Are you passionate about social research and evaluation?
Do you want to use your research and evaluation skills to inform policy development and decision making?
The Defence People Team within the Ministry of Defence creates, maintains and updates policies (for example, relating to accommodation provision, pay and allowances, diversity and inclusion) for over 180,000 Service personal in the UK Armed Forces and 40,000 civilians. These policies aim to ensure that Service personnel and civilians are motivated, engaged and committed to Defence. The work of the Defence People Team is high profile, with policy initiatives attracting ministerial, parliamentary and public interest and press scrutiny.
Government Social Researchers lead and undertake research and evaluation to ensure appropriate evidence and advice is available to policy colleagues to support evidence-based decision making in the Defence People Team.
We are seeking three skilled, experienced and enthusiastic social researchers to join the Defence People Team. This is a really exciting time to join, as Defence plans to make major changes to the way it supports its people.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week
Job description
We are seeking three enthusiastic and passionate Senior Research Officers to lead social research in the Defence People Team.
There are two posts in the Defence Accommodation Team. The Accommodation Team is responsible for maintaining policy on the provision of accommodation to Service personnel. In 2023, there will be the biggest policy change for a generation, affecting the entire UK Armed Forces, to ensure the policy is more flexible and inclusive for Service personnel. The post holders will lead primary research to inform decisions on accommodation policy, as well as undertaking a process and impact evaluation of the new accommodation policy.
There is one post in the Defence People Research and Evidence Team (DPTRE). The DPTRE is a multi-disciplinary analytical team which ensures appropriate evidence and advice is available to a range of policy areas within the Defence People Team. The team is also a hub for broader personnel research being commissioned and delivered by other teams within the MOD, industry, academia and international partners. The post holder will support the creation and implementation of a unified research governance framework, undertake primary research and secondary analysis of existing datasets to solve people related policy problems and provide coherent analytical advice and challenge to policy and HR colleagues.
Across all posts, you will be working closely alongside other analysts, policy and operational delivery colleagues in the Defence People Team as well as with military personnel from across the Armed Forces to deliver research and evaluation. You will have the opportunity to lead your own research projects and the freedom to suggest alternative or innovative research approaches, where appropriate.
You will also be part of the MOD Government Social Research community and MOD Analysis Function, which operates across the MOD. The Analysis Function is a network of analytical professions within the MOD and provides opportunities for collaboration and professional development.
Successful candidates will be matched into suitable roles based on preferences stated at interview and discussions between the line managers of the posts.
Person specification
Post holders will be responsible for:
The tasks outlined may not all necessarily be required within a single post and other tasks may also be undertaken. There will be a greater emphasis on autonomy and leading projects for a Senior Research Officer role.
Essential Criteria
Desirable Criteria
Qualifications
In order to apply you need or should expect to achieve:
or
Or
It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate these criteria clearly on application. Please ensure you indicate the number of credits associated with the relevant modules covering your social research methods training.
Social Research Method Degree Content Criteria
To qualify a degree must include quantitative research methods including research design, data collection (i.e. questionnaire design, sampling, weighting) and data analysis (e.g. statistical analysis).
It must also include at least three of the following:
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Benefits
Flexible working and Alternative Working Patterns -The MOD prides itself on being a modern employer and encourages flexible working, giving you the opportunity to adopt a working pattern that suits you and/or your family life, and promotes a healthy work/life balance.
We offer many alternative working pattern arrangements including local flexible working hours schemes (which give you the opportunity to vary your start and finish times and even build a limited amount of credit), home working, part-time working, job sharing, term-time working and compressed hours.
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