Principal Researcher

**Who are Uniting?**

At Uniting, we believe in taking real steps to make the world a better place. We work to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice.

Our services cover aged care, community services, disability, early learning and chaplaincy and we get involved in social justice and advocacy issues that impact the people we serve. As an organisation we walk alongside Aboriginal people and communities, and celebrate diversity and welcome all people regardless of ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation or gender identity.

**About the Role**:
Uniting’s Research and Social Policy team is recruiting a Principal Researcher to join us on a full-time ongoing basis. The role sits within Uniting’s Social Impact and Advocacy directorate, alongside the Advocacy/Government Relations team and the Innovation Team. Our work aims to disrupt entrenched disadvantage by informing practice improvement, innovation and advocacy.

This is a broad and varied role with interactions with programs, practitioners, university partners, and government agencies. On any given day, a Principal Researcher may be surveying the contemporary research landscape and identifying strategic issues requiring research, gathering the voices and experience of our staff and clients, analysing administrative data, or presenting findings to colleagues, academics or policymakers.

Day to day responsibilities are set out in the Position Description.

**About You**

This role would suit an experienced researcher looking to lead a strategic body of research designed to influence practice and policy. We are particularly interested applicants with skills in quantitative research, with knowledge of mental health and child protection, and with experience disseminating results to diverse audiences and translating them into practice.

**Your skill set will include**:

- Knowledge of a range of research methodologies/approaches relevant to program evaluation, practice improvement and innovation
- An ability to translate research findings into proposals which can drive reform of practice improvement, innovation, and policy change
- An ability to consult and cultivate productive working relationships with practitioners, policy makers and academics
- A firm commitment to social justice and interest in the research and policy areas covered by Uniting’s services

**Your Qualifications and Experience**:

- Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline (e.g. social science, public health or social work)
- Three to five years’ experience in conducting high-level qualitative or quantitative social research in applied contexts, with sufficient expertise in the other methodological tradition to manage mixed-methods projects.

**Even Better**:

- Higher degree qualification in a relevant discipline and a focus on research.
- Demonstrated knowledge of social policy relating to the areas in which Uniting offers services.
- Demonstrated experience and skills in engaging with stakeholders on the full cycle of knowledge translation.

**What next?**

Please submit a cover letter and CV, showing how you meet the criteria described above under “Your skill set will include”, “Your qualifications and experience” and “Even better”.

**_ At Uniting we believe vaccination to be the best way to keep our employees and clients safe from COVID-19. We require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (3 doses) as a condition of employment._**
- At Uniting, we welcome and celebrate everyone regardless of lifestyle, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, and gender identity and proudly create a safe and inclusive environment for staff and clients._