Senior Research Advisor

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator.

We protect energy consumers, especially the most vulnerable, while working with government, industry and consumer groups to deliver a clean, affordable and secure net‑zero energy system that supports economic growth.

With ongoing challenges in the energy market following the global gas crisis, and the vital role consumers play in achieving Net Zero, placing the consumer voice at the centre of our decisions is more important than ever.

This relies on timely, robust and impactful evidence.

The Consumer Insight and Behavioural Science team provides this evidence, ensuring policies reflect real consumer experiences, needs and behaviours.

We support teams across Ofgem by designing, commissioning and analysing quantitative and qualitative research across diverse groups, including households, vulnerable consumers and businesses.

Our insights directly inform major policy and regulatory decisions, helping Ofgem respond to issues from affordability and debt to the evolving role of consumers in Net Zero.

Our impact extends beyond internal policy.

We share findings with industry and external stakeholders, publishing research on the Ofgem website.

Our work is recognised through award nominations, external interest and regular conference presentations.

As a Senior Research Adviser, you will lead work ensuring consumer perspectives shape key decisions.

Your insight will close evidence gaps, strengthen policy development and support regulation that delivers confidence, fairness and meaningful outcomes for all energy users.

Ofgem fosters an inclusive culture that celebrates diverse voices and strengthens our connection to the communities we serve.

Everyone is welcome, and colleagues are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work.

We have two full‑time roles available, with flexible, part‑time and job‑share options considered.

• Purpose
• Lead the development and delivery of robust, value for money programmes of research and analysis
• Support the wider Consumer Insight & Behavioural Science team to ensure our work achieves maximum impact, working internally and externally to promote the evidence and analysis.
• Advocate for the consumer voice ensuring senior decisions makers have access to high quality, timely insights, analysis and briefings on consumers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on the design, development, commissioning and delivery of high quality, inclusive quantitative research (or qualitative/mixed methods) with households and businesses), ensuring they meet policy needs and deliver timely, robust insights that have a tangible impact on policy decisions.
• Delivery of rapid insights, drawing on both internal and external evidence sources, to ensure that support decision and policy making under tight deadlines.

By providing quick turnaround findings, you will help Ofgem remain responsive to emerging consumer and market issues.

• Champion and embed the consumer voice and unique insights around consumers and their behaviour into Ofgem’s decisions, working effectively with other analytical disciplines to triangulate evidence from different sources and generate a holistic narrative around consumers.
• Work effectively with policy colleagues within Ofgem to bring in the consumer voice, identify evidence gaps and ensure evidence is interpreted correctly and has a tangible impact on decision making
• Conduct ad hoc research and analysis on areas of emerging priority and secondary analysis of external evidence and data to build our evidence base on consumers
• Ensure effective quality assurance at all stages of the research process eg critically review agency approaches and outputs to ensure accuracy and quality – including sampling methodologies, weighting approaches, data quality and accuracy of analysis and reporting.
• Provide effective task management and mentoring to more junior researchers
• Ensure broad dissemination of consumer insights across Ofgem, presenting insights in an engaging way for senior, non-technical decision makers
• Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders eg peers in other regulators or government departments and research agencies, seeking opportunities for collaboration and building a picture of the external evidence base.
• Represent Ofgem at external events, networks, conferences etc to showcase the research and wider analytical work in Ofgem and bring learnings into Ofgem
• Keep up to date with developments in social and market research – continually exploring new ways to innovate our research and analysis and ways of working
• Play an active role in the Research and Behavioural Science sub profession, helping to improve the skills/capabilities of people and quality and rigour of outputs, including through taking ownership for own continued professional development.
• Key Outputs and Deliverables
• High quality research strategies, plans and stakeholder engagement to develop fit for purpose consumer research that meets stakeholders’ needs
• Delivery of timely, publishable standard research outputs from commissioned, in house research or analysis, with clear recommendations and effective, engaging dissemination
• Delivery of clear and concise documents, including presentations, briefings, reports, and management papers – for internal and external audiences.
• Support for junior team members, where necessary, to deliver high quality research outputs

Person specification

• Substantial experience (client or agency side) leading on all aspects of the design and delivery of quantitative and qualitative research projects and analysis
• (LEAD)
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and to translate policy needs into clear research strategies and plans
• (LEAD)
• Technical expertise in quantitative analysis using survey data, including strong understanding of statistical methods and hypothesis testing.
• Ability to evaluate, synthesise and interpret evidence from a variety of sources, coming to logical conclusions and communicating this effectively through a range of channels to senior non-specialists.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams and providing effective task and people management
• Ability to manage both longer-term project delivery and rapid reactive advice and analysis work
• Behaviours
• We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Technical skills
• We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
• You will be required to complete a technical task at interview stage
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