Vacancy -- Research Officer and Senior Research Officer x5

Working for the Civil Service

The Welsh Government's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

Vacancy Details

Permanent Secretary's Group
Vacancies are available in a number of teams, including Corporate Research, Health Research, Education Research, Agriculture Research and Housing Research. Other opportunities are likely to be available at the time interviews are completed.
SEO - £41,700 - £49,370
Applicants will be assessed initially for the Senior Research Officer roles at the SEO grade. However if the applicant is not found appointable at the grade, they will be assessed for the Research Officer role at the HEO grade. If an applicant is graded at SEO (SRO), they will have a starting salary of – £39,310 If an applicant is graded at the lower grade HEO (RO), they will have a starting salary of - £30,600
Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)
Permanent
Pan Wales
'Pan Wales' means that the location in which the vacancy can be based is flexible, subject to the needs of the business. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location, but requests will be taken into consideration.
TBC

Purpose of Post:

This is an exciting opportunity to join a group of researchers working as part of the Government Social Research (GSR) profession. As a Research Officer or Senior Research Officer at the Welsh Government, the postholders would work closely with policy colleagues and other analysts and be responsible for the development and oversight of a programme of research. Example posts are:

Higher Education senior research officer. Tertiary Education in Wales is going through substantial reforms. The post-holder will take a lead role implementing the stage one phase of the evaluation of the Student Finance Reforms, and supporting the evidence needs for the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Tertiary Education and Research Bill.

Welsh European Funding Office research officer. The Welsh Government must ensure that the European Structural and Investment Fund Programmes are fully compliant with European Commission monitoring and evaluation requirements. The post-holder will assist in delivering a schedule of monitoring and evaluation, and providing expert advice on research and analysis.

Land Management Reform Research Officer. Support for farmers is being reformed following our exit from the EU. The post-holder will support work within a small research team who are providing evidence and analysis to support the development of a new scheme and the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Agriculture Bill.

Mental Health Senior Research Officer. The pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health. The post-holder will be responsible for collating research evidence on the impact on mental health and producing summaries to support policy. Additional areas for more detailed research will also be identified to support policy development in response to the ongoing situation.

All posts will involve supporting emerging needs from the relevant policy areas as well as contributing to projects working across different research teams in the Research Profession. Please get in touch if you would like to know more about any of these posts or emerging opportunities.

Key tasks:

The indicative key tasks outlined below may not all necessarily be required within a single post and other tasks may also be undertaken. The level of responsibility will vary between Research Officer and Senior Research Officer roles with a greater emphasis on autonomy and leading projects for a Senior Research Officer role.

Research programme/projects

Work closely with policy colleagues and other analysts to support the delivery of departmental evidence plans by identifying and prioritising research requirements and evidence gaps, and developing projects that meet departmental requirements.

Lead and/or manage the development and delivery of research and evaluation projects.

Support and encourage policy colleagues to develop their understanding and appreciation of how social research can support wider Welsh Government aims.

Contribute to the development of an evidence base for policy and budget decisions by providing relevant, timely and reliable evidence.

Ensure that research findings are communicated effectively and feed into policy and service development, delivery and evaluation.

Building links

Develop and maintain strategic links with the wider research community within Wales, the UK and internationally.

Work with other public sector organisations where common areas of interest are identified.

Other research activities

Keep abreast of relevant evidence and methods and communicate findings to relevant policy colleagues.

Provide advice and support to internal colleagues on technical and professional social research issues.

Contribute to other areas of research and evaluation, as deemed appropriate by line manager.

Management

Ensure any line managed staff are developed through the provision of direction, advice and support for training and professional development.

Ensure projects and contracts are delivered within deadlines, resource constraints and to appropriate professional standards, by using project management techniques.

Ensure that sound financial management procedures are followed.

Corporate GSR activities

Promote the effective use of social research in strategy, policy development and delivery across the Welsh Government and externally.

Contribute to quality/improvement activities within own job, and corporately through the wider GSR network.

Deputising for Principal Research Officers as required.

Development opportunities:

All posts offer excellent development opportunities, such as being involved in the development and evaluation of key Welsh Government priorities and working alongside senior officials and in some cases Ministers and Special Advisors.

There will be opportunities to contribute to the work of the other analytical teams and to corporate GSR activities. The post holders will be encouraged to take up training and professional development opportunities as appropriate.

As noted above, the posts would provide any candidates with Welsh language skills with opportunities to use and develop these skills.

Closing Date:

30/04/2021, 16:00

Eligibility

Posts recruited to as part of this recruitment campaign are broadly open to UK nationals, those with right to remain and work in the UK and those that meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules only. Check your eligibility here:

Prior to appointment, all successful applicants will be required to produce original, acceptable documents as part of the pre-employment checks. If it becomes apparent at a later stage in the process that you aren’t eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn, or offer retracted.

Equality and Diversity

The Welsh Government is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. This is underpinned by the Equality Act 2010 and will be adhered to at each stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure that these commitments are also embedded in our day-to-day working practices with all our customers, colleagues and partners.

We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and increasing diversity in the Welsh Government by removing barriers and supporting all our staff to reach their potential. We are committed to recruiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and disabled people who are currently under-represented in Welsh Government.

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, marriage and civil partnership (both same sex and opposite sex), impairment or health condition, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or gender expression.

We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Disability Confident Level 3 (Leader) organisation. Key to supporting this work and providing peer support are five Board sponsored Staff Networks (Disability Awareness and Support (DAAS); Minority Ethnic Support Network (MESN); Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex +) and Women Together.

Disability Confident

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Welsh Language Requirements

The Welsh Government is a bilingual organisation and Welsh language skills are considered an asset to the organisation. We encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills in the workplace. 

The following list of language requirements represents an objective assessment by the line manager on behalf of the Welsh Government of the Welsh language skills required to undertake the duties of this particular post.

Not necessary to undertake the duties of this post

Social Partnership

In Welsh Government, the relationship between the employer and trade unions is based on social partnership. We believe our goals can best be achieved by management and trade unions working together.

Our 3 recognised trade unions are:
•         PCS
•         Prospect
•         FDA

This relationship is underpinned by a partnership agreement. This sets out how our unions work with Welsh Government on issues such as:
•         pay
•         terms and conditions
•         policies and procedures
•         organisational change.

Our Welsh Government trade union colleagues work together to give their members a real say in the workplace. They make sure that the interests of their members are promoted and protected. They also help reduce inequalities and improve terms and conditions.

The Welsh Government has an excellent track record of working in partnership with its trade unions. We encourage staff to get involved. We support you to join a recognised trade union, to ensure your voice is heard in the workplace. and to learn more about trade unions and partnership working.

Competencies / Job Specific Criteria

COMPETENCIES

Changing and improving

Actively encourage ideas from a wide range of sources and stakeholders and use these to inform own thinking

Making effective decisions

Recognise patterns and trends in a wide range of evidence/data and draw key conclusions, outlining costs, benefits, risks and potential responses

Leading and communicating

Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner with all stakeholders and stand ground when needed

Managing a quality service

Make effective use of project management skills and techniques to deliver outcomes, including identifying risks and mitigating actions


JOB SPECIFIC CRITERIA

Hold a minimum of 2:1 in an undergraduate degree or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree

AND

either

[qualification route] A relevant social science subject at undergraduate or postgraduate level which contains substantial social research methods training (we would expect social research methods to represent around a third of modules taken)

or

[experience route] At least 4 years’ social research practice experience (this would be experience designing, managing and conducting research in a research agency, market research agency or specialised research team.  For this route you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills)

Relevant research experience, including both quantitative and qualitative research. This should be evidenced with an overview of your relevant experience.

Experience of managing or commissioning research work that meets the needs of policy colleagues and/or customers. This should be evidenced with an overview of your relevant experience.

 

Assessment Process

Sift

Candidates who are successful at the sifting stage will be assessed via Government Social Research assessment techniques:
• A GSR knowledge test
• A presentation which you will be questioned on
• A general competency-based interview, covering the competencies and job specific criteria listed in the advert. Job specific criteria 2 and 3 will be covered in a single question while job specific 1 is only assessed at application stage.

We have a separate advert for a post where Welsh language skills are essential. Any reserve candidates from that exercise will also be considered for other GSR posts and so it is not necessary to apply for both adverts to be considered for a post.

For more information and news about the GSR please visit the GSR website –

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-government-social-research-profession

Other Information

  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘actual starting salary’, all candidates will start at the minimum of the pay scale being appointed to (this includes existing civil servants).This is not negotiable.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘type of opportunity’, this recruitment advert is not open on a Loan or Secondment basis.
  • For more information on the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions for Loan and Secondment positions in Welsh Government, please see external recruitment candidate guidance.
  • Unless stated otherwise in ‘Location of Post’ the role/s recruited to via this campaign can only be worked in the UK, not overseas.

Please remember to complete all 4 competencies and all 3 job specific sections.

Applicants will be assessed initially for the Senior Research Officer roles at the SEO grade. However if the applicant is not found appointable at the grade, they will be assessed for the Research Officer role at the HEO grade

If an applicant is graded at SEO (SRO), they will have a starting salary of – £39,310

If an applicant is graded at the lower grade HEO (RO), they will have a starting salary of - £30,600

Steven Marshall - Steven.Marshall@gov.wales - 03000255868

How to apply

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have an impairment which would prevent you from applying on-line, please e-mail SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales to request an application pack in an alternative format, or to request a reasonable adjustment related to an impairment in order to submit your application.

To apply, you'll need to have an account on our online application system.  Click the 'Apply' button below, and you'll be asked to 'Log in' if you already have an account, or 'Register' if you don't yet have an account.  Registration takes just a few minutes to complete.  You'll need an e-mail address to be able to register.  Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form, which you'll need to fully complete and submit before the deadline on the closing date.  

If you’d like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the ‘Newid Iaith / Change Language’ link at the top of this page, to take you to the Welsh version of this advert, from which you can apply in Welsh.

For further information regarding the Welsh Government recruitment process, please see the Recruitment Guidance for External Candidates (link).

When evidencing your suitability for the post, it is recommended that you refer to the Civil Service Competency Framework (link)

Grievance and Complaints

Anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly, or has a grievance or complaint, about how the process was conducted should either write to the Head of Resourcing, Welsh Government, Cathays Park 2, Cardiff CF10 3NQ or email SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales.  If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint raised with the Welsh Government and feel that the principles of appointment on merit through fair and open competition have not been met you have the right to pursue your grievance with the Civil Service Commission.

This vacancy is closed to applications.