Research Officer - part time

Research Officer - part time - 22 hours per week

Salary: £34,893 to £41,050 pro rata (dependent on experience)
Contract type:
Permanent

Hours:

Part Time
Additional information: 22 hours per week - requirement to work on Tuesdays, with other days to be agreed.

Location:

Poole, Dorset, England
Location description:
Hybrid between home and Poole – with occasional travel to Poole as required by the role
Interview date:
Monday 19th Jan and Thursday 22nd Jan
Closing Date: 04-01-2026
Reference: 20991

About us

Our purpose is simple: to save lives  hours a day, every day, RNLI lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue.

We’re looking for a Research Officer to join our Research Team, which is part of our Data Team. The Research Team supports the RNLI by delivering insight and recommendations, generated by robust and ethical research, to enable the RNLI to make sound evidence-based decisions.

This Research Officer role will work across the organisation, and will particularly support our colleagues in the Lifesaving, Fundraising, Marketing and Media and People Departments. Research projects will be varied and include conducting in-house surveys using our survey software tool (Qualtrics), desk research and commissioning and working with suppliers to deliver qualitative and quantitative research to help shape campaigns and future strategy.

Research participants will include volunteers, staff, supporters and members of the public.

It’s a fascinating role offering the chance to make a real difference to our charity.

Some of the benefits

- Salary - £34,893 to £41,050 pro rata (dependent on experience)
- Flexible working
- 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
- Competitive pension scheme
- Life assurance
- Health and dental cashplan

Your Role

As a Research Officer, you will be tasked with the following:

- Scoping, undertaking and managing multiple and varied RNLI research projects, ensuring research evidence meets the requirements of the RNLI within the timescales agreed
- Building and maintaining successful working relationships with research customers and stakeholders at all levels
- Commissioning and working with external research suppliers to deliver high quality research, negotiating for the best price and ensuring that objectives and deadlines are met
- Providing expert research advice to RNLI colleagues at all levels, and promoting the role of research in decision making

About You

You’ll be naturally inquisitive and proactive, with a sound understanding and demonstrable experience of conducting both quantitative and qualitative research. Perhaps already in a research team, or with research agency experience, you will be used to working on multiple research projects at a time for a range of customers, and prioritising your own workload. You’ll be someone who builds effective working relationships with colleagues, customers and research agencies, and who can communicate research and insight findings and recommendations in engaging ways to senior audiences.

To be considered as the Research Officer, you will need:

- Proven knowledge and experience of conducting quantitative research projects, including survey design, data analysis, etc.
- Proven knowledge and experience of conducting qualitative research projects, including depth interviews and focus group design and facilitation, etc.

- Experience of managing multiple projects for multiple customers/stakeholders.
- Good working knowledge and experience using Microsoft Office software (e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and proven experience of using survey software packages (Qualtrics preferred).
- Good written and verbal communication skills.

So, if you want to use your skills and experience as a Research Officer to support our organisation’s aim to reduce drowning, this could be the role for you. Please apply via the button shown.

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers…