Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) is seeking a Senior Research Officer (NCAS) – Quantitative, with expertise in quantitative social research to assist the Director, Research Program (NCAS) with the NCAS Research Program.

About ANROWS

ANROWS aspires to be an innovative research organisation with authoritative leadership and high impact to support the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022 (the National Plan). Our mission is to deliver relevant and translatable research evidence which drives policy and practice, leading to a reduction in the levels of violence against women and their children.

ANROWS is funded primarily by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments of Australia to assist them in achieving the National Plan’s vision of women and their children living free from violence and in safe communities.

Through its knowledge production function, ANROWS produces evidence to guide Australian governments, policymakers and practitioners in their work towards ending violence against women and their children.

The evidence ANROWS and others produce is translated from academic research reports into accessible resources that highlight the implications of research findings for evidence-based policy and practice. ANROWS recognises that knowledge production, translation and exchange is a multilateral process and that it has a pivotal role in the exchange of knowledge between its stakeholders.

About the position

This is a full-time position (37.5 hours per week) reporting to the Director, Research Program (NCAS) and is to be located at the ANROWS national office in Sydney (Level 11, 31 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000). The appointment is from commencement until 30 June 2023.

The National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS) is a periodic, large-scale, representative population survey that measures Australians’ knowledge of and attitudes regarding violence against women. The NCAS is one of the key monitoring mechanisms for the National Plan. It is also the core of a wider research program which aims to increase understanding of the role of societal, organisational and community attitudes and cultures in the perpetration and prevention of violence against women. The NCAS Program is undertaken by a research team in collaboration with research partners. It involves repeating the survey roughly every four years and conducting qualitative or mixed-methods research studies to deepen understanding of major survey findings. The findings of the 2021 NCAS are currently being written up.

The Senior Research Officer (NCAS) will have expertise in quantitative social science research and will initially assist the Director, Research Program (NCAS) to deliver the reporting on the 2021 survey. The SRO may also contribute to planning of the 2025 NCAS and to other qualitative or mixed-methods NCAS projects as required. Research and project management tasks undertaken by the SRO may include contributing to the design, conduct, analysis and write-up of research; collaborating and managing relationships with the research team, project partners and advisory/expert panel members; supporting stakeholder engagement in the NCAS; and assisting with knowledge translation of the findings and communications activities.

Remuneration and leave entitlements

The salary range for this position is $115,669 to $121,288 per annum plus 10 per cent employer contributions to the employee’s chosen superannuation fund. ANROWS staff are entitled to four weeks of annual leave, in addition to personal and sick leave.

Key responsibilities

1. Support the project management of the NCAS research projects. This may include assisting with documentation such as project plans, activity work plans and progress reports; NCAS budget preparation and monitoring; the development, operation, monitoring and review of NCAS governance, project partnership and subcontracting arrangements; and the peer-review process.
2. Support the delivery of the research components of the NCAS Research Program. This may include supporting ethics requirements; conducting or supervising literature searches and reviews; and working with the Director, Research Program (NCAS), research team, partners and subcontractors on methodological design, implementation and data collection, data analysis, and synthesis and writing.
3. Manage and supervise NCAS staff as required including resource and workload prioritisation, staff development and capacity-building.
4. Contribute to the knowledge translation and communications strategy for the NCASresearch studies as required. This may include assisting with the development of the communications strategy; contributing to the production of high-quality written reports and other resources with written, graphic and data elements appropriate for a range of audiences, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners and the general public; and designing and delivering presentations, leading or facilitating training and representing ANROWS externally in appropriate forums.
5. Provide expert advice and peer review internally and externally as required, including on the NCAS research, research regarding violence against women more generally, and research methods and data analysis.
6. Support growth of the NCAS and related research as required by contributing to other NCAS-related research projects as required; assisting with applications for additional funding; building the NCAS research community; and facilitating access to NCAS findings for other researchers.
7. Support growth of stakeholder engagement in the NCAS, including assisting with responses to stakeholder enquiries and feedback as aligned with the NCAS Research Program and organisational communications objectives; promoting the NCAS Program and the broader ANROWS Research Program; and establishing and maintaining relationships between researchers, policymakers and practitioners.
8. Provide assistance to the CEO, Director, Research Program (NCAS) and other directors as required.

Selection criteria

Essential

• Postgraduate qualification (or graduate qualification with equivalent experience) in social science or statistics, such as psychology, sociology, criminology or socio-legal studies.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading all aspects of quantitative research studies in a social science- or social justice-related area.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing research methodologies and statistical analyses and using statistical software packages, such as Excel and SPSS.
• Advanced skills in managing and quality-assuring research projects within strict deadlines.
• Excellent analytic, written and oral communication skills, with a record of research publications.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, networking and negotiation skills, including ability to foster positive professional relationships with colleagues, research partners and stakeholders.
• Understanding of social policy and ability to write, communicate and translate research findings to suit different audiences and to inform policy and programs.

Desirable

• Experience with population-based or large-scale surveys.
• Experience in qualitative social science research and NVivo.
• Research or policy experience in violence against women and/or gender-related issues.
• Understanding of issues affecting NCAS priority populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and young people.

Further information

Any questions regarding the position should be directed to: Dr Christine Coumarelos, Director, Research Program (NCAS) on: 02 8374 4088, or at: [email protected], using the subject line: Senior Research Officer - Quantitative enquiry via EthicalJobs.

To submit your application, click Apply Now. 

The successful applicant will be offered the position subject to a criminal history check (also known as a police check).