Research and Policy Officer

The Trust is recruiting a creative and committed Research and Policy Officer to join our team. Reporting to one of the team’s Research and Policy Managers, the successful candidate will play a significant role in developing and preparing the Trust’s research and policy outputs, working across the core areas of the Sutton Trust’s work (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace). This will include helping to produce original, data rich and policy relevant research reports, along with contributing to other Trust research projects. They will also support the policy and advocacy work of the Trust, including performing background research on topics relevant to educational inequality and social mobility as required.

Main Duties

• To contribute, with colleagues, to several data-rich research reports accessible to practitioners and policy makers, over the course of the year, as agreed with the Research, Communications and Policy leadership team.
• To support the Sutton Trust's programme of research and policy work, including:
• Providing staff with background research, analysis and data on relevant topics.
• Producing literature reviews.
• Supporting research funding bids.
• Providing administrative support.
• Working with Communications colleagues to develop messaging and content for disseminating and publicising reports.
• Supporting advocacy work, as required, with MPs' staff, civil servants, special advisers and other policy makers.
• Other duties as necessary from time to time.

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent analytical skills and understanding of research methods, primarily quantitative research, as well as literature/evidence reviews. This should include significant experience of using data analysis software such as SPSS/Stata/R/Python or equivalent.
• A qualification in a social science or other numerate discipline, including statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, data science or similar discipline in the social or natural sciences at undergraduate level, or comparable experience.
• Two years' experience working in research in a professional or academic environment (e.g., PhD, post-doc).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High degree of initiative and the ability to take responsibility for projects.
• Personable, flexible and discreet; able to fit into a busy, small team in a fast-paced policy environment.
• Sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage.
• Eligible to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Experience of conducting research using administrative datasets (e.g., National Pupil Database) or longitudinal datasets (e.g., Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset, Understanding Society, Next Steps).
• Knowledge of one or more of our priority policy areas (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace), and the wider education policy environment in England.
• Strong understanding of government and the public policy environment.
• Experience working within or an understanding of the not-for-profit sector.
• Experience in education (for example, as a teacher or in another front-line educational role), education policy or a closely related field.
• A postgraduate qualification in a numerate discipline.

Terms of Appointment

• Contract: Full-time, permanent.
• Salary: £32,000 - £38,000 per annum.
• Working location: Minimum of 2 office days per week.
• Office location: The Sutton Trust, 9th Floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London, SW1P 4QP. Our home working policy gives staff the option to work from home for up to 60% of the time, with approval from their line manager.
• Hours: The standard working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and may also be required to attend events/meetings outside of their normal working hours during weekday evenings and occasionally at weekends.
• A DBS check may be required.

Contextual Recruitment

The Trust is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and that all applicants receive equal consideration for employment. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including those underrepresented at present at the Trust, to apply for this role. As such we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work and know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for the young people we support. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates throughout our recruitment process and during employment.