The Resolution Foundation is looking for a thoughtful and committed individual to join our research team, helping to drive the Resolution Foundation’s production of high-quality and innovative economic analysis on the UK’s net zero transition and support our development of associated policy recommendations.

What does the role involve?

The successful candidate will help to deliver Resolution Foundation’s net zero programme. The work here is focused on how policies which deliver decarbonisation affect the living standards of households on low-to-middle incomes. This will involve undertaking quantitative analysis, contributing to the overall shape of research projects, and developing policy proposals. As with all positions in the Foundation, there is a strong emphasis on disseminating our research through written reports, media articles, blogs and presentations, and communicating the work of the Foundation in print and broadcast media. 

The Foundation’s work in this area centres on understanding how the net zero transition affects households in different ways, and this role will involve conducting rigorous analysis to understand actual – and potential future impacts – of policy, ensuring that the costs and benefits of the transition are shared equitably. The work programme aims to put the UK’s transition to net zero onto a similar footing to other areas of economic policy, accounting for the considerable trade-offs at play and proposing fair and deliverable policy ideas underpinned by reliable and robust evidence. Such a realistic approach is essential for both protecting the living standards of low- and middle-income households and ensuring that decarbonisation retains public support.

What kind of person are we looking for?

We are interested in hearing from candidates with quantitative research skills and an understanding of energy and climate change policy. The successful candidate will have experience of undertaking careful economic research, a background using analytical tools such as Stata or R, and knowledge of key economic datasets. Prior experience of microeconomic and distributional modelling would also be an advantage. The skills to communicate the results to a wide range of stakeholders, verbally and in writing, are essential, and an awareness of other policy areas, particularly those that will be impacted by the UK’s net zero transition, is also desirable.  

We are a fast-paced organisation, responding to the current cost of living crisis as well as contributing to crucial longer-term public policy debates, so the capability to work, at pace, on a number of different projects is essential. The ideal candidate will also be able to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders from academia, government, industry, and the broader research community.

What is the organisational culture?

The Foundation prides itself on analytical rigour, and we strive to achieve standards of excellence in all our work. This commitment is matched by dedication to our core purpose: working to improve the living standards of those on low-to-middle incomes. These twin pillars of rigour and purpose inform our culture and underpin everything we do.

Our research team benefits from frequent interaction with senior stakeholders in government, media and the wider policy-making world, and we actively develop the skills and reputations of all our team by encouraging ownership of subject areas, and through providing training and development opportunities, including support for formal qualifications when applicable.

The Foundation is a small team and staff members support each other and share cross-organisational work in addition to fulfilling individual responsibilities. We offer a competitive benefits package and the opportunity to join us at an exciting time in our development as we build on success and look to maximise the impact of our Economy 2030 Inquiry. The Foundation’s office is based in Westminster with home working available two days per week. We also have a range of equality, diversity, inclusivity and family-friendly policies and practices.

Diversity at the Resolution Foundation

We value and are committed to increasing diversity within both our own organisation and the economic policy making sector more widely and we are particularly keen to attract applications from under-represented communities and groups. For more information about our ongoing work in this area, please see our recruitment brochure. If you are interested in applying and would like to speak to someone informally to assess whether we are the right organisation for you, please contact Sharmina.Khanam@resolutionfoundation.org.

As part of our commitment in this area, we offer job specific pre-application discussions to Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic candidates and all candidates with disabilities who would like to speak to someone about the role. Please contact Sharmina.Khanam@resolutionfoundation.org for more details. We also offer the option for Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic candidates and all candidates with disabilities to opt into a guaranteed interview scheme if they meet the essential requirements. Please tick the box during the application process if you are interested in participating in this scheme.

In line with our determination to attract a diverse team, we regularly analyse a variety of statistics to inform the focus of our work in this area. To help with this, we would be grateful if you would complete the equal opportunities monitoring form provided on the application platform. Any information you provide is collated anonymously and used solely to track the effectiveness of our recruitment campaign.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Design and deliver projects within the research programme by conducting qualitative and quantitative research to the highest standards and developing appropriate policy proposals

• Propose and undertake new projects and policy ideas as part of the Foundation’s research
  programme

• Disseminate research projects through written reports, articles, blogs and presentations

• Support and inform the Foundation’s research programme by engaging with stakeholders in
  government, academia, and the private and voluntary sectors

• Communicate the work of the Foundation in print and broadcast media

• Represent the Foundation at our own seminars, conferences and other public events as
  well as at events run by other organisations

• Monitor and keep the team informed of external policy developments relevant to the
  Foundation’s research programme

Any other duties as deemed reasonable by the line manager.

About you

 Essential requirements include:

• Strong quantitative research skills and experience of using a range of research techniques, including experience with statistical software packages e.g. Stata or R

• Sound knowledge and understanding of public policy issues relating to the UK’s net zero transition

• Proven project management skills and experience of managing and delivering high quality
  projects on time

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in a range of formats (briefings, reports,
  media articles, blogs and presentations)

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work flexibly as part of a small team in a fastmoving environment

• A commitment to the Resolution Foundation’s core mission

Desirable characteristics include:

• Qualitative research skills and experience of using a range of techniques

• Comparative social and economic policy knowledge