Senior Research Officer

We are seeking to recruit a Senior Research Officer on behalf of the NI Assembly, Stormont, Belfast.
Job Title: Senior Research Officer
Salary: £65,051
Closing date: 2pm on Friday 16 February 2024
Duration: ASAP for 6 months
Job Purpose:
he Senior Research Officer (SRO) is a member of the Research and Information Service (RaISe) Management Team (RMT). Three SROs, the Senior Statistics Officer (SSO) and the Head of RaISe form the RMT and are responsible for the delivery of professional, evidence based and non-partisan research and information services to the Assembly and the Assembly Commission. The SRO leads a team of research and information professionals that provide the core subject expertise pertaining to the Assembly’s legislative and scrutiny responsibilities. SROs are responsible for ensuring the delivery of evidence-based research analyses that are routinely published and delivered orally in open Committee sessions.
Job Description:
The main duties and responsibilities of the post are to:
· Manage one of the five RaISe teams, including responsibility for managing research and information demands and the delivery of evidence based research analyses and information products that support the Assembly’s legislative and scrutiny responsibilities.
· Effectively manage the team’s staff and resources including; Planning and delivering the team’s forward work programmes comprising; the Executive’s Programme for Government, Committee inquiries, Private Members’ Bills, Executive legislation, plenary business and Member enquiries.
· Ensure RaISe service standards are met, business plans delivered within agreed deadlines and research and information products meet customer needs.
· Plan, balance and allocate team workloads through establishing workplans based on engagement with Committee Clerks, Assembly Commission management, departmental officials and/or MLAs regarding a range of issues, including; the Executive Programme for Government, the Executive’s legislative agenda, Private Members’ Bills, the Assembly’s Order Papers, Assembly Committees’ forward work programmes and MLA enquiries.
· Ensure good and regular communication with RaISe clients (Committees, MLAs and Senior Management) so that realistic targets are agreed and delivered.
· Proactively identify, nurture, forge and create appropriate networks to support RaISe service development through establishing links with government officials, external research bodies/communities, and other parliamentary library and research services.
· Identify cross team working initiatives for the RMT that enable multi-disciplinary research, address overloads in research demand and enable service improvement.
· Beyond the management of their research team, have lead responsibility for delivery of agreed RaISe initiatives implemented across the teams. These initiatives can, for example, involve the development and management of student placements, joint working with academia, international development work with other parliaments, joint working with legislative research services based in the UK and Ireland and the adoption of new digital technologies.
· Ensure through SRO review and team peer review that all outputs from the team meet RaISe standards of providing evidence-based policy/legislative analysis that is timely, impartial, non-partisan and fit for Assembly business purposes.
· Monitor and review team performance to ensure consistency with RaISe Service standards while providing accountability for RaISe products and support services.
· Plan, manage and deliver bespoke training programmes to MLAs, party support staff and Assembly Commission staff.
· Contribute to RaISe's development to ensure efficient and effective use of resources and continuous improvement of the quality and range of research outputs.
· Contribute to RaISe’s budgetary planning, spending and monitoring processes through expenditure profiling, in-year bidding/allocating and reporting, along with identifying financial support requirements, monitoring and profiling expenditure and drafting of business cases for SMT approval where required.
· Ensure the effective use of financial and other resources to meet the needs of customers including the contracting of external research support when appropriate.
· Interface directly with a range of key customers, while maintaining and enhancing relationships through effective negotiating and influencing skills.
· Plan, manage and deliver the training and development needs of staff within their team.
· Manage information and records in accordance with established policies and statutory requirements.
· Comply with all of the Assembly Commission’s staff policies and procedures including Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies and procedures and all mandatory training requirements.
· Carry out other duties that the Assembly Commission reasonably requires.
Applicants for the post must, by the closing date for applications have:
1. An honours degree (of minimum 2:1 classification) or a
degree of an equivalent or higher standard in any subject
area. The onus is on the candidate to demonstrate how
their degree meets this criterion;
AND
2. At least 5 years’ professional experience as a researcher or
professional information provider. Applicants will be
expected to demonstrate that they have experience of
conducting non-partisan, evidence-based peer reviewed
research and producing research and information
briefings/reports involving the proficient application and
publication of evidence-based analysis;
AND
3. At least 2 years’ experience of having managed research
tasks, including managing competing, concurrent priorities
and leading improvements.
AND
4. At least 3 years’ professional experience of making oral
presentations based on their research.
To Apply:
You must also include a bullet pointed synopsis at the top of your CV demonstrating how exactly you meet the Essential Criteria.
Please email your CV in Microsoft word format to Caroline Parker by clicking on the link before 2pm on Friday 16 February 2024. Applicants must ensure their CV is accurate and up to date. The CV should include your full employment history inclusive of dates, all academic achievements and full personal contact details. Please note only applicants that match this criteria can be considered for the role.
Apple Recruitment Services is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy. Apple Recruitment Services is an Equal Opportunities Employer