Research Officer (GSR)
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
The Science, Technology, Research and Analysis (STAR) Group sits at the heart of the Home Office. The group ensures the best evidence and analysis are used to address the strategic issues facing the department. We also provide the science, technology, data, and international insights and collaboration capabilities to drive delivery.
We are recruiting research officers to work in Home Office Analysis and Insight (HOAI), the Home Office’s analytical directorate. You will be at the heart of the analytical response to some of the Government’s top priorities, helping to shape high-profile policy areas.
Based in the high-profile Immigration System Statistics and Refugee Analysis and Insights team (ISSRAI), these roles include a range of work on irregular migration both upstream or at the UK’s near border focusing on organised immigration crime as well as research and evaluation relating to the UK’s refugee resettlement schemes.
These are interesting, fast paced, and high-profile policy areas where you’ll have the opportunity to see the impact of your analysis on government decisions and public debate.
These roles are open to both those who are already badged Government Social Researchers (GSR) working in government, and those who are not already GSR badged members and external to government. Please refer to the attached Annex A: RO Information Pack for information on working at the Home Office as a social researcher and full eligibility criteria, and Route 1 / Route 2 form to download and submit with your application.
You will specifically be working on irregular migration and refugee resettlement, as well as on the cross-cutting issue of organised immigration crime, directly supporting the Government’s new Border Security Command.
You will contribute towards delivering the teams strategic research programme which includes analysis of trends observed in irregular migration, the evaluation of million-pound programmes to tackle irregular migration, organised immigration crime and support refugee resettlement, commissioning primary research on irregular migration and resettled refugees and working with policy colleagues to ensure policy development is based on robust evidence.
These roles require close collaboration with colleagues from a variety of professions including operational and economic researchers as part of the wider HOAI, intelligence analysts, operational staff and policy colleagues to develop a rich evidence picture.
Responsibilities
Your responsibilities as a research officer could include:
- Supporting the delivery of quantitative and qualitative research projects which enable the department to make timely, evidence-based decisions.
- Supporting the design of research projects and evaluations which include primary research and conducting secondary analysis of data.
- Analysing and synthesising a range of evidence to present compelling summaries and narratives of knowledge, including to non-analytical colleagues.
- Providing advice, with support of senior analysts, to Ministers and senior officials on the outcomes of research and analysis.
- Building and managing relationships with immediate policy and operational colleagues to ensure maximum buy-in and impact of analytical work delivered.
- Managing wider stakeholder relationships, for example with academia, to enable the Home Office to stay up to date with the most recent research and evidence.
- Line management of a placement year student, supporting staff to continually improve performance by valuing achievement, providing feedback, coaching, building confidence and setting direction.
Working pattern
Due to the business requirements of these roles, they are only available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.