Principal or Senior Researcher

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Job description

We are recruiting for a Principal or Senior Researcher (Chief Scientist Office)!

About Nesta

We are Nesta, the UK's innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society's biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

For over 20 years, we have worked to support, encourage and inspire innovation. We work in three roles: as an innovation partner working with frontline organisations to design and test new solutions, as a venture builder supporting new and early stage businesses, and as a system shaper creating the conditions for innovation.

Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to change millions of lives for the better. Find out more at nesta.org.uk

How will a Principal/Senior Researcher contribute to Nesta's success?

You will be passionate about research integrity and you will play a key role in supporting the Chief Scientist (CS) in setting and maintaining the highest methodological standards for Nesta. You will oversee our work on ethics, participation, methodological quality, transparency and openness, leading on regular review and iteration to ensure we're getting things right. You will lead on the creation and implementation of activities and processes that ensure our Practices remain cutting-edge. You will build relationships within and outside of the organisation to ensure our work has a meaningful impact.

The role

• You will support the development, implementation and evaluation of the policies, systems and procedures that enable research excellence at Nesta
• You will develop systems and processes for transparent research reporting (e.g., hosting project pages in Open Science Framework where trial protocol, statistical analysis plans are published).
• You will liaise with our Mission Teams to ensure their researchers consider good practice in research as a routine part of their work
• Working closely with our Data Analytics and Legal teams you will ensure our data protection policies and practices are fit for purpose.
• You will support the CS and others to prepare grant proposals
• You will link with our Missions and Practices teams to facilitate multidisciplinary working across the organisation
• You will prepare reports and journal articles for publication
• You will review and synthesise literature from academic and non-academic sources
• You will be actively involved with providing and coordinating learning opportunities for Nesta staff and partners
• You will represent Nesta at conferences and external meetings
• You will set goals for key projects and monitor to ensure timely delivery
• You will carry out other administrative duties to support the Chief Scientist in her role (e.g. attendance at meetings, preparation of materials for talks)
• Qualified to PhD level in a discipline relevant to our Practices or Missions
• Passionate about high-quality research in non-academic contexts
• Experience conducting empirical research (researchers using quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches are all welcome)
• Experience, in research governance, ethics and data justice
• Collaborative and solution-focused approach to problem solving
• Participation in peer review processes
• Willingness to work flexibly on topics outside of your immediate expertise
• Excellent communication skills. You can explain complex topics in simple terms and write clearly and concisely. You can adapt your communication to suit different audiences.
• Strong ability to manage and develop yourself at work. You demonstrate high levels of initiative and willingness to take responsibility for your own workload and professional development.
• Gaining research funding
• Experience in line management or supervision in a professional context
• Publication or conference presentation skills
• Experience or interest in engagement with public policy at local, national or international levels
• About to achieve PhD in a discipline relevant to our Practices or Missions, or has a Masters degree and extensive research experience
• Passionate about supporting high-quality research in non-academic contexts
• Good understanding of research design, research governance, ethics and data justice
• Collaborative and solution-focused approach to problem solving
• Ability to manage workloads from multiple projects simultaneously.
• Willingness to work flexibly outside of immediate specialism
• Excellent communication skills. You can explain complex topics in simple terms and write clearly and concisely. You can adapt your communication to suit different audiences.
• Strong ability to manage and develop yourself at work. You demonstrate high levels of initiative and willingness to take responsibility for your own workload and professional development.
• Experience conducting empirical research (researchers using quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches are all welcome)
• Experience of participating in research funding processes (e.g. as an applicant or via administrative support role)
• Experience of participating in peer review processes

The person

For appointment at Principal Researcher grade

Essential qualifications, characteristics and experience:

Desirable qualifications, characteristics and experience:

For appointment at Senior Researcher grade

Essential qualifications, characteristics and experience:

Desirable qualifications, characteristics and experience:

What we offer

Salary: £38k-£50k (Senior Researcher level), £47k-£57k (Principal Researcher level) plus array of benefits, including health cash plans, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in London, but we offer flexibility for our people to work remotely

Term: Permanent

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Reports to: Chief Scientist

Making an application

To apply for this role, please submit your application before 8:00am on the 13th of December 2021.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you'd like to explore.