Policy isn’t working. Come help us fix it.
We’re in the middle of the biggest cost of living crisis in living memory. The energy market is in meltdown. Inflation is stretching household budgets to breaking point. Rent and mortgage increases are driving people to make impossible choices to make ends meet and more people are coming to us for crisis support than at any time on record.
We’re in a race against time for the kind of policy response this crisis needs - from government, from regulators and from businesses. And it hasn’t come yet. Come and help us fix this!
We’ve been pretty successful over the past few years - our campaigning work has put billions of pounds back in people’s pockets. One thing that makes us different is that we don’t just talk about policy. Our work is based on real people’s experiences, and it changes real people’s lives. Every year millions of people come to Citizens Advice for help. That means no one has a better insight into how bad policy affects people’s lives.
And we’re not afraid to raise the topics that aren’t always on the front pages. In the last few months alone, we’ve sounded the alarm on racially discriminatory insurance prices, spoken up for people with no recourse to public funds, and raised red flags about the growing use of buy-now-pay-later products to cover essentials.
But the challenge is huge. We only succeed when we find the right people.
This is where you come in.
The role
We’re looking for a Senior Policy Researcher in our Consumer and Public Service team. This team covers our work on consumer policy, money & debt and housing.
The roles will have an initial focus on consumer policy - this could be looking to find ways to stop people getting ripped-off, ensuring that people can affordably access essential markets, or ensuring that consumer voices are heard by shaping big debates such as how use big data can entrench bias or how digital design can be used to manipulate the choices people make online.
Uniquely, you’ll be working in an organisation which helps people with a broad range of problems with deep policy experience to match this. There’s no better place to think about policy in the round, to spot connections between different issues and to create policy responses which are based on a full understanding of the people who come to us for help every day.
As a senior member of the team you’ll develop and lead influential policy research programmes, thinking creatively about authentic, empowering solutions - and working out the tactics and strategies we can use to turn our recommendations into reality.
Our strong, respected brand means that you will have unique opportunities to engage directly with the people and organisations who have the power to make the changes we want to see - from parliamentarians and the civil service to regulators and industry.
You’ll also play a key part in the culture of the team - helping creating an environment where new ideas can develop at all levels and supporting junior members to fulfil their potential.
Please provide details in your cover letter to evidence the following essential criteria:
1. Ability to shape a strategic and impactful policy research programme
2. Ability to influence senior policy and political decision makers, using strong political judgement and varied influencing approaches
3. Ability to design and deliver robust and inventive research, supported by strong technical understanding of quantitative and qualitative methods
Why work for Citizens Advice?
We offer a culture where flexibility is the rule, not the exception. We really, really don’t care if you live in London. Our people are based across the country - in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Cardiff, in our offices or at their kitchen tables.
And how and when you do the job is completely up to you. Most of us work flexible hours. Lots of us are part-time. Some of us job-share. Our people are our biggest asset so we build our work around you.
If you'd like to find out more about this role and the recruitment process please check out our webinar on working in policy and campaigning at Citizens Advice: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7i9WIKijBxIRF7CxwskRKppFFrnAMSH/view?usp=sharing and see our series of blogs here: https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/join-us-in-doing-brilliant-things-at-citizens-advice-d305983e8343
Citizens Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. Through our national network of charities, we give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem.
Do you want to work for an organisation that makes a difference, every single day, to people from all walks of life? The people that turn to Citizens Advice need help overcoming an obstacle in their lives – from debt to evictions to trouble at work – and you can be key to them getting the support they need in the quickest, easiest, and most effective way.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is of strategic importance within the organisation and recognised as integral to all we do as a service.
Central to pursuing our EDI mission is building diverse and inclusive teams in which everyone has a sense of belonging. We believe inclusion is a social justice issue - a principle that underpins all our EDI work. To that end, we particularly welcome applications from people we would like to see better represented in our organisation and sector - people of colour, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people. If you are disabled and meet our minimum criteria you will be guaranteed an interview for this role and we will provide reasonable adjustments as needed. We follow the social model of disability.
We’re a flexible employer, so this role may suit anyone who’d prefer a flexible arrangement to help their work/life balance. We’re usually flexible on location too, however some roles may require you to be based in a certain location, many of our colleagues spend most of their time working remotely.
The National Citizens Advice operates from offices in England and Wales, with 4 regional offices based in Cardiff, London, Birmingham and Leeds, therefore all successful applicants must be based within England or Wales.
Our commitment to colleague wellbeing is reflected in us being awarded Gold in the Health & Wellbeing category, as well as Overall Winners, at the Employee Experience Awards 2022.
Please be aware that Citizens Advice is not a sponsoring organisation. Therefore the successful applicant must already possess the right to work in the UK or be able to secure the right to work in the UK independently.
In the event of a high number of applications, we reserve the right to close the application early.
This vacancy closes at 23.59 on the closing date.