Research Officer (Maternity Cover)

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Job description

*This is a 12 month Maternity cover role

Job purpose/accountability

As an organisation, we pose, and have posed to us, many questions regarding the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions. Data is required to help us answer these, and to inform ongoing policy decisions. For example, topic areas we are currently investigating include the impact of Covid-19 on veterinary practice economics; retention rates of vets and veterinary nurses and the reasons behind this; the profession's views on remote consulting; and the impact of Brexit on EU graduates working in the UK.

The data we gather is varied, including that from consultations, mining our Registers, large-scale surveys of all members, gathering of views from stakeholders, and structured qualitative research.

The role of the research officer will be to work with the Public Affairs and Policy Manager, and internal 'clients' to understand the real questions being asked, formulate a plan for what and how data should be gathered, and then either work to outsource that research or deliver it in house.

Once data is gathered, there will be a requirement for the processing of information in a way that delivers meaningful and insightful reports that we can use to make a difference.

The role would suit someone with an inquiring mind, flexibility of approach and the ability to get things done.

Key responsibilities

• Working with internal clients (RCVS teams, RCVS Council members, Fellows) to develop robust briefs for market research projects to put out to tender; to support the tendering process; to support the research contracts to delivery and publication.

• Carrying out some research projects in-house from brief to completion, for example, online consultations and surveys, ensuring the process is robust and unbiased, and results are delivered in a format that is meaningful.

• Analysing data gathered as part of our day-to-day work, for example, from the Registers, from feedback forms, from our quality assessment processes or around our Service Standards, in order to provide statistics for internal and external use or to inform future change. Working with others in the team to write papers based on some of this data for publication in relevant journals.

• Carrying out desk-based research to inform developments in the way we work, for example, into current best practice in a particular area of regulation or Royal College activity.

Essential criteria

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject area

Skills, knowledge and expertise

• Demonstrable experience working in a research environment, including social research, mixed-methods research and supporting large-scale multi-stakeholder projects.
• Strong communications skills, especially the ability to listen, understand requirements and translate this into a research framework.
• Knowledge and experience of key research methodologies, and when they should be used.
• Experience of working with external research consultancies.
• The ability to deliver research that is unbiased, well structured and answers a specific need.
• Knowledge of commonly-used research programs.

• Ability to understand and interrogate existing research data.
• Ability to support the commissioning of new research ie writing briefs, handling tendering processes.
• Excellent writing ability, including attention to detail and proof-reading skills.
• The ability to be a self-starter, and work on multiple projects concurrently.

Desired criteria

Qualifications

• Membership of the market research society
• Research-led MSc

Skills, knowledge and expertise

• Experience of working in the veterinary or medical sectors
• Experience of working in a regulator, professional body or Royal College