Social Researcher

Final date to receive applications: 22 November 2026

Department: Insight

Employment Type: Fixed Term
- Full Time

Location: Sheffield Head Office

Reporting To: Grace Clark (Simmonds)

Compensation: £47,181 - £50,269 / year

• Hours: 37 hours per week
• Contract: Fixed Term (24 months)
• Salary: Grade 10 £ 47,181 - £50,269
• Location: Sheffield (hybrid working)

This is an exciting opportunity to join SYMCA's Insight Team and play a key role in helping shape policy, services and decision-making through high-quality social research and evidence.

As a Social Researcher, you will lead the design, delivery and continuous development of the region’s first South Yorkshire Resident Survey, providing valuable insight into the priorities and perceptions of local residents. Your work will directly inform strategic decision-making, support mayoral priorities and help shape policies and services that improve outcomes for residents across the region.

Working within SYMCA's Insight function, you will collaborate with internal stakeholders, Local Authorities and external partners to ensure the resident survey provides robust insight into the issues that matter most to South Yorkshire communities.

As a Social Researcher, you will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the South Yorkshire Resident Survey programme, ensuring high-quality, reliable and representative insight is available to decision makers across SYMCA and its partner Local Authority organisations.

You will lead the planning and implementation of the survey, working with internal and Local Authority stakeholders to identify priority research questions, develop survey content and ensure the survey captures meaningful information about residents' perceptions. You will commission and manage the successful external research supplier, including overseeing fieldwork delivery, data analysis, quality assurance and reporting. You will also lead on communicating insight effectively to varied audiences, including senior leaders.

You will contribute to the ongoing development of the resident survey, identifying opportunities to improve methodology, representation, accessibility and impact, ensuring the survey continues to meet the evolving needs of SYMCA and its partners.

Between survey waves, you will lead and support complementary research projects to strengthen our understanding of communities in South Yorkshire as part of a wider package of insight.

You are an experienced researcher with a strong understanding of survey design and quantitative analysis, with a passion for understanding people’s experiences and using evidence to influence policy and decision-making. You are comfortable with partnership working and managing contracts and have the skills to turn complex information into meaningful insights and recommendations.

You will bring:

• Experience designing, commissioning and managing large-scale survey programmes from development through to analysis and reporting, working with external research suppliers.
• Strong quantitative analysis and statistical skills.
• Knowledge of social research methods, research ethics and data protection requirements
• Experience using evidence and insight to inform policy, strategy or service development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex findings to non-technical and senior audiences.
• Experience building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining quality.

You will be analytical, curious and collaborative, with a commitment to producing high-quality research that helps improve outcomes for residents. Most importantly, you…