Research Associate

ST Media Group; Bristol; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization in higher education is looking for a Research Associate to support a team conducting impactful research and policy work. The successful candidate will engage in data analysis, survey development, and reporting, contributing to vital projects that enhance public engagement in universities. Ideal applicants should have a Master's qualification and a keen understanding of research methodologies.

Qualifications

• Masters level qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• Knowledge of specialist research methods.
• Experience in data analysis and research techniques.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature and database searches and reviews.
• Undertake qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Present evidence and contribute to research reports.

Skills

Data analysis techniques

Effective communication

Qualitative and quantitative research

Education

Masters level qualification

Job description

The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) supports culture change in the UK higher education (HE) sector. We are working to build an inclusive higher education sector where communities can contribute to, and benefit from, knowledge, teaching and research. We do this by supporting excellent public engagement practice; creating the conditions for public engagement to thrive in universities; and building strong networks and partnerships to amplify our impact.

We are an agile and creative organisation, core funded by UK Research and Innovation, Research England, Wellcome, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, Scottish Funding Council and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland. We are also funded by earned income from projects and services provided to HEIs. The Centre is jointly hosted by University of the West of England (UWE) and University of Bristol (UoB), benefitting from being part of two vibrant universities. This role is being recruited through UWE.

Education

THE NCCPE provides services to the Higher Education Sector such as training and consultancy and undertakes a lot of project work. Our work often has a research component which includes:

• Responding to consultations and calls for evidence
• Conducting literature reviews and consultations to inform policy and practice
• Supporting our funders by conducting thematic reviews of narratives submitted to the Higher Education sectors Knowledge Exchange Framework
• Designing and implementing our own Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework
• Developing an assessment of the State of the Sector in relation to adoption of public engagement strategy and practice by universities across the UK.
  
  

We are looking for a Research Associate to support our Research Fellow and Policy Analyst and our small team of freelance Research Associates to deliver our expanding portfolio of work across a range of exciting projects as well as the services NCCPE provides.

In this role you will be involved in the whole spectrum of research including literature and database searches and reviews, undertaking qualitative and quantitative data analysis, the development of questionnaires and conducting surveys as well as analysis of results and synthesising actionable insights and learning. You will need to be able to present evidence well both internally and externally and contribute to the development of research reports, publications and training resources. You may also contribute to project proposals and funding bids to external bodies.

This will be a varied and interesting role, so come and join our friendly, busy team based at 4, Portwall Place in central Bristol and help unlock the potential of universities to make a positive difference to society.

About You

You will have at least a Masters level qualification in a relevant discipline or have equivalent professional experience. You may work in academia or in one of a range of sectors such as governance, policy, charities, education or business. You will understand how to conduct research using appropriate data-gathering and data analysis techniques and methods and possess knowledge of specialist research methods. You will be an effective communicator, able to distil and explain outcomes to non-specialists. You will also be able to demonstrate an ability to build and participate in internal and external networks to enhance your personal and NCCPEs profile.

Where is this role based

Our offices are based in the city at 4 Portwall Place, Bristol BS1 6NB