Location
Canary Wharf Estate, London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£42,859 per annum

About the Role
This role offers the opportunity to apply your research and analytical skills while developing project and people management expertise. You will be part of a 12-strong Research, Data & Thematics (RDT) team, conducting detainee surveys and analysing data to support inspections of prisons, young offender institutions, secure training centres, courts, and immigration detention facilities across England, Wales, and the UK. Reporting to a Senior Research Officer, your duties will include fieldwork, data analysis, maintaining databases, and contributing to thematic and inspection reports. The role involves regular travel and overnight stays, typically one or two nights per fortnight, to carry out surveys in custodial establishments. You will also act as an ambassador for HM Inspectorate of Prisons during inspections, ensuring research findings are impactful and inclusive.

About HM Inspectorate of Prisons
We are an independent inspectorate led by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, scrutinising the conditions and treatment of prisoners and detainees. Our work ensures detention is humane, safe, respectful, and prepares individuals for release. We conduct independent inspections and publish reports to hold government and custodial leaders accountable while sharing good practices. Although we highlight areas for improvement, enforcement is the responsibility of prison leaders and supporting agencies.

Experience
- Ability to prioritise and deliver work on time
- Experience in small scale research projects applying research methodologies
- Familiarity with research design, data analysis, and quality assurance processes
- Experience in managing or supporting research projects and teams is desirable
- Experience with questionnaire and survey design, and statistical packages such as IBM SPSS or R is advantageous
- Experience working with MS Office applications including Word, PowerBI, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook
- Interest in the criminal justice system and commitment to HM Inspectorate of Prisons' values

About You
Enthusiastic and motivated with strong analytical skills, you are able to work independently and as part of a team. You are physically capable of conducting fieldwork in custodial settings, including standing for long periods, climbing stairs, crouching, and carrying materials. You communicate effectively and are committed to delivering high-quality research outputs that support inspection and policy work.

Qualifications
Applicants must meet one of the following routes:
- Relevant Qualification route: An undergraduate or postgraduate degree (minimum 2:2) with substantial social research methods training, including quantitative methods and at least three of the following: systematic/literature reviews, qualitative methods, data interpretation and presentation, study design, hypothesis testing, and research ethics.
OR
- Professional Experience route: An undergraduate or postgraduate degree (minimum 2:2) in any subject or equivalent qualification plus at least 4 years’ social research practice experience demonstrating breadth and depth of research skills, including quantitative methods and three of the areas listed above.

Additionally, candidates must be members of or meet the criteria for the Government Social Research Group (GSR) profession and have passed the GSR test prior to interview.

Behaviours and Technical Skills
Assessment will include:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Developing Self and Others
- Government Social Research Technical Framework

Physical Requirements
The role requires physical stamina to conduct detainee surveys, including standing for extended periods, climbing stairs, crouching, and carrying up to 70 paper questionnaires. Researchers must be able to respond quickly in emergencies.