Researcher; Public Participation

• Salary: Starting salary from £43,000 per annum
• Contract: Fixed term contract for 2 years
• Hours: Full time (35 hours per week)
• Location: We are London based (Farringdon). Our staff have the option to work part of the week from home.
• Closing: 09:30am (BST), Monday 19th October 2026.

The Ada Lovelace Institute is hiring a qualitative Researcher to support our research on the impacts of AI and data on people and society.

Working closely with our Public Participation Research Lead, this researcher will support our work on equity and inclusion in participatory and public attitudes research, contributing to a dynamic research programme that is intrinsic to Ada’s mission to make data and AI work for everyone in society.

The Researcher will provide support for a range of multi-methods and mixed methods research projects, in close partnership with Public Participation and Research Practice directorate colleagues, civil society organisations, communities and publics, and collaborating with colleagues from Ada’s other Directorates. This will include stepping into supporting projects already underway, such as the BRAID-partnered recourse and repair or the coalition delivering the Citizens’ Track on AI in relation to the UN Global Dialogue, as well as helping to scope, design and deliver new research that looks deeply at how technologies are affecting people and communities across the UK.

One key area of responsibility will be the coordination of convenings, including the Ada Community Forum, to support field and network building. This role may also contribute to the development of qualitative or participatory research undertaken with colleagues in other Directorates.

We are looking for a researcher who has experience of researching with communities, and, ideally, someone who has worked in research environments outside academia. This may include people who have undertaken research as part of broader roles in charities, NGOs, civil society or other organisations, as well as those who have followed conventional research pathways.

The Researcher will have strong and demonstrable qualitative research experience, oral and written communication and organisational skills, and a strong interest in topics related to AI, data, and the social or ‘everyday’ impacts of technology.

We are interested in candidates who are familiar with a range of qualitative approaches or methodologies, which may include forms of interview research, deliberative methods, or any techniques included under the participatory action research umbrella.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have grown their knowledge and experience through participatory practice, and who bring with them diverse forms of expertise and understanding.

You’ll enjoy working in a dynamic team environment, be willing to jump into projects and keen to explore new social domains and emerging technologies that you may not be familiar with. You’ll appreciate the importance of rigorous research and also want to think creatively about communicating and influencing in novel ways (including engaging with both technical communities and lay audiences).

This role is an excellent opportunity for a researcher in the early stages of their career to contribute to shaping emerging policy and practice around AI and data-driven technologies. Working with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, social scientists, lawyers, policy experts and more, you will have the opportunity to contribute to research processes and outputs that are designed to deliver Ada's strategy and mission.

The Ada Lovelace Institute is an independent research institute funded and incubated by the Nuffield Foundation since 2018.

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