The Sutton Trust is the UK’s leading foundation dedicated to improving social mobility. The organisation conducts rigorous research into the issues of low social mobility and educational disadvantage, undertakes policy advocacy to effect systemic change, and delivers programmes to over 10,000 young people each year across the country. The Trust seeks to ensure young people reach their potential, regardless of their background, school or where they live.

The Trust is recruiting a creative and committed Research and Policy Officer to join our team, as fixed term cover for paternity leave. Reporting to one of the team’s Research and Policy Managers, the successful candidate will play a significant role in developing and preparing the Trust’s research and policy outputs, working across the core areas of the Sutton Trust’s work (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace). This will include helping to produce original, data rich and policy relevant research reports, along with contributing to other Trust research projects where required. They will also support the policy and advocacy work of the Trust, including performing background research on topics relevant to educational inequality and social mobility as required.

Main duties

• To contribute, with colleagues, to 2 or more data-rich research reports accessible to practitioners and policy makers, over the course of the year, as agreed with the Research, Comms and Policy leadership team.
• To support the Sutton Trust’s programme of research and policy work, including:
• • Providing staff with background research, analysis and data on relevant topics
  • Producing literature reviews
  • Supporting research funding bids
  • Providing administrative support
• Working with Communication colleagues to develop messaging and content for disseminating and publicising reports.
• Supporting advocacy work, as required, with MPs’ staff, civil servants, special advisers and other policy makers.
• Other duties as necessary from time to time

Person Specification

Essential:

• Strong analytical skills and understanding of research methods, particularly quantitative research and literature reviews. This should include experience of using data analysis software such as R/SPSS/Stata/Python or equivalent.
• A qualification in a social science or other numerate discipline, including statistics, mathematics, economics, computer science, data science or similar discipline in the social or natural sciences at undergraduate level, or comparable experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Personable, flexible and discreet; able to fit in to a small team
• Being sympathetic to the aims of the Trust and its mission to address educational disadvantage;
• Is eligible to work in the UK (see here for information about right to work)

Desirable:

• Experience undertaking research projects in an academic or working environment.
• Knowledge of one of more of our priority policy areas (early years, schools, apprenticeships, higher education and access to the workplace), and the wider education policy environment in England.
• Strong understanding of government and the public policy environment.
• Experience in education (for example, as a teacher or in another front-line educational role), education policy or a closely related field.
• Experience working within or an understanding of the not-for-profit sector.
• A postgraduate qualification in a numerate discipline (see above).
• High degree of initiative and the ability to take responsibility for projects