and local policy and practice. You will lead on the translation of research into actionable policy recommendations, develop strategic partnerships, advocate for systemic change and influence, persuade and engage with policy makers to improve outcomes for children with neurological conditions and their families. Alongside this you will work with the Research and Information team on Cerebra’s research contracts and the development and dissemination of information.

This is a senior role requiring strategic vision, strong analytical and communication skills, and an ability to build influence across government, academia, and the third sector.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

1. Policy and Influencing  

• Identify opportunities to influence national and local policy agendas, including legislation, guidance, and funding priorities related to childhood disability and neurological conditions.
• Develop accessible and compelling policy briefings, consultation responses, reports, speeches, and presentations for a range of stakeholders, including MPs, government officials, sector partners and the public.
• Monitor policy developments across the neuro-diverse landscape and lead on timely, evidence-led responses.
• Analyse data, trends and policy developments to produce insights and recommendations.
• Translate complex ideas into clear, persuasive communications that support positive change.
• Ensure our policy positions reflect the real experiences and insights of the neuro-diverse children and families we support.
• Develop and deliver Cerebra’s policy and influencing strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and research priorities.
• Develop and deliver influencing campaigns in partnership with Communications team.
• Work closely with the Communications Team by contributing to the drafting of responses to media enquiries on our policy and influencing work and act as the media contact if required.
• Liaise with the Legal Rights Team to assess the impact of current or proposed policies in terms of their actual or potential effects on children with neurological conditions at both national and local levels, and for their input into consultation responses.

2. Engagement and Relationship Building

• Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with decision-makers across government departments, policymakers, NHS bodies, local authorities, professional associations, and sector partners.
• Represent Cerebra at meetings and events, including engaging with MPs, civil servants, policy forums, advisory groups, and cross-sector coalitions and other key influencers, or brief the CEO or Directors if attending.
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure our policy and influencing work is grounded in practice and informed by those delivering services.
• Work closely with the Communications Team to ensure consistent, impactful messaging.

3. Research and Information

• With one of our Lead Research Officers leading, you will oversee the tendering process and delivery of our research contracts.
• Working with our Information Development Officer to ensure that we maintain our PIF Tick accreditation for our information resources.
• Carry out high-quality research and analysis.
• Use findings from Cerebra-funded and external research to produce policy briefs, consultation responses, and evidence-based recommendations.
• Alongside our Lead Research Officers carry out horizon scanning to identify emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in child health, neurodiversity, and public service delivery.

4. Budgeting, monitoring and forecasting

• Working with the team and Director to set income and expenditure budgets for Corporate, Philanthropy, Legacy and Trust & Foundations to assist with any funding applications.
• Monitoring and reporting on income and expenditure and KPIs throughout the year.
• Providing quarterly income and expenditure re-forecasts.
• Ensuring all relevant information is recorded in line with charity, fundraising and data legislation and best practice.

5. Line Management

• Line management responsibilities for a small team, currently comprising of 3 staff.
• Be responsible for the day-to-day management of the team.
• Complete regular supervision and team meetings.
• Provide effective performance management to the team.
• Promote a positive and inclusive team culture aligned with Cerebra’s values.

6. General

• Monitor and evaluate the impact the areas of work that leading on.
• Support collaboration across the different Cerebra teams.
• Experience using Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems or similar digital tools for recording and tracking work.
• Uphold Cerebra’s Data Protection Policy and all relevant confidentiality and safeguarding policies.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties in line with the needs of the team and organisation.

Please see attached job description for person specification.

This role will provide administrative support for the TRaC team and our associates – a small team who work to ensure maximum impact of our organisation. It will help to centre lived experience in the co-production of our activities by supporting inclusive recruitment of disabled people and accessible participation across the TRaC team’s work.

You will need to be experienced in, or willing to learn about, the barriers disabled people face in transport and street space and how to ensure our work is fully accessible. Ideally, you will bring your own lived experience to this role.

We are looking for someone who is organised, a great problem-solver, and who can take a proactive approach to the tasks they are asked to complete. You will need to be able to prioritise and meet multiple deadlines. We also need someone who is confident in ensuring our work is accessible to people with a range of access needs.

Overview:
Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice is seeking a Senior Research Officer to support
our organization's research portfolio focused on gender and masculinities through rigorous quantitative,
qualitative, and mixed-methods research.
 

About Equimundo:
Equimundo is a global leader in promoting gender equality and preventing violence by engaging men
and boys in partnership with women, girls, and individuals of all gender identities. We believe that
working with men and boys to transform harmful gender norms and unequal power dynamics is critical
to achieving gender equality. Our core thematic areas of work are Caring Men, Healthy Boyhoods, and
Social Connection. With partners in more than 55 countries, Equimundo’s work – including high-impact
research, evidence-based programs, and targeted advocacy efforts – seeks to create a nonviolent, caring,
and gender-equitable future for all.
 

Job Description:
The Senior Research Officer reports to the Deputy Director of Research, Evaluation and Learning and
plays an essential role in supporting technical, strategic, operational, financial, and other aspects of
leadership for the projects in the digital portfolio within the Research Department. The position is
full-time and requires up to 30% travel.

In addition to competitive base pay, for US -based employees, we provide:

•  Full employee healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision
• Ancillary coverage, including group life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability
• Employer 401k contribution equalling 8% of annual salary
• Commuter benefits
• 4 weeks of PTO, paid holidays, and health leave
• International employees will receive benefits in line with their country’s requirements and best practices.

Key responsibilities envisioned for this position:

• Research Portfolio Management
  • Provides oversight and technical leadership throughout all stages of the research cycle, including:
    • Research design and tool development
    • Training of research personnel (internal and external)
    • Data collection, quality assurance, and ethical conduct
    • Data management and analysis
    • Developing knowledge products for diverse audiences
    • Contributing thought leadership to strategic and impactful dissemination
  • Provides project/research management and coordination, including budgeting, contracts, and reporting to funders
  • Effectively coordinates research portfolio, delivering high-quality outcomes while respecting timelines and budgets, with minimal supervision
• Research and Thematic Skills in the Digital Sphere
  • Conducts research on the digital lives of men and boys, including online behaviors, digital interventions, and digital methodologies
  • Develops and implements innovative evaluation approaches for assessing online interventions
  • Applies big data social media listening tools and methodologies to track digital conversations, trends, and sentiment analysis at scale
  • Utilizes digital scraping techniques, web data extraction, and ethical methods for collecting publicly available online data
  • Conducts narrative shift analysis to assess changes in public discourse and cultural narratives
  • Employs adjacent digital research methodologies such as online ethnography, digital content analysis, community monitoring, influence mapping, misinformation/disinformation tracking, and digital storytelling assessment
• Knowledge Leadership
  • Serves as a capacity building resource in several technical skill areas and at least one core thematic area (Caring men, Healthy Boyhoods, and/or Social connection), both internally and externally
  • Maintains connection to the wider research community by actively participating in at least one strategically selected working group or learning collaborative in the area(s) of expertise
  • Seeks opportunities to present organizational research at conferences and events

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master's Degree; at least 3-5 years relevant work experience.
• Track record of developing innovative evaluation approaches for online interventions
• Experience with project management and partnership development.
• Track record of presenting work to diverse audiences.
• Passionate about Equimundo’s mission and goals.
• Deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kind to oneself and others.

Preferred:

• Knowledge and experience within gender and masculinity, and at least one of
• Equimundo's core thematic areas.
• Prior experience conducting research on the digital lives of men and boys, including online behaviors, digital interventions, and digital methodologies
• Fluency in another language aside from English, preferably French or Arabic.

Compensation:
Equimundo offers competitive and fair salary ranges in Washington, D.C., the not-for-profit and related
sectors. This position ranges between $90,000 and $110,000, depending on years of experience and
academic qualifications.

To Apply (only shortlisted candidates will be contacted)
To apply, please send the following documents as one single PDF file labeled
FirstName_LastName_SeniorResearchOfficer no later than April 13, 2026:
1) Cover letter
2) CV / resumé
3) Three professional references

Please write “Senior Research Officer” as the subject heading.

This position is expected to begin in May 2026 and is anticipated to be funded through the end of 2028,
with the potential for extension, subject to funding availability. This position is contingent on external
funding.

• Travel required: 15 days / year (approx.)
• Location: Home-based in either UK, Germany or Spain.

We are seeking a Researcher to support the activities of the Patient Evidence Department of Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE).

Please send your CV and cover letter at recruitment @mpeurope. org. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, Germany or Spain. Applications without a cover letter will be rejected. 

The following tasks and core responsibilities are non-exhaustive and subject to change depending on needs of the organisation.

Job Purpose

The Researcher will support the Patient Evidence department in generating, analysing and communicating patient-centred evidence to inform clinical, regulatory, industry, academic and policy decision-making, and to fuel progress across MPE programmes and activities. The role involves working with qualitative and quantitative data, supporting research projects and contributing to evidence-based outputs that amplify patients’ experiences and needs. The Patient Evidence department conducts our own patient-focussed research and collaborates on external projects with patient and medical organisations, universities, clinical teams, industry partners and regulatory bodies.

Main Duties and responsibilities

Perform the following duties in conjunction with and under the guidance of the Head of Patient Research:

• Independently design research projects and develop research protocols aligned with MPE’s research strategy, including surveys, interviews and literature reviews.
• Support the development of proposals to secure public and private funding to support research activities.
• Independently conduct assigned research tasks in accordance with project deliverables and timelines.
• Conduct and analyse qualitative (interviews, focus groups) and quantitative research (surveys).
• Conduct desk research (systematic and non-systematic literature reviews) on topics such as patient experiences, health systems and psychosocial impacts of myeloma.
• Maintain accurate records of participant data, safeguarding the confidentiality of participants and patient data, as necessary.
• Write up research results and prepare visualisations of data for different audiences (including for patients, clinicians, academic journals).
• Disseminate research results including presentations at international and national conferences, internal and external meetings and workshops. Represent MPE at internal/external meetings when needed.
• Collaborate with communications colleagues to design strategies to disseminate our research to wider audiences.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to develop recruitment and involvement strategies to enhance participation from underserved groups and from different parts of Europe.
• Engage with patients, families, clinicians, patient organisations and other stakeholders involved in MPE patient evidence projects and other myeloma research.
• Provide administrative and organisational support for the Research Advisory Committee.
• Contribute to our member research support training programme including delivering workshops and training events on research design and methodology.

Other responsibilities

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Head of Patient evidence.
• Critically appraise and provide advice to the wider MPE team on research and evidence requests.
• Build good relations with members, internal and external stakeholders (including doctors, researchers and medical representatives within companies).
• Respond to external patient organisations’ requests on research and evidence topics.
• Attend scientific congresses and meetings and stay abreast of important developments related to myeloma patient evidence.
• Develop content for MPE website, social media and other communications.
• Participate in advisory boards for the pharmaceutical industry.
• Engage with training and continuing professional development.

Essential criteria

• An undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (such as psychology, social sciences, health policy, health and social care, public health or related fields)
• Master’s degree in a relevant subject (MRes Health Research, MPH, or health-related subject MSc with substantive research component)
• A minimum of 3 years experience conducting applied health research
• Knowledge and experience of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies including surveys, focus groups and interviews applied to health-related research
• Strong skills in qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods analysis.
• Understanding of principles of Good Clinical Practice in research.
• Proficient at Office suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint (or equivalent), and specialist quantitative/qualitative analysis software (e.g. SPSS/R, or Atlas/Nvivo).
• Ability to work from home in a virtual setting with a team spread across Europe.
• Strong listening, communication and presentation skills.
• Rigorous work methods and high attention to detail.
• Demonstrated excellence in writing, proofreading, and editing in English.

Desirable criteria

• A PhD in a related field
• Project management experience
• Experience in cross-national research
• Experience in working with patients, researchers, doctors and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry desirable
• Experience in systematic or non-systematic literature review
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Familiarity with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and patient experience data
• Knowledge/expertise of cancer patient experience research
• Knowledge of drug development process and clinical trials
• Knowledge and experience of ethical review procedures
• Fluency in additional European languages

Personal attributes

• Organised, with excellent project management and time management skills.
• Ability to lead and work independently on assigned tasks and take appropriate initiative.
• A motivated and self-aware team player, who can work independently or collaboratively with equal success.
• Ability to explain complex scientific terms and knowledge into lay language.

We offer:

• Opportunity to contribute to impactful, patient-centred work at a European level.
• An exciting position in the emerging field of evidence-based patient advocacy, working together with key patient advocacy leaders across Europe.
• Permanent position with flexible hours giving the opportunity to progress and to integrate in a dynamic, friendly and multi-cultural team working from different European cities.

About MPE

Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE) is a pan-European organisation representing 57 myeloma and amyloidosis patient groups from over 35 European countries. It is registered as an international non-profit organisation under Belgian Law. A Board mainly composed of patients and caregivers is elected by the membership to oversee the strategy and governance of the organisation. A team of 14 staff members runs remotely the day-to-day operations, programmes and services within 4 divisions: Access and Policy, Medical Education and Scientific Engagement, Patient Evidence and Member and Patient Community Programmes.

MPE’s vision is a world where every person affected by myeloma has access to the knowledge, diagnostics, treatment and care they need to have the best possible outcomes and quality of life.

Our mission is to drive advocacy by empowering the myeloma community through research, education and collaboration.

Read more about our strategic goals for 2025-2030 here: w ww.mpeurope.or g/about-mpe/our-goals/

About the Patient Evidence department

The MPE Patient Evidence department was established in 2020 to generate evidence to better understand and articulate patients’ perspectives, influence decision-makers and use evidence as a driving force for progress across our strategic goals.  The team is led by Dr Eilidh Duncan and our goal is to lead the development of robust patient evidence to improve experiences, outcomes and access for myeloma patients and their families. We achieve this by spearheading novel patient research initiatives that address gaps in the evidence and ensure the meaningful inclusion of patient perspectives in research design, conduct and interpretation. We use the evidence we generate internally to fuel progress across all MPE programmes and activities and externally by decision-makers including those in clinical, regulatory, industry, academic and policy settings.

The deadline for applications is 1 May 2026 and all applications will be reviewed immediately afterwards. Our hiring team will schedule interviews with successful candidates to take place in the following weeks. We will be in touch following the review period regarding next steps. 

If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to us at our recruitment email address.

Location: Working remotely from home across the four nations of the UK, occasionally co-working spaces, with occasional travel

Start date: As soon as possible (Spring/Summer 2026)

Salary: £38,422 p.a. (FTE)

Benefits: 38 days (FTE) annual leave (including bank holidays) so that leave can be taken when you wish, not necessarily on the fixed bank holiday days / Christian calendar. Pension Scheme. Flexible working arrangements. Access to co-working budget

Hours of work: Full-time or part-time (1 FTE or 0.8 FTE) worked flexibly around business needs (28 to 35 hours per week)

Contract type: Permanent contract

Do you feel passionate about supporting a charity who are reshaping the systems that support children and young people across the UK?  Do you want to develop skills and get involved in a range of innovative social research and design initiatives? Do you want to join our impact driven team?

Dartington Service Design Lab is a national charity that harnesses experience, cutting edge evidence and design to tackle the challenges children and young people face today, securing thriving futures for tomorrow. As we move forward with our refreshed strategy, we are looking for a new Research and Design Officer to join our dynamic team.

The Research and Design Officer plays a crucial role in our work at Dartington. They work alongside experienced Leads, Senior Researchers and Designers, to support a varied portfolio of research and design projects.

This ‘Officer’ role is sometimes also referred to elsewhere as a research or design ‘associate’, ‘fellow’ or ‘consultant’.

Key duties include data collection and analysis, covering both qualitative research and design engagements (workshops, interviews, and focus groups – with young people, practitioners and system leaders) and quantitative work (surveys, synthesis of secondary and administrative data).

The Research and Design Officer also plays a key role in synthesising learning and insights, into digestible, engaging reports and outputs for a varied mix of clients and partners.

As well as strong research skills, the candidate will also bring a strong approach to co-design, facilitation and visual design.

The Research and Design Officer works with our wider team to ensure that we approach our work with rigour and integrity. This includes an intentional focus in putting our anti-racist and equitable principles into practice, and preparing materials for ethical review.

Research and Design Officers work across multiple concurrent projects and report directly to experienced Leads (who specialise in research, evaluation, service design, youth and community engagement, and systemic change).

The role demands a highly relational approach – working with a diverse range of clients, partners and working styles - flexing approaches as required.  It also requires an ability to effectively context-switch and manage a varied workload and set of priorities. It will suit a candidate that thrives with a varied workload, is able to effectively prioritise and communicate well.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn, develop new skills and experiences, and be part of a passionate, curious and highly skilled team.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Don’t meet every single requirement outlined in the Job Description? Studies have shown that women and racially minoritised groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single requirement. Dartington Service Design Lab is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person to help us achieve our impact for children and young people.

The post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

About Us
IIED is an international policy and research organisation working to build a fairer, more sustainable world, in partnership with others across the globe.

• We stand up: challenging the systems and structures that perpetuate economic, social and environmental injustice – acknowledging our own role in this.
• We speak out: calling out the big blockers that prevent progress for communities and working to amplify voices, redistribute power and strengthen rights.
• We innovate: developing, co-producing and supporting evidence-based ideas to drive progress towards a thriving world for all.
• We collaborate: building connections at local, national and international levels, to support diverse partners to tackle the climate, nature and inequality crises so that people and the planet can thrive. Come and be part of this exciting journey with us.

We are now looking for an English and Spanish speaking Researcher to join us on a full-time basis, working 35 hours per week, for a 12 month fixed-term contract.

The Benefits

• Salary of £44,892 - £55,773 per annum
• 25 days' annual leave per year, plus bank holidays and additional leave over Christmas
• 7.5% employer pension contributions
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Employee protection scheme (life, critical illness, income protection)

This is an unmissable opportunity for a high-calibre, English and Spanish speaking research professional with experience in forest and farm development work in Latin America to join our international organisation.

You’ll have the chance to design and deliver vital work that helps to shape understanding in an area that matters deeply to communities, livelihoods and the environment.

What’s more, you’ll join a globally connected organisation that values collaboration, innovation and learning, and offers access to hybrid working, as well as a strong benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and long-term development.

The Role

As a Researcher, you will deliver research and analysis on forest and farm finance across the Global South, with a special emphasis on Latin America, working to strengthen sustainable finance models that support people, nature and climate goals.

A significant focus of the role will be designing and delivering action research projects, generating qualitative and quantitative evidence and applying appropriate research frameworks to deepen understanding of forest and farm finance.

Working with forest and farm producer organisations, you will analyse findings, develop new knowledge and produce research outputs that support the development of green value chains, improved access to finance and stronger self-generated finance models.

You will also co-ordinate collaborative projects with international partners, contribute to funding proposals and support communication and engagement activities that share research insights with wider audiences.

Additionally, you will:

- Support project planning, reporting and budget management
- Write and edit research outputs for publication and dissemination
- Build and maintain partnerships with stakeholders, funders and research networks

About You

To be considered as a Researcher, you will need:

• A solid research background with skills and experience evidenced by a track record of growing publications in your own field (e.g. research reports, policy briefs, tools or toolkits)
• Field research and in-country experience in forest and farm development work in Latin America
• Experience in research or in technical capacity development in relevant areas such as forestry or agroforestry, forest enterprise development, climate or development finance
• Experience of research team coordination, including from a distance
• Fluency in both English and Spanish
• Knowledge of institutions, actors, and current debates and research agendas in the field of forestry, agriculture and development
• An understanding of how to work effectively with partners in developing countries
• A relevant postgraduate degree in an area such as forestry, land use, economics, sustainable development or similar, or equivalent experience
•  Professional training and/or a certification in economics or access to finance for vulnerable communities
• The willingness to travel to developing countries

This role requires a Basic DBS check.

IIED is a hybrid working organisation, and you are likely to be working from home most of the time. As such, you will need a suitable place to work and a reliable, fast internet connection.

The closing date for this role is 12th April 2026.

IIED is a Global organisation that serves the Global Majority. We are committed to equity of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in IIED’s workforce, including members of minority groups and those with lived experience of the work we do. Even if you don't satisfy all the criteria, we still encourage you to apply, as we will offer training and development to upskill the right candidate for the role.

Monitoring and developing our Covid-19 Inquiry Recommendations Tracker, you will be an essential conduit for influencing policy and campaigns, part of a small but highly effective team. 

Job description

• Take overall responsibility for the Inquiry Recommendations Tracker, including its development, structure, accuracy and upkeep.
• Ensure the tracker is kept fully up to date, with progress on each recommendation accurately recorded and supported by relevant evidence.
• Monitor developments relating to Inquiry recommendations, including government responses, implementation activity and public statements, and provide colleagues with clear analysis to inform campaigning and parliamentary engagement.
• Gather and assess information from a range of sources to inform the tracker, including official publications, parliamentary material, stakeholder engagement and direct correspondence.
• Draft policy reports following module report publications, including analysis of recommendations and supplementary recommendations where appropriate, and provide briefing material to support campaign and parliamentary activity. 
• Engage with members to ensure their feedback and lived experience inform reports, supplementary recommendations and the Recommendations Tracker.
• Work with colleagues to ensure policy outputs support wider campaigning, parliamentary engagement and communications activity.
• Help identify gaps, weaknesses or areas of concern in implementation, and support the development of evidence-based proposals for further action.
• Maintain clear internal records and documentation relating to recommendations, progress updates and evidence gathered.
• Contribute to team meetings, planning discussions and wider organisational work as required.
• Undertake other duties reasonably consistent with the role, recognising that this is a small team and flexibility is important.

Person specification

Essential

• Experience of policy research, policy analysis, public affairs, or related work.
• Strong drafting skills, with the ability to write clearly, accurately and persuasively for different audiences.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage complex information carefully and systematically.
• Experience of maintaining records, trackers or monitoring systems to a high standard.
• Ability to analyse complex material and present it in a way that is accessible and useful.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work to deadlines.
• Confidence in engaging professionally with external stakeholders, including parliamentarians, officials or partner organisations.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a small team.
• Commitment to working in a member-led way and ensuring lived experience informs policy work.
• Personal belief in and support for the aims of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK

Desirable

• Experience of working in Parliament, government, the charity sector, campaigning, or a policy-focused organisation.
• Experience of producing briefings, reports or recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Experience of engaging with members or people with lived experience in shaping policy or campaigns.
• Familiarity with spreadsheet-based trackers or similar monitoring tools.
• Knowledge of public inquiries, accountability processes, or pandemic preparedness policy.

Covid-19 has affected us all, but some communities were disproportionately impacted, including Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities and disabled people, so we particularly welcome and encourage applications from candidates from those backgrounds.

Please submit your CV and a covering letter explaining how you meet the essential criteria for this role.