Researcher

Overview

Grade C: £32,471 (National) or £38,143 (London – for London office based or homebased workers within the boundary of the M25). An additional homeworking allowance of £581 per annum is available for those working from home. For part-time roles, pay is pro rata.

Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week. Part-time hours (minimum 30 hours) or flexible working patterns may be available.

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Home or office based, flexible location. Hybrid working.

Closing Date: Friday October 3, 2025

Make a difference

Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you’re looking for a new role in the Analytic Content team that provides meaningful work, this may be the opportunity for you. Our team shapes national and local understanding of patient experience through research and insight.

Picture this

In the last 12 months, as a Researcher in the Analytic Content team, you would have:

• Designed and delivered national NHS Patient Experience Surveys, helping improve care across England.
• Led a research project from start to finish—scoping, designing, analysing and reporting findings that influenced policy decisions and helped services improve.
• Worked with colleagues across CQC, as well as external partners and stakeholders, to ensure research outputs met the needs of the public, providers and regulators.
• Educated to degree level or have equivalent professional experience to real-world research; a degree in social sciences is desirable, but the ability to gather high-quality data using complex surveys and turn this into clear, compelling stories that improve care and inform decision-making is what matters.

You’ll play a key role in the organisation by

• Carrying out primary research using quantitative survey methods, including analysis and reporting.
• Supporting the delivery of the NHS Patient Experience Survey programme.
• Collaborating with internal teams and external contractors to deliver high-quality research.
• Creating clear, actionable reports and outputs from research findings.
• Managing research projects to ensure timely and impactful delivery.

Show us

What we’re looking for in your application:

• Experience designing and delivering large-scale surveys, including contributing to best practices in survey data collection.
• Ability to analyse data and present findings clearly, using statistical software packages and visual storytelling.
• Experience of working with stakeholders, tailoring insights to meet different needs and expectations.

To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Next steps

If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be anonymous. Please see information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted. The full details of the role can be read in the Job Description. For an informal chat about the role contact Nicola Lawson, Senior Researcher; Nicola.Lawson@cqc.org.uk. For general enquiries, please email recruitment@cqc.org.uk.

The Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including:

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card) and other benefits.

Please see our benefits page for the full list.

Equity for all

We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our accessibility page for more on this. If you’d like to chat, please contact recruitment@cqc.org.uk. Note: adjustments for interviews or roles must be discussed for each application.

We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support among our employee networks. This includes people of any age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, ethnicity, disability.

Values and vision

We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and culture. Excellence – being a high-performing organisation; Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect; Integrity – doing the right thing; Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can. We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.

A Note on AI

AI tools can be useful for research and refining ideas, but your application should reflect your real skills and experience. Do not copy and paste AI-generated answers. Provide authentic examples and ensure honesty and integrity in your application.