Junior Research and Data Analyst

Survation; Greater London; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Survation is seeking a Junior Research and Data Analyst in London to join our core team. This role suits someone with hands-on experience in quantitative data analysis from a degree, postgraduate study, or prior work and who wants to grow in a fast-paced, applied research environment.

You'll design survey instruments, clean and analyse data with R or Python, quality-assure projects from setup to client outputs, and contribute to client deliverables.

Qualifications

• Genuine curiosity about public opinion, polling, and how survey research works.
• Hands-on experience with quantitative data analysis using R or Python (academic projects, dissertations, or self-directed work all count).
• Strong grounding in UK politics and current affairs.

Responsibilities

• Design and review survey questionnaires, with attention to question wording, ordering effects, and measurement validity.
• Clean, manipulate, and analyse survey data using R or Python.
• Conduct statistical analyses and identify meaningful patterns in data.
• Quality-assure projects from set-up through to delivery, including questionnaire scripting, data tables, and client outputs.
• Draw on secondary data sources to contextualise and enrich findings.
• Test and apply cutting edge quantitative methods to push the quality and ambition of our research.
• Actively look for ways to advance our understanding of public opinion, whether through new analytical approaches, new data sources, or research questions worth asking.

Skills

Genuine curiosity about public opinion

Attention to detail

Clear written communication skills

Tools

R

Python

Job description

Job Title: Junior Research and Data Analyst

Contract Type: Permanent

Start Date: ASAP, we will be conducting a rolling interview process

Location: London

Salary: £30,000+ depending on experience

About Survation
Survation is an independent research and polling company based in London, founded in 2010. We design and run surveys, focus groups, segmentations and statistical models for companies, charities, universities, public bodies and campaigns, and our findings regularly shape public debate, inform policy and make national headlines. We are a member of the British Polling Council and a Market Research Society Company Partner, and we publish the method and data tables behind every poll we release. Read more about who we are and working at Survation .

The Role

We're looking for a Junior Research and Data Analyst to join our core team. This is a junior analyst role suited to someone with some hands-on experience in quantitative data analysis, whether from a degree, postgraduate study, or prior work, who wants to develop that further and grow in a fast-paced, applied research environment.

You'll work across a range of projects from day one: designing survey instruments, cleaning and analysing data, quality-assuring projects from set-up through to client outputs, writing up findings and contributing to client deliverables. We are looking for someone who thinks about why we're doing things a certain way, spots when we could do them better, and has the curiosity and confidence to say so.

The ideal candidate is someone who gets energised by hard problems, has attention to detail and finds the mechanics of survey research, be it questionnaire design, sampling, measurement, or analysis genuinely interesting rather than just a means to an end. If you're the kind of person who goes down methodological rabbit holes for fun, you'll feel at home with us.

What You'll Do

Core research and analysis

• Design and review survey questionnaires, with attention to question wording, ordering effects, and measurement validity
• Clean, manipulate, and analyse survey data using R or Python
• Conduct statistical analyses and identify meaningful patterns in data
• Quality-assure projects from set-up through to delivery, including questionnaire scripting, data tables, and client outputs
• Draw on secondary data sources to contextualise and enrich findings
• Test and apply cutting edge quantitative methods (this could be survey experiments, question-wording tests, vignette designs, and other methodological innovations) to push the quality and ambition of our research
• Actively look for ways to advance our understanding of public opinion, whether through new analytical approaches, new data sources, or research questions worth asking

Outputs and communication

• Write clear, accurate data briefings, reports, and press releases
• Draft op-eds, blog posts, social media content, and newsletters based on research findings
• Build interactive dashboards and data visualisations that make polling findings accessible to non-specialist audiences such as clients, journalists, and the wider public
• Contribute to the preparation of client presentations and published reports on our website

Client and business development

• Engage with clients directly, supporting them in interpreting and applying findings
• Identify new product and service opportunities across sectors and contribute ideas proactively
• Support preparation for party conferences and industry events, helping to communicate Survation's research effectively in political and policy contexts

What We're Looking For

• Genuine curiosity about public opinion, polling, and how survey research works
• Hands-on experience with quantitative data analysis using R or Python (academic projects, dissertations, or self-directed work all count)
• A real interest in research methodology: you think about how questions are asked, why samples are constructed the way they are, and what the limits of a given analysis actually are
• Solid grounding in UK politics and current affairs
• Strong attention to detail
• Clear written communication skills. You will be writing for non-specialist audiences regularly, and you'll need to make complex findings land simply without distorting them
• Someone who identifies what needs doing and gets on with it
• The ability to manage several projects simultaneously under deadline pressure, without losing rigour in the process
• Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to try things that might not work

Nice to have

• Familiarity with data visualisation tools such as Flourish, DisplayR, DataWrapper, Tableau, or Power BI
• Experience of working with large datasets
• Prior studies that have included a strong quantitative component
• Some exposure to qualitative research methods (focus groups, depth interviews, or cognitive testing)
• Experience using AI tools in an analytical or research workflow

Why Join Survation?

• You'll work on live, consequential research from day one
• Direct exposure to clients, political figures, and senior stakeholders early in your career
• A technically strong team where you'll develop real analytical skills, not just report-writing
• Your work will be public-facing: press coverage, published reports, and policy discussions
• We facilitate a culture that takes methodology seriously through debates about how we do things, not just what we deliver

Survation is committed to being an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, particularly from groups currently underrepresented in the research industry. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please let us know when submitting your application.

Independent research, polling and insight

Survation are an equal opportunities employer. Read our policy here .