Research Manager (18-month contract FTE) at Motability Foundation

Harlow, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

24 May, 26

Salary

50000.0

Posted On

23 Feb, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Research Management, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Supplier Management, Research Commissioning, Data Synthesis, Insight Communication, Procurement Coordination, Quality Assurance, Ethical Standards, Data Protection, Brief Development, Tender Processes, Collaboration

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

Salary: £46000-£50000 Hours: 37.5 hours per week 18 Month FTC Reports to: Senior Insight Manager Direct reports: There is potential for line management responsibility for an Insight Officer, supporting their development, overseeing elements of their work, and helping ensure high standards of research quality and delivery. Location: Harlow, Essex. Easily commutable from London Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale Station. We offer a free minibus service to/from Harlow Town Train Station as well as free parking and EV charging on site. Extra Information: Open to conversation on hybrid, flexible and compressed working arrangements. We offer flexible and blended working within this role. The team works a minimum of two days a week from the office. About the role: At the Motability Foundation we fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to other charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all. As Research Manager you will support the Senior Insight Manager, managing commissioned research and insight as part of the new insight function. You’ll play a key role in planning, commissioning and delivering high-quality research that supports the Foundation’s insight, policy and operational priorities. What you will be doing: You’ll work closely with colleagues across the organisation to translate evidence needs into well-designed research projects, manage external suppliers to deliver relevant and high-quality work, and ensure findings are clearly communicated and used internally. Key responsibilities will include: Working with internal stakeholders to scope research needs and develop clear research plans and briefs Commissioning and managing qualitative and quantitative research, ensuring quality, rigour, relevance and value for money Coordinating procurement activity for research services, including leading tender processes and supplier selection Managing relationships with external research agencies and consultants, overseeing delivery and quality assurance Synthesising findings from commissioned research and wider evidence to produce clear, accessible insight Facilitating the dissemination of research through reports, briefings, presentations and other outputs Ensuring research activity aligns with good practice, ethical standards and data protection requirements Contributing to shared insight resources and supporting collaboration across the insight function This role will provide continuity and capacity during a defined period, requiring strong organisation, sound judgement and a collaborative approach. Your experience: You’re a dependable and experienced researcher who enjoys working collaboratively and getting things done well. You’re comfortable managing multiple projects, working with external suppliers, and supporting colleagues to make sense of evidence. You bring a calm, practical approach to research delivery and are confident balancing quality, pace and stakeholder needs. You’re likely to thrive in this role if you: Are a “safe pair of hands” who can take ownership of research delivery with minimal oversight Enjoy working with others to shape research questions and priorities Are confident managing suppliers and coordinating processes Communicate clearly and adapt insight for different audiences Value rigour, clarity and good research practice We’re looking for someone with solid, hands-on experience of commissioning and managing research who can add value quickly. Must haves: Proven experience commissioning and managing qualitative and quantitative research Experience developing research plans, briefs and scopes in collaboration with stakeholders Experience procuring research services and managing external suppliers Strong ability to synthesise research findings and communicate insight clearly Good project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple pieces of work Experience working collaboratively across teams and with external partners Familiarity with research governance, ethics and data protection requirements Experience supporting dissemination of research through reports, presentations or events A relevant degree or postgraduate qualification in a social science, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience A recognised professional research qualification such as the MRS Advanced Certificate, or equivalent professional research training Nice to haves: Experience working in a charity, public sector or mission-led organisation Experience working on disability, transport or social policy-related research Experience contributing to shared insight libraries or evidence resources Line management experience Who are we? We are building a future where all disabled people have the transport options to make the journeys they choose. We fund, support, research and innovate so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Motability Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all. Why choose us? We want working for the Motability Foundation to be the best career move you’ve ever made. When you join the Motability Foundation you will join a group of people who are supportive, innovative and motivated to improve the lives of our beneficiaries. We value everyone’s unique qualities and celebrate having a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where everyone feels safe to be their authentic selves. This is embedded into our values, Collaborative, Respectful and Evolving. We bring our people together through our People Forum, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Forum, Social Squad and our Wellbeing Champions and our employee Spotlight Awards help us recognise the excellence and dedication of our staff. We are proud to be recognised as Disability Confident Leader, have attained Platinum Level Award for Investors in People and are members of the Business Disability Forum. A career with Motability Foundation can offer you so much more than earning potential, we pride ourselves in offering some fantastic benefits. Some of these include: 26 days annual leave, plus the option to buy/ sell up to five days. One wellbeing day for extra flexibility. Pension scheme - Up to 20%, including a 10% non-contributory contribution and matched contributions up to 5%. Life Assurance of four times your salary. Private healthcare through BUPA for you and your family, along with a Medicash Health Plan. Employee assistance programme: GP appointments, eye tests, flu vaccinations, sick pay and free gym and yoga sessions. Enhanced Parental Leave, including Adoption Pay. Free parking, EV charge points and a minibus service to/from the town centre and train station. Fresh fruit, breakfast snacks, and a Dress for Your Day dress code. Learning and development opportunities to help you grow. Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, and we aim to be an employer of choice for candidates with disabilities. As a Disability Confident Leader, we have committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to perform their best when interviewing and when working with us, so if you require any reasonable adjustments that would make you more comfortable, please let us know so that we can do our best to support you. To help us create an inclusive workplace we are committed to offering to interview every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job. Some of our roles attract a high volume of applications and in some circumstances, we may need to limit the number of interviews offered to disabled and non-disabled candidates.

Responsibilities

The Research Manager will support the Senior Insight Manager by managing commissioned research and insight projects, playing a key role in planning, commissioning, and delivering high-quality research aligned with the Foundation’s priorities. Key duties involve scoping research needs with internal stakeholders, managing external suppliers, ensuring research quality, and synthesizing findings into clear, accessible insight for internal use.