• Rare qualitative research opportunity with Australia’s leading social research provider
• Utilise your qualitative expertise and passion to work on a range of public and social research and evaluation studies for government, academic and not-for-profit clients
• Full-time permanent position with opportunities for career development and progression, based in Melbourne’s CBD near Flagstaff Gardens
• Salary range $65,000-$75,000 + 9.5% super, dependent on experience

Established in 2000, the Social Research Centre is Australia’s leading provider of social research and evaluation services and is dedicated to conducting world-class research that informs decision-making and advances our understanding of Australian society. As a subsidiary of the Australian National University (ANU), we enjoy unprecedented access to its researchers and premier research environment.

We have a full-time opportunity for a Research Associate to join our dedicated Qualitative Research Unit at our Melbourne CBD office, reporting to the Deputy Director of Qualitative Research. In this role, the Research Associate will be responsible for the set up and day-to-day management of qualitative projects.

The Research Associate will manage a varied project load, including projects involving working with disadvantaged / vulnerable groups, longitudinal designs and mixed-methods approaches across a range of topics such as health and wellbeing, employment, education and social inclusion

The successful candidate will have core research skills including client engagement, research design and proposal writing, design of discussion guides and other materials, sample design, data management, coding, analysis and reporting, and the ability to plan and run focus groups and in-depth interviews (including with more challenging / hard to engage groups). Research experience in a social research setting is highly desirable.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Undergraduate qualifications in a relevant discipline (e.g. social sciences, psychology, sociology, public health)
• 2-4 years’ experience in social or public policy research, including experience in conducting qualitative research, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions
• Excellent project management skills, including the ability to work under pressure and to tight timelines, and to manage budgets and timelines
• Experience in a client facing environment
• Clear and concise written and spoken communication (letters, reports, documents, presentations)
• Demonstrable enthusiasm and/or experience for qualitative research in a social/public policy setting with a genuine interest in further developing a career in social, health or public policy research as a specialist qualitative researcher
• Experience using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other software relevant to projects, as necessary (such as NVivo)
• A good team player with the ability to work independently and to take initiative where necessary.

Due to the nature of the position, some out-of-standard hours (including evenings and weekends) and overnight travel will be necessary to fulfil this role. A full, valid driving licence is essential. The successful applicant will need to be Melbourne based.

The successful applicant will be required to undergo a Working with Children Check and a Police Check prior to commencement.