Senior Research Officer Flexible Four Day Week Three Day Week

Senior Research Officer (COVID-19)

Title: Senior Research Officer (COVID-19)

Hours: 3 days (21 hours) per week (0.6 FTE) plus 7% employer pension contribution

Salary: £19,114.80 (£31858 pro rated) per annum

Location: ​North London office (currently working from home in line with Government guidelines).

Benefits: ​Time off between Christmas and New Year, free eye test, flexible working.

Employment details: ​9 month fixed term contract

Reporting to: ​Executive Director

The Organisation

The Equality Trust (TET) is the national charity that campaigns to reduce social and economic inequality in order to improve the quality of life in the UK. We are at the forefrontof debates to tackle structural inequalities as well as supporting local grassroots groups to bring about change in their areas.

UK income inequality is among the highest in the developed world and evidence shows that this is bad for almost everyone. People in more equal societies live longer, have better mental and physical health and are more socially mobile. Community life is stronger where the income gap is narrower, children do better at school and ​they are more likely to achieve their potential​. Rates of drug and alcohol addiction are lower. When inequality is reduced people trust each other more, there is less violence and rates of imprisonment are lower.

COVID-19 has emphasised the huge price society pays for high levels of inequality. If we want to build a better society, it is essential we take action to reduce the gap between rich and poor. The Equality Trust is working with others to build a social movement for change. The organization has been recognised as a Spark of Hope by The Elders (founded by Nelson Mandela), is the co-secretariat (with CPAG) of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty and the UK convener of the global Fight Inequality Alliance. If you are passionate about dismantling inequalities and working for social justice, then we want to hear from you!

We are looking for an exceptionally motivated and organised individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced, high-profile environment.​​We offer a dynamic, friendly team and a supportive and flexible working environment. The Equality Trust is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in recruitment. We know that organisations with a diverse team perform better for their beneficiaries, and we particularly welcome applications from those who identify as Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and older applicants who are under-represented in our staff team.

Purpose of the role:

This role has been funded as the result of the generosity of our supporters, who wished to enhance our work to bring lived experience to the forefront of discussions of how COVID-19has exacerbated existing inequalities. Building on our #EverydayInequality platform, the role will develop participative research, leading on collating, curating and analysing the experiences of a diverse range of people affected by COVID-19, in order to complement the academic data available. The postholder will also help to develop The Equality Trust’s wider #EverydayInequality survey in 2021.

The role:

The postholder will provide and cluster accessible evidence on how everyday inequality shapes people’s lives and experiences across the UK, and in doing so provide new insights of shared and differing experiences. These will also inform the design and dissemination of the #EverydayInequality COVID-19 Survey.

A vital part of the role is to empower those traditionally unheard and overlooked groups to tell their stories and challenge inequality by doing so. In addition, we want to understand more comprehensively what those experiencing the sharp end of inequality would like to change, and what policy, social or corporate improvements they would call for. The postholder will also grow the representation and participation of citizens in campaigns and politics as well as mapping the new trends in inequality that are COVID-19related. We recognise that intersectionality is a complex part of how individuals have experienced inequality and COVID-19 and we are keen to draw this out in our research.

Responsibilities include:

● Carry out qualitative research, including setting up, designing and conducting interviews, and supporting others to do so through peer and user-led research.

● Keeping expertise up-to-date in the areas of inequalities deemed as priorities by the team, through proactive scanning of relevant environments

● Identifying and liaising with experts by lived experience, supporting them to tell their stories and offering a variety of levels of engagement to suit them. Ensuring that a diverse range of participants is engaged and that safeguarding procedures are complied with at all times.

● Drafting reports, case studies and providing analysis for media and campaigning work and briefings.

● Supporting the organisation to develop the #EverydayInequality COVID-19 survey.

● Managing/commissioning and/or contributing to the production of case studies in a variety of media, including blogs, podcasts, film and interviews.

● Writing and/or managing the writing of reports and articles.

● Supporting the organisation to respond to requests from a range of stakeholders that may include the media, policy makers, civil servants, Equality Trust supporters and local groups.

Person Specification:

Essential

Experience:

● Track record of engaging people from diverse backgrounds in research and campaigning activities.

● Experienced in conducting qualitative research interviews, workshops and ability to support others to do so as peer researchers.

● Experienced in monitoring and evaluating the impact of participation work

● Experience of working effectively as part of a small team.

Abilities and Skills:

● Strong research and analytical skills, including analysing qualitative and quantitative data and information from a wide range of sources.

● Strong knowledge of inequalities and intersectionality

● Excellent written and oral communication skills

● A team player with a ‘can-do’ attitude

● Proactive with initiative, actively seeking information from internal or external sources as required

● Good interpersonal skills, ability to empathise, influence and collaborate with a range of internal and external stakeholders, in a sensitive manner.

● Knowledge of, or interest in, social policy or social epidemiology, ideally relating to communities, health, education, criminality, and/or social inequalities and intersectionality.

● Deadline driven, able to remain calm in the face of several simultaneous deadlines

● Strong IT skills and ability to update a website and use Excel.

● Meticulous attention to detail

● Willingness and ability to work flexible hours when needed, for which TOIL will be given

● Commitment to the aims and values of The Equality Trust

Desirable

● Ability to record and edit visual and audio files.

We recognise that the successful candidate may not have experience of all of the skills above and so we are willing to support training in areas that candidates wish to develop

Application details:  Please send a CV (not more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (not more than 2 pages) addressing how your experience and skills match the person specification to recruitment@equalitytrust.org.uk​ by 9am on the 26th January 2021. It would be helpful for us if you also filled in the optional equality and diversity form.

INTERVIEW DATE: Monday 1st February 2021 (interviews to be held over Zoom)

Unfortunately we are a small organisation with limited capacity and we are not able to offer feedback to unsuccessful candidates. If you have not heard from us by Friday 29th January2021, then we are afraid that you have not been selected for an interview.

This is a part time post and we are open to flexible working requests – eg working 21 hours per week over 4 or 5 days. Note all staff are currently working remotely until further notice, and it is anticipated that this role will be office based pending COVID-19 restrictions. This post will require some evening and weekend work which can be taken as TOIL.