All Things Urban

Centre for London is the capital’s dedicated think tank. Our mission is to develop new solutions to London’s critical challenges and advocate for a fair and prosperous global city.

Are you a creative and thoughtful researcher, with a passion for cities, and skilled at developing and communicating ideas which can make a difference?

We’re looking for a full-time researcher to join our team.

Job description

Working within an eight-person research team, you will conduct research and help to develop new ideas, and provide admin support such as setting up advisory group meetings. Conducting research can include data analysis and literature reviews, interviews with practitioners and stakeholders, and writing up reports for publication. You will also communicate about our work through writing articles and blogs, at meetings and events, and support other teams as necessary.

We’re looking for someone with some experience doing research from academic, paid or volunteer work, and you’ll also have done some work in an office or another professional environment. We’re particularly keen to hear from people with experience of statistical research.

You will have some understanding of UK policy, will have both analytical and project management skills, and will be able to communicate complex ideas to different audiences – in meetings, in writing, through blogs and articles, and in speeches. You will need to help raise funds for our projects and make sure they are running to budget, so some experience with one or both of these would be an advantage. However, we are less interested in what you have done, and more in what you can do.

We celebrate London’s rich and diverse culture and we want our team to reflect the city we serve. We especially welcome applications from people with disabilities and people from minority ethnic and/or less advantaged backgrounds.

This ideally is a full-time role, however we would be open to applications from people who would like to work part–time or to people applying as a job share.

Full details of the role can be found in the application package. If you meet the criteria in the person specification and are excited about this opportunity, we’d love to hear from you.

Our office in Farringdon is currently open, with space for about half our team. Staff can choose to work there some of the time if they want, or work from home all the time. We have socially distanced team meetings in a space nearby. When health guidance allows, we hope to bring more people back to the office and to start holding in-person events again, so we’re looking for someone who is able to work in London at least some of the time.

If you would like to speak with someone about this opportunity please email Claire Harding at claire.harding@centreforlondon.org.

The skills and experience we are looking for

Applicants must show commitment to the values and ethos of Centre for London and be passionate about London. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK by the start of their employment.

Experience

• Some experience working in research or policy
• Experience (academic or professional) of using analytical skills
• Experience (academic or professional) writing compelling reports/papers/ publications
• Some experience of bringing together quantitative and/or qualitative research to tell a strong story and make and practical recommendations for change
• Understanding of London or urban policy or specific experience in one of Centre for London’s research themes an advantage (you can find these on our website)
• Fundraising and budget management experience an advantage
• Experience of working with statistics an advantage.

Skills & Competencies:

• Data analysis: Able to think critically about data and evidence, being intellectually curious.
• Good communicator. Strong written and verbal communicator including presenting to audiences.
• Excellent attention to detail. Accurately record, recall and act on details such as requests from organisations who fund us, names and titles of people we work with, venue requirements and other details.
• Excellent team player.
• Ability to adapt and learn quickly. Able to show initiative and adapt quickly to new challenges.
• Strong IT proficiency, including MS Office.
• Highly organised. Able to balance and prioritise multiple tasks, meeting urgent and competing deadlines.
• Ability to develop relationships with people who have an interest in our findings, such as politicians and people in their teams, civil servants and academics, as well as business and third sector organisations.

To apply:

Follow this link to complete the application information.

Your application should be saved as a single PDF with your application ID as the title. Please check that your name isn’t included on your CV or cover letter.

Email your CV and cover letter to jobs@centreforlondon.org with the subject line ‘Researcher.
Please note, applications will only be submitted when the form has been completed and your PDF received via email.

We are committed to reducing unconscious bias in our selection processes. Staff who shortlist applications will not see applicants’ personal information (including your name and responses to our diversity monitoring questions). For this reason, please create an 8-10-character application ID code and use that on your CV and cover letter instead of your name.

£21,000 - £23,000

We’re not fully sure whether this role is open to international candidates. If you would need visa sponsorship or work authorisation, we recommend checking directly with the employer before applying.