Research Analyst - Qualitative Research

About PF Global

PF Global gives advice built on deep sector expertise, underpinned by global opinion and economic research, so you can win the arguments that will decide your future. 

We are oriented around the debates that will matter most to the future, where the intersection of policy, politics, and regulation will decide what happens. We will tell you honestly what is politically possible (and what is not) and then help make your case by building the research, the story and the campaign that goes with it. 

You’ll work alongside colleagues with diverse skills, gain exposure to senior clients, and have real opportunities to develop your career as part of our ambitious and supportive team.

About the role

The opinion research practice at PF Global is expanding and we have an exciting opportunity to join at entry level as an analyst in its qualitative research team. This is a genuinely unique role in a small but impactful team where you will have the freedom to explore your interests, and have a real impact on the direction and strategy of the team. The opportunity would suit someone who is passionate about the role opinion research plays in policy design and politics and is excited by the prospect of travelling across the UK (and increasingly abroad) to spend time finding out what a certain town or group of voters thinks about a policy problem.

Opinion research is at the heart of everything we do. PF Global's research covers a huge variety of topics.

In the last year alone, the qualitative team has:

• Conducted more than 40 immersive research projects across the UK and more than a dozen other countries, on topics from opposition to datacentres, to how social media drives local economies, to whether Remembrance Day still holds an important role in today's society.

• Seen its research used far and wide, from front-page media coverage to hard-hitting reports referenced across policymaking.

• Carried out focus groups and immersives for national publications such as The Times, The Guardian, The Economist and The Telegraph, on political issues including changes to the triple lock and votes at 16.

We are looking for a candidate with experience delivering interesting and engaging research, who wants the opportunity to explore their interests in an environment that rewards independent thought and innovation. No role at PF Global is the same as another, and given the variety of work that we do we do not hold many preconceptions about the candidate who would be best suited for this role. If you feel like you tick some of the boxes below, do not hesitate to submit an application.

What you will do

• Moderate focus groups and immersive research projects, both online and in-person across the country. We expect there to be a significant amount of domestic travel in this role with the likelihood of international travel as we continue to grow. All our staff receive training before conducting qualitative research.

• Manage the organisation of qualitative research across the company, recruiting focus groups, planning immersives and supporting the administration of team processes.

• Assisting senior members of the qual team in research design, including writing discussion guides, and conducting analysis and writing up findings.

• Contribute in discussions and continually think about how to innovate our qualitative research offering.

• Conduct desk research on specific policies, projects or parts of the country.

What we are looking for

• Strong research skills: you don’t need to have a particular degree or a qualification related to qualitative research but we really value evidence of strong research skills.

• Confidence conducting face-to-face research: a significant part of the role will be leaving the office and finding out what people think about certain issues. You will enjoy speaking to people either online or in person, and be comfortable asking someone if you can buy them a coffee or a drink and ask them a few questions.

• Ability to analyse and then write clearly, incisively and precisely about public opinion: including the ability to analyse 50-60 conversations and translate them into accessible and concise briefings and reports.

• A willingness to work flexibly and collaboratively across the organisation: including getting involved in different types of roles within a project (for example, data analysis. helping out on polling questions, helping craft press releases, or managing events in Westminster) as well as where needed, contributing to projects running in other subject areas

Location and Salary

We operate a hybrid working model, with a mix of home and office working. Our main office is based in Embankment (London). Many of us, including the founders, have young children and we work hard to be genuinely family-friendly. 

For this role we expect salary to range from £31,000-35,000, depending on candidate experience.

We also offer a bonus programme, 5% pension contribution, 25 days annual leave, and private healthcare.

How to apply

Please submit a CV and complete the following two-stage task (spend 1 hour maximum):

1. We’re running a project to support an organisation who are concerned about a perceived decline in trust among communities, particularly in less prosperous parts of the country. For the following question ‘how do reinvigorate left behind communities in the UK?’, select four different constituencies where you think it would be interesting to conduct qualitative research on this issue. Explain why you have selected the four constituencies in no more than 300 words.

2. Consider how you might structure a focus group conversation with voters to explore what they think about this issue. You want to get a top level understanding of; do they understand the problem; is it important to them; do they think there are any potential solutions. Turn this into a discussion guide which a moderator could use to lead a 1 hour discussion. We suggest writing this in bullet point form, this should not exceed more than one side of A4.

The answers can be added during the application. We’d love to see your own thinking and writing, so please complete this task without using AI tools. All submissions are reviewed using AI detection software.

We welcome people from a range of backgrounds and with a mix of political opinions. Our leadership team has backgrounds across the major political parties, and the bipartisan nature of our work means we actively encourage debate on the topics we research.

Candidates will be assessed on a rolling basis, we encourage you to apply as soon as you can. Interviews will either be online or in person at our offices in Embankment, London.

Closing date: Monday 30th November at 23:59

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and particularly encourage applications from candidates with disabilities and candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds applicant individually regarding the status of their application.