Research Director - Crime & Justice

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Research Director - Crime & Justice

Application Deadline: 1 May 2024

Department: Public Policy & Global

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: London, UK

Compensation: GBP 40,000 - GBP 54,616 / year

Description

Role: Research Director - Crime & Justice
Department: Public Policy & Global - Crime, Justice & Equalities
Location: London - Hybrid Working
Salary: GBP 40,000-GBP 54,616
Contract: Full Time

NatCen's Crime, Justice and Equalities team is recruiting at Research Director level. The Research Director will be passionate about delivering insights that have real world impact and committed to working with customers and partners to achieve that goal.

We are interested in applications from candidates who are currently in senior researcher or similar mid-level managerial roles, who are ready to take the step up to senior management.

This role will would be well-suited to candidates with professional experience or a demonstrably strong interest in our four focus areas: youth violence and child criminal exploitation (CCE), violence against women and girls (VAWG), counter-extremism and drug policy.

As Research Director, you will contribute to revenue generation in these areas, identifying opportunities and leading on research proposals and bids. This will include developing proposals for multi-year research projects with external collaborators.

You will lead on the design and delivery of high-quality research and evaluation projects, using a range of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, ensuring these are conducted to high quality standards, on time and within budget, and meet or exceed customers' needs. This will include working closely on joint projects with other teams in NaCen's Public Policy and Global division, including our Centre for Evaluation and the Analysis team.

This role requires you to actively participate in the leadership of the team, line managing more junior members of staff, supporting researchers at all levels to develop their skills and experience, and building a culture of creativity, learning and innovation.

The post holder will play an active role in the wider life of NatCen, contributing to its success and development, and promoting the organisation by building and maintaining relationships with customers and maintaining a visible presence in external networks.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct individual research studies including large scale projects to high quality standards, time and budget.
• Manage project teams to deliver first-class research that meets client needs.
• Provide advice, guidance and quality assurance for every aspect of the design, implementation, analysis and writing up of a study.
• Lead on revenue generation, such as proposals and applications for funding.
• Contribute to the development and mentoring of staff.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with customers and partners.
• Engage in impact activities to promote NatCen's work externally.
• Contribute to teaching research methods internally and/or externally.
• Maintain and promote high ethical and information security standards.

To perform any other reasonable duties that NatCen may require that are consistent with the broad nature of the job.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• A relevant undergraduate degree.
• Experience of designing and directing research studies or equivalent experience (e.g., through research commissioning) in the fields of crime, justice and/or equalities or related fields.
• A track record of of generating research revenue, such as through bidding for and winning research contracts and / or research grants.
• Demonstrable methodological skills in one or more of the following: qualitative approaches, evaluation, surveys or quantitative analysis, and ability to lead mixed-methods research projects.
• Knowledge and expertise relevant to crime, justice and/or equalities.
• Experience of leading, managing and developing teams.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage project budgets.
• Ability to work flexibly and proactively on multiple concurrent research projects.
• Commitment to building and maintaining good relationships with partners and customers.
• Ability to build, manage and sustain internal relationships successfully.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to communicate research findings in written and spoken form to a range of audiences.
• Ability to engage with and influence customer relationships and internal stakeholders.

Candidate Profile:A research leader with a track record of designing and delivering high quality studies and winning new business in the criminal justice policy research field.

The ideal individual will have strong methodological skills in one or more of the following: surveys, quantitative analysis, qualitative research, or impact evaluation and relevant knowledge and expertise in criminal justice policy areas.

The Research Director will be passionate about delivering insights that have real world impact and committed to working with customers and partners to achieve that goal.

Benefits

As well as a competitive salary, an excellent working environment (including a home/office hybrid working environment), you will be working for the largest independent social research organisation in the UK. We are proud of the benefits we offer our employees which include:

• 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) and flexible working
• Generous company pension scheme
• Life insurance and health cash plan
• Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loan
• Career development, professional subscriptions support and mentoring support from industry-leading experts.