Research Officer

Location: The locations for this role are Newport, Titchfield (Fareham), Manchester and Darlington.We operate a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations and working between office and remote throughout the week. As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement.Salary: £34,624Working Patterns: All our vacancies are offered as a flexible option of Full time, Part time, Flexible working, Job ShareClosing Date: Apply before 11:55pm on Tuesday 25th November 2025Important - For Office for National Statistics (ONS) the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying.Person specificationResponsibilitiesRole responsibilities vary depending on the skills set required and will include some of the following activities:Production and publication of high-quality National Statistics on a range of subject matters.Discrete pieces of analysis to provide context and understanding around statistical outputs.Development of new methods, production systems and reporting/dissemination to make sure we meet data users’ changing needs.Assisting with research to understand administrative datasets and how they can be used in the production of official statistics.Conducting qualitative research (employing a range of methods including mental model research, focus groups, cognitive interviewing, pop-up research, usability testing and so on) with the public and businesses. This may include conducting participant recruitment for the research.Designing and developing questionnaires for social and economic surveys (suitable for paper, telephone, face-to-face and online self-completion) using qualitative research methods.Contributing to quality assurance and production of statistical or research publications. Producing supporting documentation including metadata, operational or quality and methodology documentation.Disseminating work in various ways and to different audiences via written reports, through presentations, at ‘show and tell’ meetings, and through papers to a variety of audiences, both in the UK and internationally at conferences and other community events.Building strong professional working relationships with project stakeholders. Answering queries from customers and departments on ad-hoc analyses or standard outputs; helping customers make best use of our statistics.Liaising closely with other staff across ONS to share knowledge and develop expertise.Staying up to date with the latest research methods, processes and trends.Using specialist statistical software such as R, Python or equivalent to support this research.APPLICATION PROCESS There are 6 key steps to completing the application process and this section advises of the steps on how to apply. The Candidate Pack contains information to help you complete your application, please read it. It is attached at the bottom of the job advert.Please establish if you are eligible to apply through one of three entry routes.Having decided you are eligible you must fill out the Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form.Complete the online Application Form.Include your Research Proposal, as outlined below, in the Personal Statement section of the Application Form.Attach your completed Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form to your completed online Application Form and submit.After submitting your online application you will be invited by email to complete a GSR Skills Knowledge Test by Tazio, the designated test management provider.RESEARCH PROPOSAL - You are required to provide this information in the ‘Personal statement’ section of the online application form.You must include a research proposal for a topic that is in the news or for a topic of interest, where you feel social research could provide useful insight for the government.Your Research Proposal will be assessed against the following GSR technical skills:Knowledge of research methods, techniques & application of these in small scale research projectsIdentifying research needs, designing & specifying researchAnalysis & interpretationThere is a 750-word limit on this section. The Candidate Pack attached to the advert includes information on what you need include in the proposal.Please Note: Failure to complete all sections of the online Application Form including your Research Proposal in the Personal Statement section OR failure to complete and attach your Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form to your online application OR failure to pass the GSR Knowledge Test will result in your application being sifted out of the recruitment process.Qualifications:Entry Routes for this vacancyTo be eligible to apply for this Research Officer (RO) role in the Government Social Research (GSR) profession, you need to fulfill the criteria of one of the following three entry routes:Qualification route• Already hold an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2 in a social science related subject where at least 30% of the modules or credits, excluding dissertation modules, included social research content.The RO Eligibility form attached to the advert includes detail on what qualifies as a social science subject. Please read the form carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria for this route.OR,Badged route• Already be a member of the Government Social Research professionYou must use the RO Eligibility form to tell us if you are already a badged member of GSR, which will be checked when we process your application. Please read the form carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria for this route.OR,Professional Experience route• Already hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2 in any subject or hold a degree equivalent (for example, an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS),AND• At the time of application, have at least four years of successful experience of working in applied social research in which strong analytical skills have been clearly demonstrated.The RO Eligibility form attached to the advert includes further information on what qualifies as successful work experience. Please read the form carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria for this route.In return we offer you:✔Hybrid working and flexi-time so you can work around your life, not the other way around!✔A market leading pension scheme - our employer contribution rate is around 29%✔A choice of working patterns *for every role* full-time, part-time, job-share.✔Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of 26 weeks full pay (subject to qualifying criteria)✔Opportunities to learn new technology & skills on the job, utilising blocked out Protected Learning Time in your weekly schedule and taking advantage of the support of our Communities of Practice✔Employee Assistance Programmes✔Diversity Network Groups✔Mental Health Allies✔Civil Service Sports and Social club✔Generous holiday allowance – 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years service in addition to 9 public holidaysFor more information about this role, a full application pack, and to apply, please hit APPLY to be taken to Civil Service Jobs.