Details Reference number 434753 Salary £46,744 – £51,256 Successful candidates will be offered the minimum of the pay scale, but in some circumstances salary negotiations will be dependent on the demonstration of skills and experience. All our roles come with an excellent benefits package, including the generous Civil Service Pension Scheme. Further salary increases depend entirely upon the outcome of our annual pay negotiation with central government. If you are a current Civil Servant transferring to us, your salary will be discussed in line with our pay policies. A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP Job grade Senior Executive Officer E Contract type Permanent Business area CH – Digital Services Type of role Social Research

Other Working pattern Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time Number of jobs available 2 Contents

• Location

About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT2 8BG : Cardiff, Wales, CF14 3UZ : Edinburgh, Scotland, EH8 8FT About the job Job summary

We are looking for a talented, experienced social scientist to the Social Research team within the Data function at Companies House. Companies House is entering a pivotal moment in its history with the introduction of the ECCT Act 2023. This is where you come in

Your role is crucial in supporting Companies House during this change shaping how research and evaluation can support the organisation through this period. You will be expected to lead others, continuing to establish research and evaluation as a core support function for the operation of a successful Companies House.

You will work within a vibrant and multi-disciplinary directorate and be based in the research and evaluation team. This is a friendly, hard working team which aims for best practice in social research methods. The team is also primarily concerned with ensuring practical application from the research and evaluation work carried out, building strong working relationships across Companies House and with external stakeholders.

Therefore, the person we are looking for must have strong social research skills (ideally GSR badged or equivalent experience) and importantly have excellent collaborative and team working abilities. The person must thrive with the challenge of working in a new area, in a situation of change and enjoy the challenge of producing rigorous analysis that changes decisions for the better.

If this sounds like you, then we would like to hear from you.

Job description

As a Senior Research Officer, you will be:

• Delivering research & evaluation projects within the corporate research & evaluation programme at Companies House.

Both roles will be carrying out social research and behavioural insight activity to support Companies House.
Both roles will be supporting evaluation and will be undertaking a series of analytical tasks to support the implementation review (process evaluation) in response to the Economic Crime & Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Bill.
All roles will be managing the delivery of mixed methods research projects within agreed timeframes, overseeing the work of researchers & supporting staff to ensure progress is effectively tracked and risks reported.
Scoping evaluation projects leading conversations with stakeholders to improve the focus of work using sector & research expertise to undertake & oversee literature reviews, surveys, interviews & focus groups.
Leading research and evaluation projects to ensure there is accurate & comprehensive data collection & analysis, and engaging presentation of quantitative & qualitative evidence.
Writing well-structured, convincing reports that translate evidence into a readable & persuasive narrative.
Supporting the development of others – through wider relationship building within & outside of the team. Leading on team-wide learning & development building knowledge & training across Companies House and contributing to the Community of research.

About the team

The team is a friendly and hard working multi-disciplinary group of professionals. We have a strong team ethos and a commitment to providing excellent social science results to support better decision making. We encourage a culture of learning and reflection in our team meetings and delivery through relationship.

The Corporate research programme is relatively new and is moving into an exciting time, demonstrating value to leadership on the analysis it produces with the delivery of multiple projects. The evaluation team are taking forward an innovative process evaluation with multiple projects to base line and track the impact of the ECCT inside Companies House. All the roles are within a dynamic learning environment. We value collaborative working especially as the Social Research service is in set up phase. If you enjoy demonstrating the value of social research whilst working through change and building strong team relationships to this is the place for you.

To be eligible for this role you also need to meet our Nationality requirements which are outlined below and also successful candidates must meet the security requirements for Security Clearance (SC) before they can be appointed. To gain (SC) you will need to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 3 years out of the last 5 years.

Further information can be found below.

Companies House also cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

Where you will be working

You will be aligned to either our Cardiff, Belfast or Edinburgh office, where you will be expected to attend on a regular basis. We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. The degree of choice you have will depend on your role and your day-to-day work activities. Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you, however you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs.

Working Hours

This is a full-time position of 37 hours per week. For any candidates interested in part time, the minimum hours per week we would be able to accommodate due to the nature of the role and team structure, is 30 hours/4 days.

Person specification

We are looking for individuals who have:

• Strong reporting skills

A degree in a social sciences and desirable post grad degree (or equivalent experience /training in related field)
Experience of stakeholder management and collaborative working
Experience of delivering accessible social research to a non-technical audience
Experience of best practice social research methods
Some experience of being in a new and evolving ‘set up phase’ service with demonstrable experience of working collaboratively and creatively to meet the needs of stakeholders whilst balancing this with social research rigour

It is not essential but desirable if you have:

• Experience of delivery research or evaluation projects from scoping through to publication inc. RCTs

GSR Membership:

To be eligible to apply for GSR membership you will need to hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2.

The degree must contain substantial social research methods training (comprising around one third of modules taken on the course) including quantitative research methods and at least three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design, hypothesis testing and application of ethics to research.

OR hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2, in any subject, or a degree equivalent (e.g. an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS), plus have at least 4 years social research practice experience.

Social research practice experience consists of experience working in a research agency, market research agency or specialist research team.

To enter the GSR through this route you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills, which must include quantitative research methods and three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design, hypothesis testing and application of ethics to research.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing

Managing a Quality Service
Working Together
Delivering at Pace
Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Demonstrable Research and Evaluation experience in depth knowledge of techniques including qualitative experience (e.g. discourse, content, thematic analysis).

Technical knowledge of the methods of social and/or policy research ability to deploy qualitative & quantitative methods to answer complex questions.
Excellent stakeholder management skills.
Benefits Alongside your salary of £46,744, Companies House contributes £13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Join us at Companies House and experience the difference of working within a culture that values you, not only as an employee, but as an integral part of our Companies House team.

We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House were committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.

Head to Our benefits – Working for us – Recruitment ( to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.

We celebrate diversity…

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring were representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few. We will be happy to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing

Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

In your application form wed like you to:

• Tell us about your employment history, including key responsibilities and achievements.

Provide details, including examples of your demonstrable Research and Evaluation experience in depth knowledge of techniques including qualitative experience, technical knowledge of the methods of social and/or policy research ability to deploy qualitative & quantitative methods to answer complex questions and excellent stakeholder management skills.

We will be sifting looking through your employment history and 3 entries for evidence of the essential criteria.

The sift criteria is as follows:

• Demonstrable Research and Evaluation experience in depth knowledge of techniques including qualitative experience

Technical knowledge of the methods of social and/or policy research ability to deploy qualitative & quantitative methods to answer complex questions.
Excellent stakeholder management skills.

Were committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as names and dates) from your employment history and statements.

Sift Process

• Well carry out a sift of applications. We may raise the score required at sift stage to progress to interview if we receive a high number of applications.

Also, if we receive a high volume of applications, we will carry out a pre-sift on your demonstration of: Research and Evaluation experience in depth knowledge of techniques including qualitative experience.

• At sift we may choose to take through the highest performing candidates to the next stage. If, after the final stage is completed and roles are unfilled, we will proceed to invite lower scoring candidates to interview.

Successful candidates at sift will be invited to a virtual interview.

Interview Process

• Companies House uses a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you. We use the Success Profile framework and at interview we will use Success Profiles assessing the Behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the advert and Strengths.

There will be a requirement to deliver a presentation as part of the interview. Also, candidates selected for interview who are not currently GRS badged will need to undergo a written test. Further information will be provided to candidates selected for interview.

• A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

If after interview you are not found appointable at the advertised grade you may be offered the lower grade role if you are considered to meet the skills, experience and behaviours for the lower level. The benchmark for appointing to the lower grade is set at the start of each campaign. All offers will be made in merit order.

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles.

Key dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)

• Closing Date: 09 November 2025 (at 23:55)

Sift/Shortlist: w/c 10 November 2025
Interview: w/c 24 November 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesnt include ideas or work that isnt your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own. Your application may be rejected if evidence of plagiarism or reliance on AI is detected. Examples include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own. If you are invited to interview, please be aware the use of AI tools is prohibited (including recording or note taking) and any suspected use may result in the termination of your interview and subsequent withdrawal from the campaign.

More information on the ways you should and shouldnt use AI can be found here.

Sponsorship

Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .

See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals

nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles . The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy . Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact :

• Name : Jade Palmer

Email :
Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information We welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission .

Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ