Social research jobs

About Picker

Picker is an Oxford-based charity with an international reputation for measuring and improving patient, service user and staff experience. Our mission is to make person-centred health and social care a reality for everyone. We work with NHS organisations, government bodies, charities and healthcare providers in the UK and internationally.

About the role

The Research Manager is responsible for the programme management of the NHS Staff Survey Programme, providing leadership across all aspects of programme development, delivery and continuous improvement. The post holder is accountable for maintaining high standards of quality and customer service, ensuring the needs of NHS England and programme stakeholders are met.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre of a high-profile national programme and help shape the future direction of staff experience measurement across the NHS.

Skills and experience

We are looking for someone with:

• Significant experience of applied quantitative research, including survey design, research methods, data analysis and reporting.
• Experience of managing complex research or survey programmes involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Strong leadership and project management skills, including planning resources, monitoring progress and driving successful delivery.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with experience of working effectively with clients, partners and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to interpret and communicate findings clearly to a range of audiences.
• A degree (or equivalent professional experience) in a relevant discipline.

Experience of healthcare, social care or charity-sector research, alongside knowledge of software such as SPSS, Qualtrics or ClickUp, would be advantageous.

If you're passionate about using research to improve health and care services and are looking for an opportunity to lead high-profile national survey programmes, we'd love to hear from you.

Passionate about using research to make a real difference? Salford CVS is looking for a Research and Insight Worker to help deliver impactful research projects that amplify the voices of local communities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector across Salford and Greater Manchester.

You'll gather and analyse data, work directly with community groups and VCSE organisations, and turn insight into high-quality reports that influence decision-making and drive positive change. If you're an organised, confident communicator who enjoys working with people and is motivated by social impact, we'd love to hear from you. 

Main purposes of the post

To deliver Salford CVS’s research and insight work, which includes the collection and analysis of data and producing timely written reports of the findings. This exciting Research and Insight role involves a combination of VCSE engagement and community insight work across Salford and in Greater Manchester.

Hours: Part-time, 22.5 hours per week.

Days: To be confirmed (core hours are worked between 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday).

Contract: 1-year fixed-term contract, subject to the successful completion of a 3-month probationary period.

Place of work: In person at Salford CVS’ offices, The Old Town Hall, 5 Irwell Place, Eccles, Salford, M30 0FN.

The Benefits of Working for Salford CVS:

• 28 days’ holiday - rising to 30 days (after five years), plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part-time)
• Enhanced company sick and maternity pay, subject to terms and conditions of service
• Pension scheme - with 7% employer contribution (and 1% mandatory employee contribution)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Membership of the Hospital Saturday Fund via an employer subsidised scheme (optional and non-contractual)
• RHS family membership (optional and non-contractual)
• Development opportunities - we support and encourage our staff to progress in their careers (including formal training)
• A supportive working culture - we respect and support one another to do the best we can

We are an accredited Living Wage Employer, Living Hours Employer and Living Wage Funder, ensuring not just our staff are paid the ‘real’ Living Wage but also that any projects we fund can do the same.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the ‘apply’ button.

Closing date: Noon on Wednesday, 26th August 2026.

Interviews: Tuesday, 8th September 2026 - in person at Salford CVS’ offices.

Policy Officer

Salary: £43,099 plus excellent benefits

Contract type: Permanent, full time

Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week. All staff are required to work in person for a minimum of two days per week, in line with our hybrid working policy. The post-holder may be required to undertake some work outside normal working hours.

About the Health Foundation

Health is our most precious asset. Good health enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives, fuels our prosperity and helps build a stronger society. Yet good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK, and health and care services are struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care.

The Health Foundation is an independent charitable organisation with a mission to build a healthier UK. We work to achieve this by generating high quality research and analysis; developing practical solutions to the biggest problems in health and health services; engaging, convening and building coalitions to build understanding, inform debate and drive action; and developing the long-term capability needed to transform health and care.

Our values

We expect everyone who works with us to be committed to our values and to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. Our values are impact, evidence, integrity, and collaboration. You can read more about them in our five-year strategy. We also expect everyone to share our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation and to help deliver our EDI strategy.

About the role

There are 2 Policy Officer roles in the Health and Care Policy team available. The team focuses on shaping the future of the health and social care system in the UK to ensure the best care for all, by supporting more evidence-informed policy and decision-making. One officer will work across a range of thematic areas, and one will focus initially on technology and AI, with the opportunity to work across other areas further down the line. The Policy Officer will work on a mix of short and longer-term projects, including supporting in-house policy analysis and research, as well as helping to scope and develop ideas for externally commissioned research. This will involve a range of different approaches, including synthesising qualitative and quantitative research evidence; analysing policy documents and grey literature; qualitative methods such as key informant interviews and thematic analysis; and other approaches involved in policy-focused research. The Policy Officer will help write and contribute to external publications, including briefings, blogs, and longer Health Foundation reports. They will also support the team to bring together policymakers and others in events, meetings, workshops, and other activities to inform and influence thinking and decisions. Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting with a range of high-profile policy projects, including project planning and development, and helping with analysis, writing and publication.
• Contributing to literature reviews and rapid scans of data and evidence; producing summaries of the main findings and implications for policy.
• Supporting policy research, working with internal and external partners and assisting with written outputs.
• Assisting with communicating the findings of our work to a range of audiences, including policymakers, academics and the media.
• Building and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders relevant to our policy portfolio.
• Supporting the design and delivery of workshops or other events with policymakers and other relevant stakeholders – for example, helping to design a session to communicate and discuss the findings from a research report.

How to apply

Our priority is to find the right individual for each opportunity. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity and invite you to find out more.

You can find the job description for this role here. If you would like to apply, please submit your CV, and a supporting statement that answers the following application questions:

• We are hiring for two Policy Officer roles, one initially focussing on technology and AI and the other working in a more generalist role across projects on the NHS and social care in the Health and Care Policy team. Do you have a preference or would you like to be considered for both roles?
• Why are you well suited to this role and why do you want to work at the Health Foundation? (Max 400 words)
• What skills and experience do you have in policy research? As part of your answer, please describe an example of a piece of research or analysis you have led or contributed to. (Max 400 words)
• Describe your experience of communicating the findings of a piece of work to an external audience. How did you approach it and what did you learn? (Max 400 words)

Our commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each opportunity on merit. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply to us. We have identified three key areas to improving diversity. Our aim to achieve a more balanced representation across our organisation, with a particular focus on increasing the number of women in leadership, enhancing the representation of people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds and welcoming more people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we strongly encourage applications from these groups.

Apply to join our team and let's work towards building a more diverse and inclusive workplace together. If you require any support through this process, please contact us. Help us work together to make the recruitment process and potential future employment more accessible and enjoyable for you.

Closing date: 23rd August 2026

Interview date: week commencing 31 August 2026

As Youth Music’s Insights Officer, you’ll help us generate evidence, learning and insight that demonstrates our impact, improves our work and strengthens our influence across sectors.

Working as part of the Insights team, you'll play a key role in helping Youth Music understand the experiences of children and young people, the impact of our work, and the barriers that prevent equitable access to music. Your work will help achieve our charity’s outcomes:

· Increase resilience of grassroots music

· Young people improve wellbeing through music

· Emerging creatives progress into a safer, fairer industry

You'll collect, analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data from across our funding programmes, partnerships, research projects and organisational activity. You'll transform evidence into meaningful insights.

Working closely with colleagues across the Grants & Learning and Partnerships teams, you'll help to maintain a culture of evidence-informed decision making by ensuring data and learning is accessible and actionable. And you’ll work hand in hand with Communications team colleagues to demonstrate our social impact through compelling storytelling. You'll also support funded partners and the wider sector to strengthen their evaluation, learning and youth voice practice.

Whether producing dashboards and reports, designing surveys, analysing funded partner data, conducting interviews or investigating emerging trends, you'll help ensure we continue to learn and use evidence to drive positive change for young people. You’ll contribute to thought leadership and research like Born Into Music, Locked Out of Power, Excluded by Design and Sound of the Next Generation.

You’ll also brief young researchers and analysts in our Youth Music NextGen community, helping amplify youth voice and lived experience through participatory and inclusive research approaches.

The Insights Manager will be your line manager and you'll be part of the Insights team, which sits within the Communications Team.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Fundraising Executive- National Events

Location: Central Bristol or flexible with home working
Salary: £27,000 (pro-rata)
Contract: 9-month fixed-term contract from start date
**All applications must be sent with a CV and cover letter to be considered**

Join us and help make a difference

At Meningitis Research Foundation, we’re working towards a world free from meningitis. Every day, our teams support people and families affected by the disease, while driving research, awareness and global change. We are looking for a passionate and motivated National Events Executive to join our friendly and dedicated fundraising team.

About the role

We are hiring for this role to expand our capacity to deliver our National Events for a fixed period. You will support a portfolio of successful national events. You will be involved in all aspects of the event cycle from marketing and participant recruitment to supporter stewardship and race day logistics. Full training will be provided to help you succeed in this role.

Responsibilities include:

· Deliver best-in-class stewardship (across phone, email, SMS and post) to ensure supporters have the best experience with Meningitis Research Foundation

· Deliver marketing and recruitment strategies to ensure we reach our targeted number of participants for each event

· Lead on a selection of national events – plan, deliver and evaluate these with the support of your line manager

· Inspire individuals with a connection to the cause to take on events for Meningitis Research Foundation to support our vision of a world free from meningitis

About you

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic, organised and motivated by making a difference. To be successful in this role, you will need to:

· Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, be a strong networker and be confident speaking over the telephone

· Have good organisational and administrative skills

· Be able to prioritise, juggle multiple tasks and work to deadlines

· Be an effective team player with an ability to build strong working relationships

· Be able to demonstrate our organisational values in all areas of your work

Why join us?

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment with opportunities for development.

· 25 days annual leave + bank holidays

· 6% employer pension contribution

· Employee Assistance Programme

· Employee volunteering opportunities

· Flexible working

· Full training provided to support your success in the role

Application process

All applications must include a cover letter and up-to-date CV. Please link your skills and experience to the person specification in the job pack.

Our internal recruitment team will review your application and reach out to you if they feel you are suitable for the role to organise an interview.

Application closing date: Sunday 9th August 9pm

We advise you to submit your application early - early applications have the strongest chance of securing an interview.

Interview format: 1-stage interview

Interviews will commence the week commencing the 17th of August.

Lead change. Shape policy. Amplify the voices of bereaved families.

Child Bereavement UK is looking for an accomplished Head of Policy & Research to lead our evidence and policy agenda at a pivotal time for the charity.

You'll bring a strong track record of leading policy and research activity, developing influential partnerships, and translating evidence into meaningful change. With an established understanding of the policy landscape and the credibility to engage senior stakeholders across health, social care, government and the voluntary sector, you'll play a key role in shaping policy and practice for bereaved families across the UK.

You'll lead our research programme, develop evidence-based positions, build strategic partnerships, and ensure the experiences of bereaved children, young people and parents bereaved of a baby or child are reflected in policy and practice across the UK.

We're looking for someone who:

• Has experience and established networks in policy and research.
• Can translate complex evidence into compelling recommendations for change.
• Is an exceptional relationship-builder, communicator and strategic thinker.
• Is passionate about improving outcomes for bereaved children, young people and parents.

This is a rare opportunity to shape national conversations, influence decision-makers and ensure lived experience is at the heart of policy and practice.

Please note, the role will involve regular travel to London based conferences, events and network meetings as required, plus occasional travel to team meetings in Birmingham.

Join us and help create lasting change for bereaved families across the UK.

Help shape research and policy that challenges systemic racism in the criminal legal system.

UNJUST is looking for a Research and Policy Lead to develop and deliver impactful research, influence policy and work alongside communities, stakeholders and decision-makers to drive meaningful change.

This role is responsible for developing and implementing research activities and policy advocacy strategies that support UNJUST's vision to challenge systemic racism in the criminal legal system and dismantle discriminatory processes, policies and practices.

Working closely with community partners, sector stakeholders and decision-makers, you will:

• Develop and deliver impactful research centred on racial equity.
• Undertake interviews, desk research, data collection and analysis.
• Develop evidence-based policy positions and draft briefings, consultation responses and submissions.
• Track political developments and identify opportunities to influence policy at local and national levels.
• Build and maintain relationships with communities, policymakers and other stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to integrate policy messaging into campaigns and public statements.
• Represent UNJUST in coalitions, working groups, roundtables and external forums.

We're looking for someone with experience in policy advocacy, research and influencing change, together with a strong understanding of policing and criminal justice policy, particularly racial justice and human rights. You'll be motivated by social justice, able to build effective relationships and committed to working collaboratively with communities whose lived experiences help shape our work.

This is a full-time (35 hours per week), hybrid role based in Brixton, London, offered on a 24-month fixed-term contract. Flexible working is available.

We’re looking for someone who makes things happen

We’re looking for a proactive, curious and practical research and evaluation leader who spots opportunities, builds partnerships, and helps us turn lived experience into evidence that improves services, influences policy and drives change.

The Hepatitis C Trust is one of the UK’s biggest lived-experience organisations working in Inclusion Health. With almost 500 staff and volunteers, our teams work in communities and prisons across England, and in parts of Scotland and Wales, reaching people that mainstream health services routinely struggle to engage.

This gives us a unique reach among populations whose voices are too often missing from research, policy and service design.

Our research and evaluation programme aims to:

• Evidence the impact of our programmes and services.
• Understand what works, and what doesn’t, in improving outcomes for marginalised and excluded communities.
• Strengthen our understanding of the value and potential of peer-led and lived experience approaches.
• Improve the representation of excluded populations in research, policy and service design.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has a strong background in research and evaluation, including both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Is proactive, self-directed and comfortable taking ownership of projects.
• Has experience of generating evidence that informs policy, practice or service improvement.
• Is excited by the potential of lived experience and peer-led approaches.
• Builds strong relationships and enjoys working collaboratively.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Is committed to equity, inclusion and social justice.

Why this role?

You’ll have genuine autonomy to help shape a growing research and evaluation function within one of the UK’s leading lived-experience organisations. Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to generate evidence that changes services, influences policy and improves outcomes for some of the most marginalised communities in society.

Recruitment timetable

Application deadline: 11:59 PM on Sunday 23rd August

First-round interviews: 7-8 September 2026

Salary: £38-40k

The role can be full-time or part-time, depending on the successful candidate’s availability. Ideally, you’ll work from our London office at least two days a week, although we can be flexible for the right person.

The Hepatitis C Trust is committed to equity and inclusion, and particularly welcomes applications from people with lived experience of hepatitis C, drug use, homelessness, the criminal justice system, or other experiences of social exclusion.

WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, is the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins. Through our offices and teams around the world we campaign against the many threats facing whales and dolphins, and support cutting-edge science exploring the lives and importance of these remarkable creatures.

We are looking for a full-time, social media officer to join our team in Chippenham, Wiltshire.  Reporting to the head of comms, you will help to develop WDC’s busy social media activity, advising fundraising, campaigns and policy colleagues on the best ways to grow the number of people who support our work. 

We are looking for someone with proven track record of developing and delivering digital communications plans, experience in the use of social media to support communications, marketing and/or fundraising functions, and a good understanding of digital platforms and social media (especially Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok). 

The role requires solid copywriting skills, an eye for detail, creative thinking, a proactive attitude, commitment, and enthusiasm for the cause.

Research and Policy Officer 
Job Description 

About DigitalCare Hub 

Digital technology helps care services spend more time caring. It helps the people we support keep control of their lives, and of their care. Over the last few years, the need for information to be shared securely and efficiently between health and care services has become even moreapparent. But this introduces new risks – for example how information is kept safe and secure, and what happens if a digital system fails. 

This is a shared role across DigitalCare HubandtheBetter Security, Better Careprogramme which wemanage. 

Digital Care Hubis runwithsocialcare,for social care.The Digital Care Hub provides free information,guidanceand support to enable adult social care providers to make the most of digital technology – and to do it safely. 

We are an independent, not-for profit, Community Interest Company, guided by care providers, so we understand the needs and challenges facing the diverse range of organisations in our sector. 

Better Security, BetterCareis a support programme– funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed by Digital Care Hub -to help adult social care providers to store and share information safelyby using the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). The DSPT is a free, online self-assessment for health and care providers to evaluate and improve their data and cyber security. 

The programme is delivered by acentral team and our local support organisations across the country. Most of these support organisations arelocal care provider trade associations. We also work closely with colleagues from the NHS, ADASS, DHSC and local councils. 

About you and the role 

We're looking for an inquisitive, analytical and collaborativeResearch and Policy Officerto join our growing team. 

You'll play a key role in helping Digital Care Hub become the leading source of evidence, insight and practical guidance on digital transformation, data, AI and cybersecurity in adult social care. 

Working across our national programmes, you'll design and deliver research projects, analyse policy developments, engage with providers and partners, and translate complex issues into clear, practical resources that help the sector improve. You'll contribute to consultation responses, produce reports and briefings, support national events and webinars, and help us demonstrate the impact of our work. 

This is a varied role that combines research, policy development, stakeholder engagement and programme delivery. No two weeks will look the same—you could be facilitating a roundtable with care providers, analysing survey data, drafting a briefing for government, interviewing providers for a case study or helping develop new guidance on AI in social care. 

You'll work closely with colleagues across Digital Care Hub and our national partners, taking an entrepreneurial approach to identifying emerging issues, generating insight and turning evidence into action. You'll report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and will have the opportunity to shape the development of our research and policy function as the organisation continues to grow. 

Key Responsibilities 

Research and Insight 

• Design and deliver research projects. 

• Develop surveys and analyse data. 

• Conduct interviews and focus groups. 

• Facilitate provider roundtables. 

• Review policy and academic literature. 

• Produce evidence summaries. 

• Identify emerging issues across digital health and adult social care. 

Policy Development 

• Draft policy papers and consultation responses. 

• Translate research into practical recommendations. 

• Produce briefings for government, boards and senior leaders. 

• Track developments across DHSC, NHS England, CQC and ICO. 

• Support Digital Care Hub policy positions. 

Programme Delivery 

• Support grant funded programmes. 

• Develop guidance and resources. 

• Produce webinar materials and case studies. 

• Coordinate advisory groups. 

• Support monitoring and evaluation. 

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Build relationships with providers and representative bodies. 

• Collaborate with universities, government and sector partners. 

• Engage technology suppliers where appropriate. 

Communications 

• Write reports, briefings and newsletters. 

• Draft articles and presentations. 

• Support thought leadership. 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

• Develop outcome measures. 

• Analyse programme impact. 

• Produce evaluation reports. 

• Identify lessons learned. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Degree or equivalent experience. 

• Experience designing research projects. 

• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills. 

• Excellent written communication. 

• Ability to explain complex subjects clearly. 

• Excellent organisational skills. 

Desirable 

• Charity experience. 

• Knowledge of digital transformation. 

• Understanding of AI and cybersecurity. 

• Experience evaluating programmes. 

• Experience working with government. 

 
Main terms and conditions 

• £36,000 per annum including pension. 

• Full timefixed term12 month fixed term contract 

• Homebased,withsometravelacross England 

• 28 days annual leave plus Bank holidays 

About Picker
Picker is an Oxford-based charity with an international reputation for measuring and improving patient experience. Our mission is to make person-centred health and social care a reality for everyone. We work with NHS organisations, government bodies, charities and healthcare providers in the UK and internationally.

About the role
The Research Associate will support the design, development and management of large-scale quantitative survey projects, ensuring high-quality outputs that meet client and stakeholder needs.

Working within our Survey Coordination Centre, you will help deliver some of the largest healthcare surveys in the world, supporting survey design, project management, data handling, analysis and reporting. You will work closely with clients and stakeholders, manage complex datasets, contribute to proposal writing, and help communicate research findings to a range of audiences.

Skills and experience

We are looking for someone with:

• Experience of quantitative research, including questionnaire design, survey methods, data handling and reporting.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to interpret and communicate complex findings clearly.
• Strong written communication skills and attention to detail.
• Experience of building effective relationships with clients, stakeholders and colleagues.
• A degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant discipline.

Knowledge of statistical software such as SPSS, Stata, R or SAS and an interest in healthcare research would be advantageous.

If you're passionate about using research to improve health and care services and want to work on high-profile national survey programmes, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Summary

The Research and Impact Lead role offers an exciting opportunity to apply specialist research and evaluation expertise within a purpose-driven national charity - working closely with BookTrust colleagues, and our partners and families, as part of a team of research and impact specialists. This role will have a particular focus on our work with children in foster, kinship and adoptive families and partners in the children’s social care sector. 

We are seeking an experienced mixed-methods researcher and evaluator with strong methodological expertise and the understanding and collaborative skills to ensure theory and evidence can be applied in practice to improve outcomes. The successful candidate will bring intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and sound judgement, with the ability to interrogate evidence, navigate ambiguity and remain open to new perspectives and learning. The role is likely to suit someone with experience of taking overall accountability for the design and delivery of research and evaluation studies, with excellent partnership, stakeholder management and planning skills. 

We offer excellent opportunities to further develop research, leadership and partnership skills in an ambitious and dynamic organisation. Alongside a flexible and supportive working environment, we provide both on-the-job learning and formal professional development opportunities. 

Application

To apply, please complete the application and attach a copy of your CV along with a covering letter showing how you meet the person specification and your motivations for applying for the role. Your covering letter should not be longer than two sides. Please also answer this question in your cover letter:

What are some of the principles of good evaluation that BookTrust should incorporate into its monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) work on programmes for children in adoption, foster and kinship care?

Please also attach one or two examples of research, evaluation or learning outputs (reports, presentations etc) you have produced and also specify if you are applying to be based from our Leeds of London office. 

Closing date: 5pm Tuesday 4th August.

Interviews: Interviews will be in two stages - 1st stage interviews will be on w/c 10th August, via Teams.

The Communications and Research Officer is a new post designed to help bridge the gap between the research and campaigning work of Drone Wars UK and our supporters and the general public. The role is split 50/50 between communications and research. The communications element combines social media activity, website content creation and email communications, helping to ensure our messages are communicated clearly, consistently and creatively across a range of channels.  The research element consists of undertaking a number of short-term specific research projects alongside participation in on-going longer-term research work.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys creating engaging content as well as undertaking in-depth investigations that contribute to positive social change. In addition, the person appointed will take an active role in the forthcoming strategic review shaping the organisation’s work over the next few years.

Job Description

Communications

• To be responsible for Drone Wars UK’s website, managing regular content updates and improving the content, layout and structure.
• To schedule social media content and manage social media accounts to increase engagement and reach.
• To use appropriate design tools in the creation of content for website and all digital and public facing channels.
• To undertake email campaigns in conjunction with the staff team to promote our work and increase participation in events.
• To participate in engagement with legacy and new media alongside other members of the staff team in order to promote the work and campaign aims of Drone Wars UK.
• To undertake appropriate speaking engagements on behalf of DWUK.

Research

• To undertake specific pieces of research into the use of armed drones, autonomous weapons and the militarisation of space as agreed with the Director.
• To write and produce accessible reports, articles and briefings based on the research undertaken.
• To write appropriate copy for the website.
• To contribute to on-going research work by keeping abreast of new and emerging military technologies.
• To contribute to maintaining the Drone Wars UK internal information database 

General

•  To work collaboratively with the staff team to set priorities and to develop existing and future research projects and campaigns.
• To network with other communicators, researchers and campaigners working on these issues in relevant organisations. 
• To undertake tasks as directed by the Director to ensure the smooth running of the organisation.
• To participate in campaign activity to limit the harms caused by armed drones, autonomous weapons and the militarisation of space.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• A degree, preferably to Master’s level, or equivalent experience in a subject area relevant to the post (Essential).
• Three years experience of engaging in research work, preferably in the peace and security/human rights sector or similar field (Essential).
• Commitment to the aims and objectives of Drone Wars UK (Essential) 
• Demonstrable ability to write and express thoughts and positions clearly, succinctly and accurately in English in a variety of formats, including major reports (Essential).
• Hands-on experience of managing websites (WordPress) and utilising social media, email marketing platforms, and varied digital tools to drive engagement (Essential). 

Skills and Attributes

• Understanding of the on-going legal and ethical debate around the use of armed drones, autonomous weapons and/or militarisation of space (Essential).
• Ability to manage workloads and professional duties without day-to-day managerial oversight (Essential) 
• The right to work in the UK (Essential)
• Understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities (Essential). 
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team (Essential).
• Experience in engaging with legacy and new media to promote campaign objectives (Desirable). 
• Familiarity with national and international security issues and institutions (Desirable).
• Willingness to learn new skills and work co-operatively with others to build strong campaigns (Desirable). 

About us

Carers UK’s vision is to create a society that recognises, values and supports carers. As the leading national charity for unpaid carers, we exist to make life better for carers, however caring affects them. Our support, advice, information and campaigning work are now needed more than ever, as unpaid carers are providing more and more care, adversely impacting on their own health and wellbeing.

About the role

We recognise the value of social media in communicating with all our audiences; whether unpaid carers or their friends and families, employers, politicians, service providers, supporters and all those people who may become a carer for a partner, family member, friend or neighbour and will need information, support, and to know that there are people working to make their lives better.

This role works with colleagues across the organisation, including our senior management team - but also in partnership with external organisations and agencies - with targets set for engagement (and other indicators of the success of our campaigns). We're working on multiple campaigns simultaneously; whether that's Carers Week, campaigns to influence changes to the law to better support carers, encouraging unpaid carers to join us as members, updating on activities in the devolved nations or getting people to fundraise for Carers UK. And we use a mix of owned, earned and paid communications to drive engagement in a challenging and crowded environment in order to get our messages to cut through. It's a busy, but varied role, in a supportive and collaborative team.

About you

Working within the communications and marketing team, you'll be confident in managing our social media accounts (we have many), ensuring we're using platforms to get our messages out to both wide and targeted audiences with engaging and timely content.

You'll be happy using tools for social listening, interacting with our audiences and building our reach. You'll be familiar with key metrics for social engagement and will be reporting back to colleagues and other stakeholders - and using this data to constantly improve our communications.

You'll be skilled in writing longer form content for our members' magazine, Caring, proof reading articles, posting content on our websites, creating graphics and making sure our content is engaging, audience focused and dynamic. Oh, and you probably know your way around an emoji set and are not scared of a well timed pun. Plus you'll have a great eye for detail and be confident in your ability to prioritise (and sometimes reprioritise) your workload as needed.

We're a small but effective communications team and pride ourselves on getting stuck in and supporting each other when we need to deliver big on fast moving projects, so you'll need be able to juggle lots of demands while recognising the importance of always hitting deadlines.

Diversity and inclusion

Carers UK is committed to becoming a diverse and truly inclusive organisation; fostering an environment and working culture that celebrates and promotes diversity and inclusion.  We strive to create a workplace where our colleagues and volunteers can truly be themselves and feel like they belong and constantly seek to ensure all voices are heard.

To embrace this culture of diversity, our employee and volunteer recruitment should reflect our stakeholders and the society that we serve and support, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, disabilities or religious practices. We value individual diversity and are actively building diverse teams here at Carers UK and value our colleagues from a wide range of backgrounds.

As a membership charity for carers, we particularly seek employees and volunteers with a real understanding of the issues faced by carers. Reasonable adjustments can be made to the process and role, dependent on the needs of the applicant.

We are proud to be an Employers for Carers member. We have signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge and achieved the Disability Confident Employer accreditation. We aim to offer interviews to those who have a disability covered under the definition outlined in the Equality Act 2010 and who meet the minimum criteria for the role. The minimum criteria can be found under the Essential section of the Person Specification of the recruitment pack. Please let us know if your application is being made under the Disability Confident Scheme. You are not required to share the nature of your disability or long term health condition. You will need to state in your email application that you are making your application under the Disability Confident Scheme as you consider yourself to be disabled, or as having a disability. If you meet the minimum criteria then you will be offered an interview.

At Carers UK we want our application process to be as accessible as possible. If you need any adjustments to apply please contact us to discuss.  

The closing date for applications is 5pm, Tuesday 18 August.

Carers UK anonymises all applications prior to shortlisting.

Carers UK reserves the right to appoint at any stage, should an outstanding candidate emerge.

Carers UK are actively interviewing as we receive applications.

Carers UK may carry out online and social media checks before a formal offer is made.