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Do you want to use your research skills to help make the transport system better for everyone?
Want to find out what works, for whom, when and why in transport initiatives?
Are you interested in leading evaluation and research to improve the way that rail policies are shaped and delivered?
If so, DfT is now recruiting to fill a Senior Research Officer (SRO) position within the Rail Research and Evaluation Team, and we would love to hear from you!
Social research and evaluation at DfT are about applying established and innovative methods to high-profile, national policy challenges. This includes improving performance on the railways and driving forward rail reform, transforming infrastructure to work for the whole country, promoting social mobility and tackling regional inequality and delivering greener transport.
You will be embedded in the multi-disciplinary Public Transport and Rail Strategy Analysis directorate, which consists of social researchers, economists, statisticians and transport modellers. The Rail Research and Evaluation Team sits within this directorate and is a friendly and inclusive team, with a supportive culture and strong focus on sharing skills and expertise.
As an SRO within our team, you will work on the evaluation programme for major investments in rail infrastructure, covering multi-billion-pound rail enhancement schemes such as the TransPennine Route Upgrade, as well as evaluation projects with a more local focus, such as the re-opening of the Northumberland Line or evaluating policy changes aimed at reforming the railways such as new fares, ticketing and retailing, and public ownership. This will require you to apply your research and analysis skills, and collaborate with policy colleagues, analysts and senior stakeholders across the department, as well as other public sector and industry bodies.
We are ambitious about growing the available evidence base for rail, making it a great time to join our team in this varied and interesting role that will provide an opportunity to make use of a range of research and evaluation skills and shape the future of transport policy and investment.
Responsibilities
You will:
* Design, specify, deliver and disseminate social research and evaluation projects to inform policy priorities. Engage widely with policy partners, analytical colleagues and external stakeholders to identify their evidence needs, shape work and deliver evidence or advice in a fast-paced environment.
* Project and contract manage externally commissioned evaluations to ensure they deliver the required evidence, to a high quality and in line with departmental processes.
* Provide technical advice and analytical assurance on social research and evaluation projects and ensure these are focused on delivering reliable insight and evidence on the questions which are most relevant to achieving the department’s objectives.
* Undertake ad-hoc analysis of rail and/or socio-economic datasets to support the delivery of rail evaluation projects or gather insight for policy colleagues.
* Provide technical support and advice to policy colleagues on research and evaluation methods, including advising on the relative robustness of competing sources of evidence and the interpretation of findings.
* Become an active member of GSR within the department, working with GSR colleagues to find opportunities for cross-cutting work and knowledge sharing.
Please see role profile for full details.
If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.
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