Job Description: Research Managers Client: Project: Date: Author: October 2014 Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director Closing date: 5 pm 31 October 2014 The Company CFE Research is a highly regarded and independent, not for profit specialist in the policy areas of skills and employment. Founded in 1997, we provide research and evaluation services to both the public and private sectors. Our customers include government departments and agencies, local authorities, colleges, universities, charities. What do we do? We are an innovative research agency with 20 research professionals, support staff, paid interns and an extensive network of expert associates. CFE’s experienced team are committed to creatively applying a wide range of methods, data visualisation techniques and innovative thinking to any challenge. Our expertise lies in objective, independent, rigorous research to support and inform our customers to: — help them understand what works, in what context and why — evaluate, design and implement policies and programmes — research markets and develop practical insights — provide ideas and create new ways of framing public policy questions — offer methods and learning activities to share and understand good practice Our clients work with us for depth of knowledge, timely results as well as our ability to apply a range of innovative research methods whilst responding flexibility to their evolving needs. CFE Research Phoenix Yard Upper Brown Street Leicester LE1 5TE. Tel 0116 229 3300. Email [email protected]. www.cfe.org.uk Where are we going? Now is a great time to apply to join us. Our core focus is on what we do best: research and evaluation and in recent years we have substantially widened the breadth and depth of our expertise. We believe there is scope for us to do more though, both to further enhance our offer to the organisations that work with us by providing more innovative methods and new techniques and by maximizing the impact and visibility of our work. We’ve also been steadily expanding the areas in which we work, evolving from enterprise and skills policy into wider education and also social policy contexts to raise standards in the delivery of public services. In the coming years, we don’t want to simply continue this evolution; we want to step up the pace of change - and already we have far more new ideas and collaborations than we can do justice to. It might be a bit of a tired cliché that people are a company’s most important asset, but it really is true for us. We are pursuing a two pronged approach of consciously stepping up the development of existing staff while we expand capacity through open recruitment. Successful applicants will be joining a company that is confident and ambitious for the future. We want to expand the range of expertise that we bring to our clients. We also want to raise our profile through developing conversations that set the agenda for public policy. All of which, in line with our management style and our working culture, will be open to all in the company to help shape and direct. We've held Investors in People recognition status for many years now and we offer a creative, flexible and supportive working environment. We are committed to high standards of rewards and development for our people to ensure that we can consistently deliver high standards of quality and expertise. We continuously look for smarter ways of working and try to innovate around our IT capability where it can help us to save time or deliver more. Our Values If we invite you to interview you’ll have the opportunity to meet existing members of the team and get a feel for what we are like to work with. We have a lovely office environment and we are small, friendly team who are welcoming of others. As a heads up we believe our values are: — Be independent: Act with honesty, integrity and fairness to earn the trust of those with whom we work. — Be imaginative: Create a culture where innovation and imagination is encouraged in everything from service delivery to customers, through our internal business processes. 2 Recruitment | Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director | — Work collaboratively: Encourage creativity and better communication through our supportive culture which values knowledge sharing, learning and working together to achieve the best. — Provide quality: Empower individuals to take the initiative and have a sense of responsibility to achieve the absolute best results they can within time and budget. The Role We are looking for people to join us as Research Managers. These roles will be responsible for delivering a range of research projects including the work we do in the area of Further and Higher Education. It will entail bringing research and analytical expertise to projects, especially in design and reporting, drawing upon a strong combination of both qualitative and quantitative experience. Part of the role will be to also support the development of new business opportunities including preparing written tenders and proposals. We are seeking applicants with excellent writing and communication skills, good commercial awareness, a creative and problem-solving outlook and a passion to deliver value for customers. The successful candidate will have proven analytical skills, confidence and an ability to work well as part of a small company environment whilst demonstrating a genuine appetite for personal learning. You will possess a high level of initiative and be capable of responding flexibly to a wide range of research tasks. Whilst managing research projects and client relationships, you will lead the design of qualitative fieldwork (such as depth interviewing and involvement in focus groups) and quantitative fieldwork (such as survey questionnaires, data analysis, data visualisation) and support presentation design and delivery. Working closely with Senior Managers, who will coach and support you on key client projects, there will be opportunities for personal development, learning and progression. We are seeking people who thrive on demanding but rewarding work. Key responsibilities — Take the lead in managing research projects, from scoping through to completion, including managing and developing client relationships; — Take responsibility for the day to day management of a range of customer accounts and be the first point of contact for these accounts -ensuring that customer expectations are managed and fulfilled; — Undertake telephone and in-person interviews, literature reviews, focus groups and data analysis; — Work with senior managers and directors to win new work from new and existing clients and proactively identify new business opportunities both in terms of research services and policy markets; — Plan and manage resources effectively, including financial budgets; 3 Recruitment | Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director | — Manage junior research staff and subcontractors (including market research fieldwork agencies) as necessary to achieve project objectives, seeking best value at all times; — Produce insightful research reports with sophisticated and actionable advice to support your clients in their decision-making; — Contribute to the development and profile of our research expertise with customers and key influencers; — Ensure that customer expectations are fulfilled on all projects for which you are responsible; — Work initially within the policy arenas of education, employment and skills to develop new business opportunities in line with the company’s strategic ambitions by contributing to developing and increasing our profile with customers and key influencers; — Proactively identify new income generating activity in terms of research opportunities and work with senior managers to win new work from new and existing customers; — Build strong relationships with clients, intermediaries and associates; and — Ensure that the company is up to date with developments in specified policy areas and research markets. Location We are looking to recruit applicants to work from our Leicester office. The role will involve some travel. Period of notice On successful completion of six month probationary period, the period of notice in your contract of employment will be three months. Salary The salary band for this position is £26k to £36.5k per annum. BENEFITS — 25 days annual leave in addition to statutory holidays (pro rata for part time employees) — company provided Windows mobile and laptop computer for work use — Reimbursement of car parking charges at our Leicester office ON COMPLETION OF SUCCESSFUL 6 MONTH PROBATION: — group personal pension plan, with an employer contribution of 10%, subject to an employee contribution of 5% — annual bonus subject to company and individual performance — personal learning account of £150 per year to spend on non-work related training 4 Recruitment | Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director | — free life assurance up to the age of 60 which provides ‘death in service’ cover of three times current salary as a lump sum payment to a designated dependant — subsidised eye tests — enhanced maternity leave pay above the statutory minimum on completion of 12 months’ service — access to a company training and development budget — financial support towards achieving professional qualifications and maintaining CPD as appropriate to the needs of the business — open to flexible working where compatible with the role and goals of the business — regular reviews to identify development needs and good opportunities for progression. 5 Recruitment | Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director | Person Specification Essential Desirable Education and formal qualifications  First degree or equivalent (preferably in a numerate discipline i.e. statistics, economics, mathematics or similar equivalent qualification)  Post Graduate degree  MRS Diploma or other recognised research qualifications Experience  Experience of implementing/ managing research projects  Writing successful research tenders  Managing and delivering a portfolio of projects to tight deadlines  Interrogating and analysing quantitative datasets  Ability to present, explain and interpret data or analysis to non technical audiences  Preparing reports which are both objective and accessible to read  Research design, such as devising interview and focus group topic guides, questionnaires, surveys and evaluation frameworks  Presenting information to groups and facilitating group discussions  Commercial experience to price, design and deliver projects to tight deadlines and budgets  Developing new relationships and business opportunities  Experience working with senior government officials, applying direction in a sound and practical way  Track record in relationship building and business development with key public bodies and other organisations  Experience of managing sub-contractors including associates and market research fieldwork agencies  Commercial experience to price, design and deliver research based projects to tight deadlines and budgets  Consultancy experience Knowledge  Knowledge of public policy relating to education, employment and skills  Quantitative and qualitative research techniques and their appropriate usage  Expertise in research techniques, such as online surveying, CATI surveying, focus groups, depth interviewing, interview topic guide design  Knowledge of the development and implementation of impact assessments and evaluation methodologies  Sources of market and intelligence data, and how to access them  Prioritise workload for self and others  Government Department and public agencies, higher education and further education providers  Experience in the use of SPSS, STATA, SAS or equivalent  Economics, behavioural economics, econometrics  Applied statistics including experimental design and regression modelling 6 Recruitment | Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director | Essential Desirable Skills      Confident numeracy, written & IT skills Excellent inter-personal skills Report writing for different audiences Analytical reasoning Presentation skills  Coach and support the development of others  Developing and managing project teams  Ability to develop and motivate in order to elicit great performance  Delivering presentations  Chairing/facilitating seminars and workshops  Ability to develop skills in new software applications  Reporting across different data sources Character         Consistently customer focused Results orientated Tenacious Good team player Genuine appetite for personal learning Attention to detail Ambitious for the growth of the company High level of pro-activity, initiative, energy, enthusiasm, and professionalism — — — — — Effective networker Able to create team spirit Continually looking to add value Investigative nature Personal interest in public policy 7 Recruitment | Sarah Trivedi, Corporate Services Director |