Research Officer, Public and Social Policy

Research Officer,

Funding and Information Services

Glasgow office or hybrid.

About the role

Idox has an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join the Knowledge Exchange research team. The Knowledge Exchange provides information services to researchers and professionals in local authorities, public agencies, government departments, consultancies and research units across the UK.

As a Research Officer, you will be answering enquiries and communicating insights in all areas of public and social policy. Being part of the team offers the chance to provide information that is guiding both policy making and practice in many different organisations and helping to improve decision making and the use of evidence in the public sector. Every day is different, and you will have the chance to develop subject specialism knowledge as well.

Idox is proactive in ensuring career opportunities for all our colleagues, respecting diversity and looking to improve gender pay gaps. We offer flexible working as well as a benefits package which supports wellbeing, and a positive approach to achieving a decent work-life balance whilst supporting your professional ambitions and interests.

Key responsibilities

This is a role which would suit someone with an interest in information management and also a genuine interest in public or social policy, and current affairs. You will work with others in the team to support our key clients, improve user engagement and deliver new services.The Knowledge Exchange are based in Idox’s Glasgow office. The role reports to the Head of Policy and Intelligence.

As a Research Officer, you will carry out database searches for our Knowledge Exchange members, select resources to add to our library collection, create content for current awareness services, and write blogs on public policy issues. Altogether, this involves:

• Providing a research enquiry service, carrying out database searches and responding to enquiries from external customers
• Selecting material for our library and database, focused on our subscribers’ needs
• Supporting the provision of alerting services, including selecting or writing content for bulletins, and creating bibliographic records and abstracts/summaries of policy resources for our database
• Developing expertise covering one or more agreed areas of public policy subject coverage. This includes advice on sources, and maintaining useful information around your subject area(s)
• Participating in the efficient running of all aspects of service delivery, including providing cover if required for our library document supply service
• Performing any other duties required for the smooth operation of the service.

To be successful, you’ll need to be:

• A proactive, self-motivated individual, comfortable with meeting deadlines and prioritising workload
• Must have an interest in, or experience of, literature searching or the use of library databases
• Must have excellent written English skills and be able to adhere to house style and standards
• High attention to detail; able to take responsibility for the quality of one’s own work
• Able to assess the value and relevance of resources, interpret research questions and compile and present the results of database searches. Able to understand policy issues and summarise or communicate these to wider audiences
• Able to maintain up-to-date knowledge of current affairs and policy developments.

Additional desirable qualities:

• We’re looking for someone who will enjoy working with policy content and providing quality services for our wide variety of customers.
• A degree in a subject relevant to public policy or information management would be an advantage, or you might have work experience in a policy, information or research role.
• The role offers a great opportunity for someone to develop their skills in a busy and unique policy research environment. We offer flexible working arrangements and welcome applicants looking for either full-time or part-time work.

About Idox

Our specialist software solutions power the performance of government and industry, driving productivity and a better experience for everyone. Built around the user and designed in collaboration with experts who have worked through every detail of every process from end-to-end, our hard- working process engines deliver exceptional functionality and embed workflows that drive efficiency and best practice with a long-term focus for regulated environments. Through the automation of tasks, the simplification of complex operations, finding scalability as operations evolve, and more effective management of information, we help our customers harness the power of Digital, so they can do more.

We employ around 660 staff in the UK and worldwide, including Europe, North America and Asia, so some travel to meet colleagues may be required.

Our Values, Our Culture

We are ambitious in working together to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity. Idox is a company where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit, where we respect all our employees, customers and communities in which we live, work and are a part of.

We recruit and reward employees based on capability and performance – regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion or physical ability. Each office location worldwide, is free to respond to local needs to create a culturally sensitive workplace for everyone. In doing so, we want every employee to feel our commitment to showing respect for all and encouraging open collaboration and communication.

Our Benefits Flex to Fit

We recognise that for individuals, the opportunity to work flexibly can enable them to achieve a better work-life balance along with a greater sense of responsibility, ownership and control of their working life. During the pandemic, all our employees successfully transitioned to remote working and we are open to conversations on work patterns to suit our employees needs such as change to working times; part time working; term time working; 9-dayfortnight. We are proud to be a flexible employer enabling effective hybrid working for our employees.

How to apply

Please submit a CV, and a short cover letter (maximum 500 words – including salary expectation, and current remuneration) explaining why you feel you would be suited to this role.

Please note successful applicants will need to satisfy the BPSS guidelines (Baseline Personnel Security Standards) which consist of the receipt of satisfactory references covering the last 3 years of employment; an identity check; verification of eligibility to work in the UK; and a Basic Disclosure Check. This is in order to help us make safer recruitment decisions.

Privacy notice

As part of the recruitment process, we will collect data about you in a variety of ways including the information you would normally include in a CV or a job application cover letter, or notes made by our recruiting officers during a recruitment interview.

Please read our Recruitment Data Privacy Policy here: https://www.idoxgroup.com/policies