Researcher Required

The Social Research Unit

Job Description

Job title: Researcher
Place of work: Devon based at Dartington
Salary:  £19,621 pa                             
Hours of work: 35 hours Full time
Duration of contract: one year (subject to possible extension)

Job Summary 
To work as a Researcher in a small team of researchers, service designers and disseminators providing support to all aspects of the charity’s work.

Key responsibilities

  • To contribute to the routine production of data reports ad hoc analysis on intervention effectiveness and implementation
  • To assist with the development of data analysis and reporting on intervention effectiveness and implementation
  • To provide literature searches and conduct reviews and meta-analyses
  • To assist with data collection, data management and analysis on epidemiology and evaluation projects
  • To assist on new research projects
  • To help prepare short articles for Prevention Action (www.preventionaction.org)
  • To learn to proofread and comment on reports and articles for publication
  • To help prepare supporting materials for seminars and training events
  • To provide administrative support to the research team
  • To assist with the smooth running of the charity
  • To undertake any other appropriate duties to support the delivery of the charities projects

Person specification
Experience

  • Good social science (or similar) honours degree at 2:1 or above
  • Experience of working with or interest in children’s well-being and development

Knowledge/skills

  • Knowledge of the research process
  • Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative approaches to research
  • Interest in child development and children’s services
  • Interest in applied research especially evaluation research (essential)
  • Knowledge of multivariate statistics (desirable)
  • Strong knowledge of SPSS and MS Excel including familiarity with SPSS syntax and intermediate/advanced MS Excel functions.
  • Knowledge in epidemiology
  • Strong writing skills
  • Ability to think logically and be methodical
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Ability to use initiative but to know when to ask for help
  • Strong time management skills
  • Ability to organise a varied workload

Personal

  • Willingness to be supervised and receive feedback
  • Enthusiastic and willing to learn
  • Flexible
  • Willingness to travel and spend nights away from home
  • Willingness to work evenings and weekends

Note: After one year there is an option for the right candidate to study for a PhD.