Senior Statistician
The Senior Statistician will lead the design and delivery of complex survey methodology, including sampling, weighting and advanced analysis. The role involves developing new statistical approaches, providing expert advice to researchers and clients, and contributing to high‑quality research outputs and proposals with minimal supervision.
Key Responsibilities
* Design sampling and weighting schemes from scratch with minimal input from other statisticians.
* Select survey samples using statistical software with minimal input from other statisticians; check and QA samples generated by other statisticians.
* Generate survey weights for survey analysis with minimal input from other statisticians; check and QA weights generated by other statisticians.
* Review, develop and implement new methodology related to survey design and analysis with minimal supervision.
* Undertake complex data analysis using techniques such as logistic regression and Latent Class Analysis (LCA). Advise/teach researchers and customers on statistical and methodological issues with support from other statisticians.
* Be part of the tendering process for research projects – both contributing to research proposals and being a member of the team for tendering interviews.
* Write sections/chapters for research and technical reports with minimal input from other statisticians.
* Disseminate statistical work via conferences and written reports/papers.
* Perform any other reasonable duties that NatCen may require that are consistent with the broad nature of the job role.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
* Good academic background, preferably including a degree with substantial statistical content.
* Demonstrable experience working in survey research; for example, in social/market research, government, other public/voluntary sector, or academia. This can include work towards successful completion of a postgraduate qualification with a strong research or research methods component.
* Knowledge of survey statistics, with some practical experience of survey sampling and weighting.
* Familiarity with SPSS, R, Stata or a similar statistical package (with experience of scripting/coding using the relevant command language).
* Excellent Excel skills, with the ability to manage large datasets, use advanced formulas, and produce accurate, well‑formatted outputs.
* Good standard of written English.
* Aptitude for explaining complex statistical issues in a clear and comprehensible manner, with some experience of doing this in a professional environment.
* Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple deadlines, with some experience of doing this in a professional environment.
* Keen eye for detail.
Benefits
* Holiday: 25 days’ holiday plus 8 bank holidays; increases to 30 days after 3 years’ employment.
* Pension: Automatic enrolment on the pension scheme within 3 months of start date. Minimum employee contribution 3% and maximum employer contribution 5% of salary. Options for opt‑out if desired.
* Life Insurance: Lump sum benefit equal to 5 times annual salary payable on the employee’s death.
* NatCen Rewards: Online employee benefits scheme with discounts at over 800 retailers and service providers in the UK.
* Health Cash Plan: Provision to claim back the cost of treatments such as laser eye treatment, dental treatment, physiotherapy, hospital scans, etc.
* Professional Subscriptions: Employer pays cost of one professional membership subscription per individual per annum where required for the job.
* Cycle To Work Scheme: Government initiative allowing provision of bikes and safety equipment for work transport.
* Season Ticket Loan: Interest‑free loan to purchase annual season tickets for travel to work, available after probation.
* Eye Care Vouchers: Up to £30 per year for an eye test; up to £100 for prescription glasses/contacts for VDU use.
* Flexible Working: Supported where it helps meet company aims; includes home working, job sharing, and adjustable hours with core hours 10 am – 4 pm.
* Parental Leave: Up to 18 working weeks unpaid leave per child under 5, or up to 18 years if the child has a disability; leaves can be taken in blocks of one week, up to 4 weeks per year.
* Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential helpline to support personal and professional wellbeing.
* Career Development: Access to training and development, personal learning plans, and continuous improvement culture.
About the National Centre for Social Research
At The National Centre for Social Research we believe that social research has the power to make life better. By really understanding the complexity of people’s lives and what they think about the issues that affect them, we give the public a powerful and influential role in shaping services that can make a difference to everyone. And as an independent, not‑for‑profit organisation we’re able to focus our time and energy on meeting our clients’ needs and delivering social research that works for society.
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