Research Officer

Research has been happening across the National Trust for over a century, and is key to helping us look after and bring to life the special places in our care. We now have an exciting opportunity to join two of the teams who help make this happen. 

We’re looking for a highly motivated person to join us as a Research Officer, to support both our Central & South West Research Teams. 

If you like to multitask and are looking to work with a wide range of Trust colleagues and university partners on different activities, this might be the role for you. We are looking for someone with strong project management and administrative skills, capable of progressing a range of activities. 

This role is offered at 30 hours per week for twelve months, starting ASAP.

What it's like to work here

The Research teams work in partnership with Trust colleagues and external partners to develop and support excellent research that benefits the Trust’s work. Our varied work takes us across many research-active departments and specialists, and ranges from coordinating internal funding schemes through to large research projects. 

You will split your time equally between working with the Central Research Team (2 days per week) and with the South West Research team (2 days per week). The role will report into the South West Regional Research Sponsor.  Your contractual place of work can be agreed as any one of our South West offices (Bodmin, Exeter, Bristol or Tisbury) or within our National office in Swindon.  However, this is a hybrid role and there will be an opportunity to explore and agree hybrid working arrangements which strike the right balance for you and the Trust.  We're committed to supporting a flexible working approach and to promoting a healthy work/life balance, so are happy to discuss specific working patterns with you.  

The role may involve occasional travel to other offices (reasonable travel expenses covered) to meet with stakeholders and to carry out work.

What you'll be doing

As a Research Officer you’ll develop and champion good research practice and culture, and build partnerships and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.  Ensuring that research accelerates National Trust regional delivery and that outcomes are shared and utilised across teams in order to improve and inform practice.   

Within the South West Regional team, you will be the regional specialist lead for research management and delivery, focussing on:

• Ensuring research is undertaken by a wide range of disciplines by communicating the benefits of carrying out and learning from research to teams across the region.
• Translating research outcomes into how we do things that benefit our National Trust Members and Stakeholders.
• Day-to-day delivery of South West Regional Research Group (SWRRG) business priorities, driving forward key objectives and providing professional research advice and guidance to SW Consultancy project leads and regional teams.
• Building relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, enhancing the SW’s research profile and the Trust’s reputation as an Independent Research Organisation.
• Organising and facilitating SWRRG meetings, partner Steering and Delivery Group meetings, and other in-person and virtual workshops, to enable collaborative ways of working.
• Working across regional and central research teams to help review and develop existing and new partnerships, with a focus on the GW4 Alliance (Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter Universities - https://gw4.ac.uk/) and the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (https://www.sww-ahdtp.ac.uk/).
• Evaluating progress against agreed research priorities, and identifying and escalating risks and issues, providing information and reports to SWRRG.
• Coordinating research communications, supporting SW Marketing and Communications teams.

Within the Central Research team, you will focus on: 

• Developing a new research development funding scheme for internal researchers: consulting with key stakeholders and using your initiative to identify research needs and put forward practical solutions, including developing guidance and resources and putting in place evaluation measures.
• Running the funding scheme during its pilot: organising assessments, leading on communications about the new scheme and liaising with internal stakeholders, guiding staff through the application and post-award process, evaluation.
• Managing the Trust’s postgraduate student network: initiating and delivering knowledge sharing through guidance, event organisation and general support for students.

Who we're looking for

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what is possible in this role. For this position we’re looking for someone who has: 

• Knowledge and understanding of the research/higher education sector, including research funding and research landscape outside the Trust, and ability to apply that knowledge to the Trust’s work
• A strong ability to understand, analyse and use both quantitative and qualitative data
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills and the ability to build collaborative working relationships with external and internal stakeholders
• An interest in research relevant to one of the three pillars in the Trust’s Research Strategy (Looking After; Land and Nature; Curation and Experiences)" 
• Knowledge and experience of coordination of projects, particularly research projects
• IT skills, you’ll be using the Microsoft Office suite of tools everyday

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Tax-free childcare scheme
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme 
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places