Partnerships Researcher - part-time (32 hours per week)

RNLI; Poole; Hybrid; GBP 35,853 - 42,181; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Life assurance

Health and dental cashplan

Job summary

The RNLI is seeking a Partnerships Researcher to support their research initiatives and influence decision-making processes. This part-time role located in Poole, England, offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a charity focused on saving lives. Responsibilities include conducting diverse research tasks, building stakeholder relationships, and translating findings into actionable recommendations. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in research, excellent organizational skills, and a commitment to the RNLI's values.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a research/information gathering role.
• Experience of producing and translating research into actionable recommendations.
• Understanding of the Data Protection Act and GDPR.

Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough research including due diligence and prospect profiles.
• Build and manage relationships with stakeholders.
• Develop a prospect research pipeline for Corporate, Trust and Philanthropy teams.

Skills

Research and information gathering

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Stakeholder management

Education

Good degree with research component or equivalent experience

Job description

Partnerships Researcher - part-time (32 hours per week)

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Part Time

Additional information: 32 hours per week - working days to be agreed (ideally one of the days to be Tuesday)

Location: Poole, Dorset, England

Location description: Hybrid between home and Poole – with occasional travel to Poole as required by the role (approximately once a month)

Closing Date: 10-05-2026

Reference: 21487

About us

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is a charity that provides a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service, seasonal lifeguards, and water safety education and initiatives. Our lifeboat crews and lifeguards need a dedicated, professional and talented team behind them, and that is where you come in. This is your chance to help save lives every day.

We’re looking for a Partnerships Researcher to join our Partnerships Research Team, which is part of our Research Team. The Research Team supports the RNLI by delivering insight and recommendations, generated by robust and ethical research, to enable the RNLI to make sound evidence-based decisions.

The Partnerships Research Team conduct desk-based research, produce accurate, thorough, and insightful research reports, and promote the role of research in organisational decision-making, ensuring customers and decision makers at all levels have the information, research, and evidence required.

It’s a fascinating role offering the chance to make a real difference to our charity.

Some of the benefits

• Salary - £35,853 to £42,181 pro rata (dependent on experience)
• 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Life assurance
• Health and dental cashplan

Your Role

As a Partnerships Researcher, you will be tasked with the following:

• Undertake up-to-date, accurate and efficiently produced research, including complex and standard due diligence, prospect research profiles, network mapping, guest list research, and corporate risks and opportunities reports, translating research findings into accessible evidence that tells a story and provides recommendations that can be used by decision makers at all levels.
• Effectively build and manage successful working relationships with all customers, stakeholders and internal analysts, promoting the role of Partnerships Research in strategic and operational decision-making, and provide expert guidance on corporate associations and donations acceptance.
• Proactively develop and maintain a prospect research pipeline to support the Corporate, Trust and Philanthropy teams as they develop these prospects and convert them to supporters and partners.
• Promote the use of good research practice and demonstrate how it can add value across the RNLI.

About You

You’ll be proactive, inquisitive and questioning, have a strong moral compass and enjoy working independently and as part of a team. You will be comfortable communicating at all levels, understand and be able to communicate the importance of a strong evidence base, enjoy undertaking and managing varied projects, and have a high attention to detail. With proven experience in a research/information gathering role, you will ideally have a research and/or fundraising background in the charitable/not-for-profit sector.

To be considered as the Partnerships Researcher, you will need:

• A good degree with a demonstrable research component or equivalent experience
• Proven experience in a research/information gathering role
• Experience of producing and translating research and evidence into actionable recommendations, and the ability to communicate these to all levels
• Experience of managing multiple projects
• Experience of successfully proactively working with and influencing multiple stakeholders and customers
• Strong written and verbal, analytical, communication and negotiation skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Experience and understanding of the Data Protection Act and GDPR

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.