Vacancy -- Senior Research Officer (Welsh Language)

This Senior Research Officer post is a new post. Its purpose is to design and deliver a programme of research and evaluation to support the creation and developing work programme of the proposed Welsh Language Commission (see explanatory note below). This will involve building on the evidence base for the Welsh language that has been developed in the Welsh Government over the last five years, and also taking forward additional dimensions as the detailed remit and requirements of the Commission are refined. The proposed Commission’s work, and the evidence underpinning it, will be a central part of the implementation of the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Strategy, Cymraeg 2050.

The post is an exciting opportunity to lead a programme of research in a new and evolving policy context, and to collaborate with a range of Welsh Government analysts, policy officials and external partners. The post holder will, initially, lead on evaluation and research projects that have been included in the 2018-19 Knowledge and Analytical Services Evidence Plan. The post will also, however, provide opportunities for further innovation: the post holder will play an active role in identifying future evidence needs and developing a work programme to meet them. This will involve consulting with senior policy and analytical colleagues in order to develop research proposals, commissioning and managing research projects, and developing appropriate mechanisms for the dissemination of outputs. Whilst the key purpose of the post is to support the functions of the proposed Welsh Language Commission, the post holder will also contribute to Welsh language research more widely by contributing to the Welsh Government’s programme of mainstreaming the Welsh language in research across policy portfolios.

The post holder will work within the Social Research and Information Division, in the Welsh Language Research Branch, which currently comprises one Principal Research Officer. This is a Welsh-essential post, and the post holder will work with a range of Welsh Government colleagues and other partners who use Welsh as their main working language.

Explanatory Note

The Welsh Government has announced its intention to bring forward legislation in relation to the Welsh language.  In 2017, it consulted on a White Paper, Striking the right balance: proposals for a Welsh Language Bill. The White Paper included the Government’s proposals to abolish the post of Commissioner and to establish a Welsh Language Commission (“the Commission”) in its place. It is intended that the Commission have a wider remit and more resources than those allocated to the Welsh Language Commissioner, and that most of the resources currently given to the Welsh Government to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language will transfer to the Commission. The aim is to move towards a Commission that will focus primarily on increasing the numbers of Welsh speakers and the use of the Welsh language in all aspects of our public and private lives.

Research programme/projects

•  Work closely with policy colleagues and other analysts to identify and prioritise research requirements and evidence gaps in relation to the Welsh language, to include the new emerging requirements of the proposed Welsh Language Commission.
•  Provide leadership and management of the development and delivery of research and evaluation projects, to include designing, specifying, procuring and contract-managing 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 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.
•  Provide advice and briefing to Ministers and senior management on the validity, relevance and limitations of different sources of evidence.

Building links

• Develop strong links with policy colleagues in the Welsh Language Division and across Welsh Government policy portfolios, and with Welsh Government analysts.
• 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 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 the Principal Research Officer (Welsh Language) as required.

The post offers excellent developmental opportunities. This includes the opportunity to be involved in the development and evaluation of key Welsh Government priorities and to work 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 holder will be encouraged to take up training and professional development opportunities as appropriate.

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:

• UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

• Nationality rules – GOV.UK

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

All applications for this vacancy should be made online via the Welsh Government's online application system.  If you have a disability 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 a disability 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)