Research and Change Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to become a Research and Change Officer, working as part of a small team to engage with the diverse population of Colchester. We are currently working to transform our organisation through a three-year programme called Fit for the Future, so an understanding of how user voices can shape and improve services across the Council will be essential to delivering this.

We're looking for someone who has a real passion for research and techniques to engage with individuals and groups of people to deliver results. This will include the delivery of research projects. consultation, evaluation and knowledge exchange to inform programme development.

Duties of the role

Having recently acquired City status, this is an exciting time to join us. You will work across all Council services to design and lead evaluation and research projects across a dynamic programme of work. You will be supported by a wider team to use mixed method approaches (quantitative and qualitative) to analyse, interpret and present research findings to a range of audiences.

You will work collaboratively with colleagues within the Council and with key partners, wider stakeholders, and funders to make the best of our wider joint research and insight. Using your expertise and project management skills to mentor and train Council teams in research, helping to embed these techniques across the organisation.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be educated to degree level or have experience of research methods and their applications with a good understanding of data and information analysis. Experience with data sets and using Excel to understand them is important, with experience of using data to shape decision-making highly advantageous.

You will be highly organised and have the ability to manage your time and busy workload. Knowledge of relevant ICT applications and systems is a must, and confidence to lead on projects and drive them forwards is vital.

Colchester City Council is committed to delivering high-quality and accessible services to residents, visitors and businesses. We are a local government authority providing a diverse range of public and commercial services across Colchester, the second largest district in Essex.

The Council encourages all employees to maximise their potential. You will be entitled to join an attractive pension scheme and will receive a generous annual leave entitlement, including two extra company holidays during the Christmas period.

Other benefits include:

• Flexible and hybrid working


• Free gym membership, plus travel and online retail discounts


• Excellent training, development and progression opportunities