Senior Statistician

the National Centre for Social Research; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent research organization is seeking a Senior Statistician based in Edinburgh to lead complex survey methodologies. The candidate will contribute to high-quality research outputs, develop statistical approaches, and collaborate with other researchers. Applicants should possess a strong statistical background and experience in survey research, as well as knowledge of statistical packages. This full-time role offers competitive compensation and numerous benefits, including a flexible working environment and comprehensive health plans.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme with employer contributions

Employee discounts and benefits scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Career development opportunities

Health Cash Plan

Qualifications

• Good academic background, preferably with a degree focusing on statistics.
• Experience in survey research within various sectors is important.
• Knowledge and practical experience with survey sampling and weighting is essential.
• Familiarity with statistical packages and data management skills are vital.

Responsibilities

• Design sampling and weighting schemes for surveys.
• Select and check survey samples using statistical methods.
• Generate and QA survey weights for analysis.
• Develop and implement new methodologies for survey design.
• Conduct complex data analysis and provide statistical advice.

Skills

Statistical content

Survey research

Survey statistics knowledge

SPSS, R, Stata

Excel skills

Communication skills

Pressure management

Attention to detail

Education

Degree with substantial statistical content

Tools

Statistical software

Job description

Senior Statistician

Department: Social Surveys

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Edinburgh, UK

Compensation: GBP 32,500 - GBP 43,000 / year

Description

The Senior Statistician will lead the design and delivery of complex survey methodology, including sampling, weighting and advanced analysis. The role involves developing new statistical approaches, providing expert advice to researchers and clients, and contributing to high-quality research outputs and proposals with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

• Design sampling and weighting schemes from scratch with minimal input from other statisticians.
• Select survey samples using statistical software with minimal input from other statisticians; check/QA samples generated by other statisticians.
• Generate survey weights for survey analysis with minimal input from other statisticians; check/QA weights generated by other statisticians.
• Review, develop and implement new methodology related to survey design and analysis with minimal supervision.
• Undertake complex data analysis using techniques such as logistic regression and Latent Class Analysis (LCA). Advise/teach researchers and customers on statistical and methodological issues with support from other statisticians.
• Be part of the tendering process for research projects - both contributing to Research Proposals and being a member of the team for tendering interviews.
• Write sections/chapters for research and technical reports with minimal input from other statisticians.
• Disseminate statistical work via conferences and written reports/papers.
• Perform any other reasonable duties that NatCen may require that are consistent with the broad nature of the job role.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

• Good academic background, preferably including a degree with substantial statistical content.
• Demonstrable experience working in survey research; for example, in social/market research, government, other public/voluntary sector, or academia. This can include work towards successful completion of a postgraduate qualification with a strong research or research methods component.
• Knowledge of survey statistics, with some practical experience of survey sampling and weighting.
• Familiarity with SPSS, R, Stata or a similar statistical package (with experience of scripting/coding using the relevant command language).
• Excellent Excel skills, with ability to manage large datasets, use advanced formulas, and produce accurate, well‑formatted outputs.
• Good standard of written English.
• Aptitude for explaining complex statistical issues in a clear and comprehensible manner, with some experience of doing this in a professional environment.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple deadlines, with some experience of doing this in a professional environment.
• Keen eye for detail.

Benefits

Holiday: 25 days’ holiday plus 8 bank holidays. Leave increases to 30 days after 3 years’ employment.

All new employees will be automatically enrolled on the pension scheme 3 months from their start date unless stated otherwise. The minimum employee contribution is 3% and the maximum employer contribution is 5% of salary. If the employee does not wish to contribute, there is a process to opt out for a limited period.

Staff can also join a defined contribution pension scheme. The minimum employee contribution is 4% and the maximum employer contribution is .5% of salary. You can join this pension from when you start working with us.

All employees are eligible for a lump sum benefit payable to the named beneficiary on the employee’s death of 5 times their annual salary. Beneficiary form must be completed – further details can be found when you start working with us.

NatCen Rewards – an online employee benefits scheme featuring discounts at800 retailers and service providers in the UK, both online and in store.

Health Cash Plan – Employees can sign up to a healthcare cash plan which lets you claim back the cost of treatments, such as laser eye treatment, dental treatment, physiotherapy, hospital scans, etc. You can pay as little as GBP 1.20 per week, and when you receive treatment, you send the details to the provider and the plan reimburses you, depending on the terms.

Professional Subscriptions – We will pay the cost of one professional membership subscription per individual per annum, where that subscription is required for the job.

Cycle to work scheme – A government initiative which allows NatCen to provide bikes and associated safety equipment to employees for work transport.

Season ticket loan – We offer an interest‑free loan to buy annual season tickets for travel to work, available once you have completed your probation period.

Eye care vouchers – NatCen will contribute up to GBP 30 per year for an eye test. If the glasses/contacts are solely for VDU use, NatCen will contribute up to GBP 100.

Flexible working – Flexible working is supported to help meet company aims, reduce stress, and increase motivation. Examples include home working, job sharing, and some flexibility in working hours. Core hours of work are 10 am–4 pm.

Parental leave – Employees who meet the qualifying criteria can claim up to 18 working weeks unpaid leave per child under 5, or up to 18 years of age if the child has a disability. Employees can take parental leave in blocks of one week and no more than 4 weeks per year.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – A confidential helpline designed to help you deal with personal and professional problems that could be affecting your home life or work life, health and well‑being.

Career Development – We are passionate about learning and the value it brings to the organisation and our clients. Everyone has access to training and development which supports them in the work they do and personal learning & development plans are tailored to help develop individuals and teams achieve our goals. We aim for a culture of continuous improvement, which includes active reflection on development needs and goals.