Social Research Apprentice

Are you driven by data and passionate about insights? We are a leading global market research company, enabling organisations to make smarter, bolder, and faster decisions. Ipsos Public Affairs is a world-leading social research team of approximately 300 dedicated professionals in the UK, bridging the gap between government and the public to provide robust evidence that shapes public policy. We partner with a wide array of high-profile decision-makers, including UK central and devolved government departments, local public services, universities, and NGOs. Our work spans all major areas of public life, giving you the opportunity to explore diverse sectors such as health and social care, education, transport, energy and environment, the economy, welfare and social cohesion.

As a Social Research Apprentice, you’ll support us in delivering high-quality research and evaluation of policy for our clients. You’ll work on studies which bring public, workforce and stakeholder views, experiences, preferences and needs to our clients, helping to ensure their policies and decisions are informed by the people most affected by them. You will also help clients assess the effectiveness and impact of policies and programmes and improve the delivery of public services. While you’re at work, you will be part of a team working on social research and evaluation projects that make a difference in the world. Your role will mainly focus on research and project coordination. This will include:

• Supporting the day-to-day running of projects.
• Conducting desk research.
• Conducting quantitative and qualitative research.
• Supporting design of interview guides and questionnaires.
• Doing interviews and focus groups.
• Running surveys and analysing data.
• Writing and presenting findings.
• Contributing to business development and proposal writing.

We encourage diversity of thought so we look for candidates who are as diverse as the societies, markets and people we work with. Therefore we are looking for:

• An analytical and problem-solving mindset, focused on not only interpreting data but also understanding the "why" behind insights.
• Effective communication and storytelling skills, the ability to derive actionable insights from data and present them in a clear and engaging way for diverse audiences.
• Commercial awareness and client-focused mindset, with a genuine passion in understanding client needs and delivering impactful, value-driven solutions.
• A curiosity and learning agility that fosters exploration of new ideas and openness to understanding changing trends.
• Creativity and innovation to think outside the box and bring fresh, impactful ideas to life.
• Embraces collaboration and teamwork, working effectively with others and valuing diverse perspectives to build on colleagues' strengths.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to multi-task and work towards multiple deadlines.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with a meticulous approach to working with data and commitment to accuracy and integrity in every task.
• A focus on self-awareness and a growth mindset, driven to succeed and make a real impact, with a willingness to reflect, learn, and grow.
• An aptitude for leveraging AI tools and techniques to enhance research and insights, in line with Ipsos' standards and policies.
• Motivated by delivering research that will have a real impact.

Along with…

• The unrestricted right to work in the UK.
• A minimum five GCSEs (including Maths at grade C (4) or above and English Language at C (4) or above) and a minimum of CCC at A Level or equivalent (not including General Studies).

As a Social Research Apprentice at Ipsos 80% of your time will be spent in work, with 20% studying. You will study the Level 6 applied social research standard, leading to a BSc honours degree with The University of Kent at the end of the four years. Alongside work, your part-time university study will equip you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to become a professional social researcher by the end of the 4-year programme. At Ipsos, we are committed to investing in your development, and to offering you comprehensive support and guidance throughout the programme, empowering you to build a successful and fulfilling career. You will have the chance to meet apprentices and graduates across the business and work on projects together, building a global network and fostering teamwork and innovation.

Successful applicants will move on to a cognitive and personality assessment, followed by a virtual interview with one of our talent partners. The final stage will be an in-person assessment centre at our London office w/c commencing June 1st and we are looking for candidates to start in August. 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 are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. We provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.