We are recruiting a Senior Research Officer to lead on justice policy within Senedd Research.
Justice is not a fully devolved area, and work in this domain must navigate the “jagged edge” of devolution—the complex interface where policing, probation, prisons, family law, youth justice, civil law, and administrative justice interact unevenly with devolved Welsh responsibilities such as health, local government, housing, social services and education. Your role will involve providing impartial and authoritative analysis that recognises these cross cutting boundaries and their implications for policy and legislation in Wales.
You will provide independent, impartial parliamentary research to all Members of the Senedd to support their scrutiny, legislative and constituency work. This includes preparing briefings for Members and political parties, supporting Senedd committees, and producing digital content such as research articles, explainers, and analysis for Members and the public.
Given the breadth and complexity of justice policy in a partially devolved context, you will require a strong understanding of:
* reserved and devolved areas affecting justice;
* the UK–Welsh Government intergovernmental landscape;
* evidence, policy, legislation and data relevant to criminal and civil justice systems; and
* the emerging debate around the potential devolution of justice.
You will work flexibly across the wider Senedd Research team, supporting colleagues and contributing to cross cutting work where justice policy intersects with other devolved areas including equality, youth services, health, community safety and social policy. We have a culture of working across teams to help support each other in times of high demand. You will work in an agile way to support the Service through participation in cross service groups, editorial board activities and any service plan priorities. You will be expected to adapt as the role evolves and may also be expected to move between teams as required.
The role provides opportunities for external engagement and collaborative working with other legislatures, institutions and stakeholders both in the UK and internationally.
Key tasks:
* Taking individual responsibility for providing timely, high-quality, impartial advice and analysis on justice policy – always recognising the devolved-reserved boundary.
* Supporting Senedd committees, including scrutiny of cross government policy areas where justice interacts with devolved responsibilities (e.g., health, social care, housing, safeguarding, substance misuse).
* Analysing and advising on UK level legislation and policy developments and their implications for Wales.
* Giving clear, confident and effective research support to committee Chairs and Members on matters of justice, human rights and constitutional intergovernmental relations.
* Building strong relationships with Members, support staff, academics, legal experts, inspectorates and stakeholders across the UK justice system.
* Producing proactive content, including briefings, blog articles, data visualisation and research papers on justice issues to support open and well informed public debate.
* Developing a network of external expertise, ensuring Members of the Senedd have access to a wide range of evidence, including comparative justice and constitutional research.
* Contributing to Senedd Research’s “one team” ethos and supporting wider service development.
Similar to all posts in Senedd Research, you are likely to have to cover subject areas outside your immediate field of expertise in response to the information priorities of our customers and to work flexibly as necessary.
Job Specific criteria:
* Communication skills: You will communicate complex justice and constitutional issues clearly, impartially and accessibly for political and public audiences, both in writing and in person.
* Research skills: You will have excellent research skills. These include the ability to critically analyse legislation, policy, statistical data (including crime and justice datasets), evaluations and academic literature, synthesising a wide range of sources free from bias.
* Sound judgment: You will demonstrate sound judgement when advising on politically sensitive or contentious justice issues, including those involving UK–Welsh government interfaces, intergovernmental disputes, or reserved/ devolved overlap.
* Subject knowledge: Extensive knowledge and understanding of justice policy in the devolved Welsh and UK context, in areas such as policing, courts, prisons, probation, civil and family justice, community safety, youth justice, and the ongoing policy debates around the potential devolution of justice.
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