Social Researcher

Social Researcher

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

Please apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 9th August 2026

Location:

Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Swansea, Uxbridge (This role is suitable for hybrid working)

Salary: £44,241 - A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Contract Type:
Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Available Positions: 1

The successful Social Researcher will manage a programme of work across a number of policy areas including driver policy, motorcycle policy and vocational vehicles. This includes managing research and evaluation projects targeted on policy questions but also work with policy colleagues and other analysts to quickly draw on or gather new evidence for decisions.

The role holder will be provided with an excellent opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the policy process, and experience of making an impact with evidence.

The role may include a combination of managing externally commissioned research or evaluation projects; advising policy colleagues who directly manage commissioned research; identifying evidence needs and designing solutions; and drawing on and disseminating research for it to be used in decisions.

• Design, specify, commission, deliver and disseminate social research and evaluation projects to inform policy. Engage widely with various customers (policy, analysts, external) to identify evidence needs, shape work and deliver evidence or advice. This may vary across all of the specialist teams working within the Driver Policy teams for example motorcycle policy or Approved Driving Instructor policy areas.
• Collate insights from the evidence base to answer emerging policy questions.
• Provide technical advice to policy colleagues on evaluation and social research methods, including on the relative robustness of evidence sources, and the interpretation of findings, so that they can be used appropriately in policy making.
• Take individual responsibility for providing timely, high-quality advice, research, analysis and briefing of both driver policy and legislation.

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

• To succeed in this role, you will need to have experience of designing, managing and / or implementing complex social research or evaluation projects, to ensure the delivery of robust results on time.
• You will need to have experience of using your leadership, communication, and collaboration skills to achieve impact from search or evaluation.
• You will need to have experience of analysing a range of information and evidence from diverse sources to form conclusions and make recommendations.