Job Description

Details

-----------

Reference number

424526

Salary

37,899
37,524 per annum. Rising to 37,899 per annum on successful completion of probation.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer
B2 APT

Contract type

Temporary

Fixed term

Loan

Length of employment

6 - 8 months

Business area

Insights and Research

Type of role

Analytical


Social Research

Other

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

3

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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23 Stephenson Street, Birmingham

2 Rivergate, Bristol

About the job

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Job summary

Are you passionate about using research to make a real difference in education, children's services, and social care? Ofsted is looking for three Research and Evaluation Officer to join our Research and Evaluation team.


You'll deliver individual research projects that feed into our wider programme of work. You'll ensure methodological rigour while working in a unique and fast-paced inspection environment. From designing research and analysing data to writing impactful reports, your work will inform practice, influence policy, and ultimately help raise standards for children and learners across England.

What we're looking for:

A strong understanding of research and evaluation methods Excellent analytical, written, and communication skills Experience conducting and synthesising research, with the ability to tailor insights to different audiences A collaborative and curious mindset, with a drive to deliver high-quality, purposeful work.

This is a fantastic opportunity to further your experience in Ofsted's well-established team. The post holder will work with high-achieving professionals at all levels, surrounded by a friendly and supportive team. They will have access to amazing benefits, such as flexible working hours, the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and 32.5 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays. We offer a hybrid working model, so you may also choose to spend a proportion of time working from home.

Job description

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Person specification

Please refer to the job specification for further information.

Qualifications

Hold an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2. The degree must contain substantial social research methods training (comprising around one third of modules taken on the course) including quantitative research methods and at least three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design, hypothesis testing and application of ethics to research.

Experience route

Hold an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate degree in any subject with a minimum classification of 2:2 or hold a degree equivalent (for example advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS).



Have at least four years' experience of working in applied social research. This can include market research, government, applied academia or as a data analyst. This must include quantitative research methods and include at least three of three of the following:



? Systematic literature reviews



? Qualitative methods, including research design, data collection



? Interpretation of data and presentation



? Study design, hypothesis formation, testing and evaluation



? Application of ethics to research

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:


Changing and Improving Making Effective Decisions Leadership Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:


Sound experience of qualitative or quantitative research, data analysis and effective presentation of key findings. (Essential) Experience of successful engagement with, and management of, internal and external stakeholders. (Essential) A good understanding of quality in its widest sense, with experience of successfully implementing quality assurance procedures and an eye for detail. (Essential) Proven written and verbal communication skills with the ability to negotiate. (Essential) Ability to organise themselves and prioritise their work to deliver a challenging programme of work. (Essential) Knowledge of data availability and limits of use. Understanding of policy context across one or more of Ofsted's remits: Early Years; Social Care; Schools; and Further Education and Skills. (Desirable)

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

Sound experience of qualitative or quantitative research, data analysis and effective presentation of key findings. (Essential) Experience of successful engagement with, and management of, internal and external stakeholders. (Essential) A good understanding of quality in its widest sense, with experience of successfully implementing quality assurance procedures and an eye for detail. (Essential) Proven written and verbal communication skills with the ability to negotiate. (Essential) Ability to organise themselves and prioritise their work to deliver a challenging programme of work. (Essential)

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 37,899, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills contributes 10,979 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Full details of the benefits available can be found in our Ofsted Offer brochure.


Ofsted is devoted to equality, diversity and inclusion. Within our Ofsted Strategy 2023-2027 we have stated that we will improve the representation of under-represented groups across the organisation and publish our progress on this annually. We are always looking to expand on our diverse workforce by recruiting candidates from varied backgrounds and differing experiences. We are proud to be a Disability Confident - Leader, we continually engage with our 5 staff networks for protected characteristics, and highlight the work of our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group. We ensure all candidates are treated with fair and open competition, with all appointments being made on merit and we use our Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) to provide assurance to all candidates of this.

Things you need to know

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Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application and Shortlisting:

The selection panel will assess your application based on your evidence you have provided against the essential criteria as set out in the person specification.


You will also be asked to provide information within the "Employer/Activity History" section of the application form. This information is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV setting out your career history (this will be used in the sifting process).

Government Social Research Knowledge Test

Candidates who are not current members of the Government Social Research (GSR) service will be invited to complete the GSR knowledge test. This forms the first step in the GSR membership process, and passing the test is essential for your application to progress to the next stage of recruitment.


The test will be administered after shortlisting and only to candidates who have passed the sift. If a candidate fails the GSR knowledge test, their application will not proceed further.


Details regarding the GSR test will be shared from

29 October 2025

.


Candidates who are already members of the GSR do not need to complete the test as part of their application.

Interview and presentation:

Candidates who pass the benchmark at the shortlisting stage and the GSR knowledge test will be invited to an interview and presentation where they will be assessed against a mixture of the Civil Service behaviours, the competencies set out in The Government Social Research Technical Framework - GOV.UK and the experience/technical skills set out in section 3 of the job specification.


We will invite the most suitable candidates to attend an

interview

and

presentation

on

Tuesday 18 November, Wednesday 19 November

or

Thursday 20 November

at

2 Rivergate, Bristol.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:


UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.



We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

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Job contact :

Name : People Services Delivery Email : Jobs@ofsted.gov.uk Telephone : 0300 013 1487
#

Recruitment team

Email : Jobs@ofsted.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email Ofsted recruitment at jobs@ofsted.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recrutiment