We are inviting applications to join the Researcher teams at the Institute for Government in our newly transformed UK Government and Public Services teams and start as soon as notice periods allow.

About the teams:

The UK Government team specialises in understanding how Whitehall, Westminster and the civil service – and the people therein – work. We develop rigorous innovative recommendations and programmes to improve these parts of the state. To do this, we work closely with ministers, MPs, special advisers and civil servants to inform our research and make the case for change. We are an enthusiastic, motivated team, and bring our diverse experience and perspectives – from digital consultancy to academia and parliament, to the civil service – to our work.

The public services team specialises in understanding the effectiveness of public services across the country as a whole and how and why performance varies in different places. We look at the funding of and demand for public services, and the impact of government policies on their performance and on the workforce that delivers them. We aim to identify examples of good practice, and consider why some innovations have worked and others have not, making recommendations for improvement.

As a researcher you will:

Work to build the Institute’s understanding of how government is performing, and how to make it work better. By leading work on smaller research projects, or leading parts of larger projects alongside colleagues and with support from your team you will play a core role in the Institute’s research. This will include:

• Shape the Institute’s research programme by helping to develop project proposals.

• Conduct rigorous qualitative and quantitative research and analysis, including literature reviews, background research, interviews with politicians, officials and academics, and undertaking data analysis.

• Engage colleagues and stakeholders to develop creative and workable solutions to the challenges the state faces.

Communicate the Institute’s findings in order to help government work better:

• Write compelling reports, setting out your research and arguments, and making the case for change.

• Write and update the Institute’s explainers to set out how government works.

• Comment on the latest developments in government, sharing insights and expertise drawing on your research.

• Engage with the media, including TV and radio, to amplify the Institute’s messages and recommendations and discuss project findings.

• Work with our events team to organise and deliver public events, roundtables, podcasts and other kinds of discussion, and present our findings and recommendations in these forums.

• Develop strong relationships with your stakeholders.

Work collaboratively across the Institute, lending your expertise to colleagues and drawing on their insights and research to contribute to the Institute’s overall mission and in line with our new strategy. Actively contribute to the culture and working health of the Institute. This includes working with our partnerships team to help secure funding for elements of our work, including supporting the development of funding proposals and liaising with partners about funded projects.

For full details, including a person specification, please read the job application pack on our website. We encourage all applicants to read the job pack before starting their application.

If you are interested in this role but are not sure you have all the skills we’re looking for, please do apply and give us the chance to consider you as a candidate.

The IfG is committed to supporting greater diversity and inclusion within our workforce, and to fostering an environment in which everyone feels welcome, supported and valued. We welcome applications from anyone who is interested in government and how to make it more effective, and particularly encourage applications from candidates who belong to groups currently underrepresented in the think-tank sector. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates, disabled candidates, and candidates from low-income backgrounds.