Research and Policy Officer
Location: Remote (UK based) with occasional travel to Bristol / London
Salary: £29,450 (Grade 3) per year (plus Inner London Weighting of £3,483.94, if eligible)
Length of contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2027
Hours per week: 37 hours
Closing date: We reserve the right to adapt the advert at any time per organisational circumstances and to close this vacancy early for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Interviews: Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis
Who are Women’s Aid?
Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. We are a federation of just under 180 organisations which provide over 300 local lifesaving services to women and children across England. For 50 years we have campaigned on behalf of our members and survivors to shape policy and practice, and to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
Our support services, which include the Survivors’ Forum, the No Woman Turned Away Project, the Survivor’s Handbook, Love Respect (our dedicated website for young people), the national Women’s Aid Directory and our advocacy projects, help thousands of women and children every year.
Purpose of the Research and Policy Officer role:
As the Research and Policy Officer, the successful candidate will play an integral role in supporting the maintenance of an up-to-date internal evidence base on key policy issues, to support the delivery of the Women’s Aid Annual Survey of all domestic abuse services in England, and to provide research and evaluation support for projects that further the organisation’s aims and strategy.
Key duties and responsibilities of the Research and Policy Officer:
- Identify and provide relevant evidence for a range of resources including media releases, communications with member services and supporters, blogs, and support the content development of Women’s Aid websites and other relevant resources.
- Research and write up evidence briefings for Women’s Aid’s internal evidence base on key policy issues, ensuring this is kept up to date.
- Contribute and review relevant evidence to support with the development of Women’s Aid policy positions and responses, including consultation responses.
- Respond to policy-related research queries and requests for information.
- Support the work of the Senior Research and Policy Officer with the design and implementation of the annual survey of domestic abuse services in England and the Women’s Aid annual audit, including helping to design/update the survey, promote it, analyse responses and write up findings.
- Implement additional quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, including with domestic abuse survivors and with professionals responding to domestic abuse.
- Conduct literature and evidence reviews to support the work of Women’s Aid and its member services.
- Produce reports and other written materials on domestic abuse research to support the delivery of Women’s Aid projects and the information needs of Women’s Aid, member services and survivors of domestic abuse.
- Present Women’s Aid research at external events and conferences.
- Monitor and coordinate responses to the research and policy inbox.
- Support other Women’s Aid research and evaluation work as required, including research to support campaigns and policy work
- To contribute to team meetings and organisational priorities, and to prepare for and participate in regular supervision and appraisal meetings.
- To take direction on new projects and priorities from your line manager, which may vary from time to time.
- To carry out word-processing, filing, and administrative tasks necessary to comply with the job description.
- To maintain clear and adequate records of work done and to produce reports on work programmes and activities as requested by management.
What we are looking for in our Research and Policy Officer:
- A bachelor’s degree, preferably in the social sciences, or equivalent professional experience
- Training or educational experience in research methods
- Good understanding of the experiences and needs of women and children affected by domestic abuse
- An understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, inclusive of writing reports for publication
- Good level of computer literacy (including use of Microsoft 365)
- Well-organised, with the ability to initiate, plan and prioritise work, work to tight deadlines and respond to urgent unplanned demands
- Ability to analyse complex information and identify the implications for women and children affected by gender-based violence
Benefits of joining us as our Research and Policy Officer include:
- Generous Annual Leave: 25 days + 2 Company Holidays + 8 UK Bank Holidays, with an extra 1 day per year after 1 year of service, up to a maximum of 5 additional days.
- Valuable Pension Benefits: a generous 7% employer contribution.
- Flexible Working: remote working, a generous TOIL scheme, and family-friendly policies
NB:
- Women only need apply under schedule 9 (Part 1) of the Equality Act 2010
- All posts, including remote posts, must be based in the UK.
- Women’s Aid is committed to quality, equality, and valuing diversity. Applications are particularly welcome from Black and minoritised women. Please see the Reasonable Adjustments Statement on Job Description.
- Please read our Single Sex Statement on the Women’s Aid Website
- Please note that applications will be reviewed, and interviews arranged, on a rolling basis, so for the bestchance of success, please apply ASAP.