IN A NUTSHELL

As Embedded Research Lead, you will support the delivery of the Personal Grants Project, which provides unconditional cash transfers to people who have had experiences of homelessness.

We are looking for someone who expertly blends community-engaged research expertise with practical problem-solving skills to enable and facilitate data collection, particularly in the context of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs). Your work will involve working very closely with our service delivery partners and people participating in the trial. As a key member of our Programmes Team, you will also work closely with colleagues in our Evidence & Data and ImplementationTeams, as well as our academic partners to spot and respond quickly to project opportunities and risks. The role demands a dedicated commitment to collaboration and an understanding of the nuanced dynamics of generating evidence in the field. The ideal candidate will embody excellence in multi-way relationships to drive impactful outcomes.

WHY IS THIS ROLE IMPORTANT FOR THE CENTRE’S WORK?

At the Centre for Homelessness Impact, we help people to harness the power of evidence and data to improve policies and interventions to support people experiencing homelessness. You will help assure our evidence-generation efforts, working very closely with our service delivery partners and people participating in the trial, managing their needs carefully and sensitively, and supporting them to effectively implement the Personal Grants Project.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN:

• Lead relationships with service delivery and evaluation partners and actively promote evaluation objectives amongst partners and participants.

• Thrive when working within different organisational team cultures for a high proportion of the time, working on and solving practical problems.

• Exemplify multi-way relationships where there is learning to be gained for all stakeholders. 

• Establish trusting relationships with individuals who have had experiences of homelessness through communicating with compassion and respect.

• Create and provide resources and support for caseworkers and participants to maximise recruitment to-target and to-time.

• Devise and implement plans to address possible barriers to participant recruitment.

• Facilitate data collection through keeping in touch with participants from the point of recruitment through to endline data collection. 

• Undertake primary data collection (i.e. surveys, interviews, focus group discussions) with service delivery partners to inform the project’s implementation and process evaluation.

• Spot opportunities for storytelling and uncover compelling narratives about the Project for wider dissemination.

• Be a part of a learning and improvement culture across the organisation supporting improvement in all our processes.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND BEHAVIOURS

We need a self-starter, capable of delivering data-led projects and an ability to work effectively and flexibly in a lean, diverse and agile organisation with big ambitions.

Your experience includes...

• Demonstrated experience conducting fieldwork in community settings in a social science or health-related discipline (e.g. economics, sociology, psychology, public policy), particularly RCTs.

• Proven ability to establish and maintain partnerships with service delivery organisations and community stakeholders.

• Knowledge of ethical guidelines and best practices for conducting research in the field, ensuring confidentiality and minimising harm.

• Proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, especially experience with undertaking surveys, interviews, and focus groups.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt approaches and strategies to meet the unique challenges and constraints of conducting research in real-world settings.

• A commitment to social justice issues.

Nice to have

Background in homelessness research, including knowledge of key issues, challenges, and interventions related to preventing and addressing homelessness.

You will be able to demonstrate the following:

• The capacity to build and nurture good relationships with diverse stakeholders and deliver tangible results.

• Willingness to try new things in a considered and structured way and learn from experiences to improve processes.

• A curiosity to learn from a spectrum of perspectives represented by different members of the team and other stakeholders.

• A commitment to both the aims and values of the Centre.

WORKING HERE

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• Interest-free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy

• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%

• 30 days’ annual leave which increases with service to 33 days

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay

• Employee assistance programme

• Flexible working

LOCATION

Flexible/hybrid. However, the role will require engagement and on-site working in both Belfast and London as the two locations for the Personal Futures project. This will mean regular travel and some overnight stays as part of the project. Staff outside London work remotely from home, and we offer a hybrid working environment for staff based within commuting distance of our central London offices, usually with at least two office-based days in an average week.

INTERVIEW DATE

w/c 13th January 2025

We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and are committed to celebrating and supporting diversity. We know we will thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community.  We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and particularly welcome applications from people with experiences of homelessness.