The Runnymede Trust, the UK’s leading race equality think tank, partners with a number of organisations to deliver research into race and its impact on a range of social issues from financial inequalities to housing, education and climate change, to name a few.

We are looking to strengthen our research capacity to build our research portfolio across a range of thematic areas, with a range of short and medium term flexible positions.

Job purpose

Working for the Runnymede Trust and supporting our growing research team, you will be leading on projects that will involve mixed methods research approaches to investigate specific questions to help progress race equality outcomes. Research outputs will need to be reported and made accessible to a range of audiences and will likely include policy recommendations and/or actionable programmes that align with our values.

Responsibilities and main duties

You will:

• Use a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods to deliver research aims and produce reports analysing and interpreting patterns and trends that examine the links between race and outcomes in selected thematic areas.

• Project manage research projects ensuring milestones, budgets and reporting requirements are met, maintained and communicated internally and to external partners where appropriate.

• Help develop our research approaches, methodologies and tools, working within and further developing shared language and conceptual frameworks to ensure that our published reports are accessible and clearly understandable to all.

• Work collaboratively with external partners  to design and deliver research and associated activities (e.g. research proposals, launch events etc.)

• Maintain regular communication with external partners or funders to effectively report on research progress and impact.

• Identify and resolve issues that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines, coordinating across the team and escalating where appropriate.

• Promote equality and diversity values acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Our research aims to analyse and expose structural racism and explore its role in the racialised inequalities that persist in the UK today. In doing so we are attentive to nuances in our communities and you will need the expertise to delve into the intersections of race, class, and gender in the projects undertaken.

Experience, knowledge and personal qualities

Essential 

• PhD in a relevant discipline and/or relevant years of experience in policy, research, academic or third sector body.

• Background or experience in one or more of our thematic areas.

• Experience of designing, planning and delivering research proposals and projects across a wide range of thematic areas, using mixed methods.

• An excellent understanding of the issues of race and racism in the UK and a proven commitment to promoting racial equality.  

• Demonstrable understanding of the intersection between race, gender and class.

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, and co-operate with stakeholders remotely. 

• Ability to source complex data from varying sources and undertake the necessary analysis and interpretation to form impactful recommendations. 

• Strong IT and digital literacy skills.

• Concise and high-level writing and editing skills for publishing work.

• Commitment to rigorous evidence based impartial analysis and able to work in a politically impartial way.

• A deep individual commitment to equality and anti-racist action, through continuous development, modelling inclusive behaviours, and proactively promoting equity, diversity and inclusion throughout your work.