Start Date - January 2022

ABOUT US:

Have you ever wondered how policy makers ensure that the policies and services they develop are based on evidence? Or how government organisations or charities understand how they can improve the services they provide? These are the types of question we answer for our clients.

For example, an NHS organisation contacted us to seek the public’s views on the government’s proposal for a new system of organ and tissue donation consent. We then carried out 26 focus groups with members of the public across England to understand their views of presumed, or deemed, consent for organ donation, commonly known as ‘opt-out’. The groups were also attended by organ donation nurses and other experts so they could help with fielding clinical queries and supporting the focus group facilitators. This research informed government policy and new legislation is now being developed that will make organ donation opt-out, rather than opt in. The DHSC published our report alongside it’s public consultation findings here.

In the Social Research Institute, we are the leaders in social research and bridge the gap between government and the public, providing robust research and analysis. We cover broad issues that shape the delivery of public services in modern society and how to engage the public in the policy-making process. We work closely with the centre of government, as well as with policy-makers across Whitehall and in the wider political environment such as think tanks, charities, the interested private sector and the media. We work across all policy fields including health and social care, welfare, education, transport, and politics. Our work has a direct bearing on the decisions made by government, organisations and citizens. We take that responsibility seriously and, because of this, do work of the highest quality that stands up to close scrutiny.

YOUR ROLE:

As a Graduate Research Executive, you’ll be encouraged to take authority from the outset - thrown straight into working on live projects.  You will gain exposure to a variety of policy areas and research approaches, whilst working alongside industry experts.

• You’ll work with both quantitative and qualitative data

• You’ll see the end to end project life cycle: taking client briefs, working through time lines and costings, research design (for example questionnaire development), quality control, and liaising with our fieldwork specialists.

• You will learn key project management skills.

• You will focus on what the narrative of our research is, sharing your findings with the client and impacting policy development with a powerful and insights-led story.

• You’ll help us think about how we can deliver our conclusions and recommendations in an engaging and creative way.

OUR OFFER –

Our Generation Ipsos programme provides a comprehensive foundation in research and how it’s practically applied in a commercial environment. You’ll be trained in client management, project management and the nitty-gritty of research including methodologies, sampling, weighting and ethics. You’ll learn through real life, hands-on experience, webinars, seminars and specialist workshops. We’ll provide you with dedicated training designed to achieve the industry recognised Market Research Society (MRS) Advanced Certificate accreditation.   Networking is a key skill so we have Early Careers events with other Graduates, Placement Students and Interns across the company.

Having a flexible working culture where we support our colleagues and celebrate our successes is important to us.  We invest our time in you and you’ll benefit from working alongside our expert teams.  Your manager will help you set goals to achieve your personal objectives throughout the year and help you exceed these.

And the fun stuff …

• 25 days’ holiday which increases over time to 30 days, plus an extra day for your birthday.

• 4pm finish on a Friday

• Annual summer and All Staff events

• Team Christmas parties

• Season ticket loan

• A huge variety of benefits e.g. pension contributions, income protection, winter flu jabs, eye care vouchers, online and high street discounts

ABOUT YOU -

• A natural curiosity about the world we live in and an intrigue for human behaviour

• A passion for public policy

Along with ….

• The ability to work creatively and think commercially

• Exceptional attention to detail and a meticulous approach to analysing data

• Strong interpersonal skills – the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively

• Exceptional organisational skills as well as the ability to multi-task and work towards multiple deadlines

• The unrestricted right to work in the UK

HOW TO APPLY

Those who are successful at this stage will be progressed to a gamified test, and then a virtual interview. The final stage will be an assessment centre. Applications close at 11.59pm on Thursday, 25th November, but we may close early if we receive an extremely high volume of applications so please apply as soon as possible if you are interested.

We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success - a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We understand the importance of commitments you may have outside of work and we consider all flexible working applications - please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application.