Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Research Assistant - Qualitative

Posted: 13/10/2025

Closing Date: 30/11/2025

Job Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Melbourne

Job Category: Research & Consulting

The Role

Do you have an analytical mind? Are you curious?

Do you enjoy problem solving using evidence?

Are you interested in understanding and measuring how people think, feel and behave?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, our Graduate Program could be the perfect fit for you. We are looking for high-performing graduates who take pride in producing quality work, are eager to learn and be intellectually challenged, want to build a strong professional foundation and are motivated to thrive in their workplace.

The Company

ORIMA Research is an Australian-owned company that specialises in market and social research, data analytics and advisory services. We work primarily with government clients – over 90% of our work is for the public sector – helping them make informed decisions that benefit the community. Since starting in 1996, we have grown to a team of around 80 professionals, with offices in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

ORIMA is a values-driven organisation, and we take pride in our service ethos, high-performance culture, innovation, integrity and commitment to helping our staff thrive. We are:

- People who believe in the importance of evidence-based approaches to support government decision-making for the improvement of communications, policies and service delivery;
- Lateral thinkers and problem solvers who work to find the best solutions for our clients; and
- A team with diverse qualifications and professional backgrounds, bringing unique perspectives to everything we do.

Job Description

ORIMA Graduate Program

ORIMA Research is committed to training and developing young professionals. Our formal graduate program provides high-potential graduates with a pathway to a rewarding career in research, data analytics and consulting, through transparent and clear career progression during the graduate program and beyond.

This is a career growth opportunity to be part of an expanding, high-performance, award-winning private research consultancy firm with a supportive and strengths-based culture, underpinned by positive psychology principles, with a strong focus on scientific and intellectual rigour, and collaboration and development.

Our graduate program is underpinned by a Competency Framework and a clear progression pathway. The program provides the opportunity and support to learn and develop quantitative and/or qualitative research skills, as well as the technical and non-technical skills required for a successful career in the private sector and the market and social research industry.

Successful applicants will work primarily within the Qualitative team but have the opportunity to collaborate across a variety of public sector projects and research disciplines to develop and hone their technical and professional skills, as well as take part in a graduate project with peers. We have a very strong, collaborative culture that is enhanced by our staff being co-located in our offices.

Graduates in the professional stream will be exposed to a broad range of research and consulting skills including:

- understanding and designing qualitative research methodologies
- analysing and interpreting qualitative data
- note-taking and moderating for focus groups and interviews with people from all parts of the community on a range of topics – from education to the environment, healthcare to employment.
- analysing and reporting on qualitative data
- project management and co-ordination
- problem solving, drawing insights from findings and finding evidence-based solutions for our clients.

We have up to 2 Qualitative graduate positions available for our 2025-2026 intake of Qualitative Graduates in Melbourne.

Desired Skills and Experience

Residency Status

- Australian Citizen/New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident

Qualifications

- Graduate or postgraduate qualification/s in a relevant area with applications of research work, including but not limited to Psychology, Science or Social Science, Advanced Social Work, Behavioural Science, Law, Commerce, Communications etc.
- Studies in Research Methods would be well regarded but not essential
- HD average in graduate/ postgraduate course (WAM of over 80)

General Technical Skills

- Knowledge of research methodologies
- Experience with Excel, Word and Powerpoint

Additional specific Technical Skills/ Experience/ Requirements

- Experience interacting professionally with stakeholders, clients or the general public, both in person and over the phone;
- Flexibility to travel across Australia and work evenings regularly, sometimes at short notice; and
- A scientific, objective, logical and team-oriented approach.

Professional Skills

- Strong skills and mindset for professional success – attention to detail, problem-solving, time management and organisation skills, combined with a positive, resilient and ‘can do’ attitude;
- Effective communication and interpersonal abilities – advanced verbal and written communication skills (including clear spoken English) and strong interpersonal skills to build relationships and collaborate effectively;
- Adaptability and teamwork – ability to work autonomously and as part of a team, remaining humble, versatile and willing to contribute wherever needed to support projects, clients and team goals;
- Thrives under pressure – capable of working constructively under pressure, meeting short timeframes and maintaining a helpful and professional approach; and
- Motivated by growth and purpose – driven by excellence, continual learning and intellectual rigour, with an interest in the public sector environment and a focus on building a career in commercial social research/consulting.

We strongly advise prospective candidates to submit their applications promptly, as interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis with suitably qualified candidates for ASAP preference start dates.

Positive Police check and Working with Vulnerable People checks required. Must be able to work full time at the office as we have a collegiate, supportive office based working culture.

Applications must include the following. Applications that do not include the following will not be considered.

- CV
- Academic records (including transcripts of tertiary qualification/s)
- Cover letter (of no more than 2 pages) addressing the key job requirements and outlining how well you align with ORIMA’s corporate values.

PLEASE NOTE

Our selection process involves five stages as follows:

- First round interview
- Psychometric testing
- In-office skills assessment
- Second round interview
- Final checks and offer

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for Stage 1.

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