Research Assistant- Social Research – Maternity Leave Cover

Job Title: Research Assistant (Social Research) (Maternity leave cover)

Location: Bristol

Salary: £25,953 – £28,520 per annum

Job Type: Full time, 12 Months Contract (Maternity Cover)

Working Hours: 37.5 Hours Per Week

Closing Date: 2pm on Friday 8 December 2023

The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is a Bristol-based national charity that supports people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. We do this by sharing our knowledge, practical experience and policy insights.

The Role:

We’re looking to recruit a temporary member of staff to support the core activities of the Research & Analysis team. The position is to cover a colleague’s maternity leave and is available from January 2024 for 12 months, with a possibility of extension subject to external project funding.

The Research Assistant (Social Research) will use social science methods and approaches to deliver evidenced-based and impactful work. The role is likely to cut across several work areas including heat decarbonisation, building retrofit, affordable warmth, fairness in the energy transition, energy policy and local area energy planning.

Specific Responsibilities:

• The delivery of high quality project work, predominantly employing social research methods and social science approaches, as required by relevant project managers, meeting project deadlines and other project objectives
• To assist on research projects covering a wide range of activities including design of research tools, input to method development, designing surveys, analysing qualitative and quantitative social research data, literature reviews, report writing
• To contribute high quality written material to reports and other publications by summarising key research findings, presenting effective visualisation of data and producing well evidenced research findings
• To contribute to the development of CSE’s responses to invitations to tender for project work, drawing on psychological and other social science theories of behavioural change to address climate change mitigation and tackling fuel poverty
• To complete allocated tasks within agreed budgets and deadlines
• To provide administrative support for research projects on an ongoing basis
• To develop and maintain an up-to-date knowledge of research and policy issues affecting the development and delivery of sustainable energy initiatives, including climate change mitigation and fuel poverty alleviation
• To participate in relevant meetings and processes to enable good internal communications and effective workload planning across the organisation
• To represent CSE at external meetings and within networks, as required

The Candidate:

Educational or professional qualifications:

• A degree level qualification or equivalent in a related field such as energy, environmental science, Social sciences, or similar

Experience:

• A minimum of two years’ experience working in similar or related role
• Experience of using social research methods and analysis techniques
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience of writing effective summaries of complex issues

Skills and Abilities:

• Design and use of one or more research tools: interview topic guides, focus groups, questionnaires, surveys
• Understanding and practice of good social research ethics in work with vulnerable people, including GDPR and informed consent
• Core research skills of referencing, noting, summarising without recourse to plagiarism
• Ability to present research findings in accessible and compelling ways for a range of audiences
• Ability to translate research findings into policy recommendations
• Ability to work effectively both autonomously and as part of a team
• Good organisational skills, excellent attention to detail, a commitment to quality and experience of working to tight deadlines and budgets

Other Attributes:

• Interest in energy issues and tackling the climate crisis
• Interest in the application of approaches that encourage people to take action as part of climate change mitigation or fuel poverty prevention
• Commitment to CSE’s mission
• Curiosity and a willingness and ability to learn new approaches and to extend subject expertise etc.

Benefits:

• 33 days paid holiday per year including 8 bank holidays
• Generous ethical company pension scheme (8% from employer, 6% from employee) to which the post-holder will be automatically enrolled
• Salary sacrifice childcare vouchers
• Subsidised bike purchase arrangements through the cycle to work scheme
• Training and study time is given
• We also have many more benefits available

Please click on the APPLY button to complete the first stage of the application process by sending your CV and Cover Letter for this role.

Candidates with the experience or relevant job titles of; Research Administrator, Environmental Science, Energy Research, Energy, Social Science Research, Social Science, Research Planning, Research Coordinator, Research Director, Senior Research Assistant, Senior Research Coordinator, Project Assistant, Research Lead may also be considered for this role.