Research Manager - Employment, Welfare & Skills - Government & Society

Research Manager  - Employment, Welfare & Skills – Government & Society (Public Affairs)

Make your mark at Ipsos

Ipsos UK Public Affairs are the leaders in social research. We are recruiting two roles in our Society cluster of teams which conduct research into some of society’s most pressing challenges - the Employment, Welfare & Skills (EWS) team and the Government & Society team (G&S). 

The role will suit a mixed methods researcher with experience of both quantitative and qualitative projects from inception to delivery or managing strands of larger projects and evaluations.

What is in it for you? 

This is an exciting opportunity for a researcher to manage high profile studies which influence and inform Government decision-making.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Work on projects that has a direct bearing on the decisions made by our clients -We respond to government’s, helping to design, deliver and evaluate policies and communications to drive positive social change.
• Make a rewarding impact by helping to design, deliver and evaluate policies and communications to drive positive social change
• Work with high-profile government departments (HMRC, DWP, DfE, Cabinet Office, DCMS) , along with regulators including the FCA, the FSA and Ofcom; universities; and charities.
• Work in an environment where you have multiple people to learn from to develop your skills. 

The role

The main responsibilities will include:

• Managing the successful running of quantitative and qualitative research projects from inception to delivery or managing strands of larger projects and evaluations
• Effective communication with clients and stakeholders as main point of contact for research projects. 
• Building and managing effective client relationships.
• Drafting materials such as invitation letters, interviewer instructions and recruitment materials
• Taking the lead on designing questionnaires and topic guides to meet client/study objectives
• Effectively managing relationships with suppliers and with internal operations colleagues to ensure specifications are met
• Monitoring fieldwork and recruitment (quantitative and qualitative)
• Moderating discussion groups and/or depth interviews
• Drafting quantitative data specifications and checking data files
• Developing qualitative analysis frameworks
• Writing reports and presentations that deliver insights to meet the stakeholder’s and client's objectives
• Providing guidance, support and coaching to junior team members
• Actively a project’s financial progress
• Making suggestions for more efficient or effective approaches
• Working in multidisciplinary teams 
• Taking a proactive approach to developing knowledge of clients 
• Contributing to business development and proposals
• Working with the client and colleagues to share knowledge and identify new research opportunities, including using AI and innovative methods to further the Ipsos offering

About you:

Essential Criteria:

We are looking for someone with: 

• Demonstrable expertise in mixed methods projects from inception to delivery
  • Quantitative research skills, including questionnaire development
  • Qualitative research skills - capability to develop discussion guides and contribute to analysis and reporting
• Solid project management skills including working with suppliers and timetable management. 
• Highly organised with exemplary time management skills, working across multiple projects (sometimes to tight deadlines), prioritising tasks efficiently
• Experienced in understanding and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data
• Ability to produce high quality, insightful outputs, including experience of preparing written reports and presentations
• Experience of writing, supporting or contributing towards winning proposals and tenders to help to grow our business
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for effective team and client collaboration
• A positive, can-do attitude and interest in and enthusiasm for our work
• Ability to work well in teams - flexibility and willingness to support colleagues as needed
• Adaptable and confident to try new things in a supportive environment 

Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you as an individual. Our standard benefits include 25 days annual leave, pension contribution, income protection and life assurance. In addition, there are a range of health & wellbeing, financial benefits and professional development opportunities.

We realise you may have commitments outside of work and will consider flexible working applications - please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application. We have a hybrid approach to work and ask people to be in the office or with clients for 3 days per week.

We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success - a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. We are dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.