Policy Researcher
£32,000 to £35,000 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 6A) 
Remote based in Manchester – with occasional travel to our Manchester city centre office where required
Permanent, full time, 37.5 hours

We’re looking for a Policy Researcher to join our Campaigning, Public Affairs and Policy team.

In this role, you’ll conduct research to support the development of Co-op policy positions across the business, using internal and external data sources. We’ll look to you to keep up to date with the political and policy environment to make sure our public policy positions remain relevant.

You don’t necessarily need a public affairs background to be successful in this role as we can provide training to get you up to speed. So, if you have an interest in policy and politics and  a talent for research and writing, we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills in a key area of our business.

What you’ll do

•    Work with the Public Policy Lead to conduct research into topics that are relevant to support the deployment of the Co-op strategy
•    Determine the appropriate research methodologies to gather data, analyse evidence and collate findings
•    Develop and produce evidence-based reports and presentations in relation to your research
•    Collaborate with policy colleagues across the Co-op and externally on specific public policy issues
•    Make sure that data used in Co-op Group policies is refreshed and updated to maintain its relevancy 
•    Produce regular assessments of the policy landscape, taking into account political and policy developments
•    Represent the Co-op in policy events, conferences, or roundtables

This role would suit people who have

•    Experience of conducting research across a variety of topics using different research tools and techniques
•    An understanding of the UK political and policy environment
•    Excellent attention to detail 
•    Great organisation skills with the ability to effectively prioritise pieces of work with conflicting deadlines
•    The ability to build positive relationships and influence across work levels and functions 
•    Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage a variety of audiences across all work levels

Why Co-op?

If you have the skills that we need, we can offer you a competitive salary and great benefits package which includes 30% off Co-op branded products in our food stores (as well as other discounts on Co-op products and services).
•    An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
•    28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays 
•    A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
•    Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
•    Coaching and training to support your career development
•    Wagestream app – giving you access to a percentage of your pay as you earn

At Co-op, we’re proud to do things a different way. As one of the world’s largest co-operatives, owned by millions of members, community is at the heart of what we do. Since our Co-op was founded in 1844, we’ve had a clear social purpose, and everything we do as a business helps to build a fairer world for our members, customers, colleagues, and communities. 

Building a diverse environment

We’re actively building diverse teams and we welcome applications from everyone. If you have a disability, we can make reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We're also part of the Disability Confident scheme, meaning we'll always offer an interview to disabled candidates who apply through the scheme if they meet the minimum criteria for a job.

We'll ask whether you’d like to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme when you apply.

If we invite you to take part in the recruitment process for any of our jobs, we’ll ask you if you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to participate.

You can find out more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process

You can find out more about the Disability Confident scheme and all our commitments to diversity and inclusion at colleagues.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion-and-wellbeing

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes between 45-60 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.