Job Description: Senior Researcher at the Growth and Reform Network

Location: Flexible, with a London base and occasional travel to key partner locations across the UK

Contract type: Full time, Permanent

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 FTE depending on experience

Flexible working: For this role we are open to discussing the possibility of reduced hours, remote working, flexible start and finish times, or compressed hours. Please wait until the job offer stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what’s possible for the role alongside you

How to apply: To apply for this role, please send a CV and 1 page covering letter addressed to: info@growthandreform.org (with the subject line Senior Researcher)

Deadline: Application deadline - 23:59 on Sunday 7th September 2025, with interviews held w/c 15th September.

About the Growth and Reform Network:

The Growth and Reform Network (GRN) is a new partnership initiative led by the Centre for Progressive Policy, the Future Governance Forum, and Metro Dynamics, bringing together a network of pioneering local and combined authorities across the UK. Its mission is to bridge the gap between national policymaking and regional and local implementation, acting as a key forum to bring mayors, local leaders and practitioners together with national policymakers to develop the innovative ideas, policy and practice to drive local growth and reform.
Through fostering collaboration across tiers of government, convening peer to peer support on shared policy challenges, providing direct delivery support to unlock innovation, and developing the evidence base for inclusive growth and reform, the GRN will help places across the UK to unlock good jobs, better services and improved life chances for people across the country.

Why Join Us?
Now is an exciting moment to be joining our organisation. You will be at the heart of developing and delivering on an exciting and innovative new initiative to reshape public service delivery and economic growth across the UK. You will have the opportunity to work across a partnership of high-impact organisations that already share a strong track record influencing policy and driving practical change to improve the lives of communities. If you are passionate about enabling inclusive economic growth and reforming public services for the better, this is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Role overview
As Senior Researcher at the Growth and Reform Network, you will manage our research programme in support of inclusive growth, impactful devolution and public service reform policy. You will work closely with our junior research analyst as well as our UK-wide network of local and regional governments learning from local growth innovation and public service reform by creating practical tools and accessible frameworks to inform decision-making. This is a pivotal role for our small but high achieving team, bolstered by the support of the Future Governance Forum and Metro Dynamics, as well as a wide range of partners across the progressive policy ecosystem. By joining us now, you will be at the forefront of developing one of the UK’s most exciting policy and practice networks and will have the opportunity to play a role in shaping the policy agenda on devolution and local inclusive growth.

Key responsibilities:

1. Research and Analysis

Manage the network’s research, shaping its scope, methods and direction ensuring that outputs are delivered on time and to a high quality.

Develop learning from public service reform and local growth innovation by creating practical tools, clear narratives, and accessible frameworks that inform decision-making — such as typologies, dashboards, and models to support place-based reform.

2. Programme delivery and network development

Contribute to a member-led peer to peer learning programme that fosters knowledge sharing, capacity building, and collaboration among senior officers and regional and local government leaders across the four nations of the UK.

Work closely with the wider team to support evidence base development for what works locally and regionally in inclusive growth and public service reform.

Facilitate collaborative partnerships across Mayoral Combined Authorities, local authorities, government departments, business, and other stakeholders to develop effective innovation and shared learning in policy design.

Adopt an entrepreneurial approach to developing a creative and impactful programme, able to generate buy in from members and wider partners

3. Communication and Engagement

Ensure that all major research outputs are shaped by stakeholder input and delivered in a timely, actionable, and policy-relevant format.

Support the wider visibility and influence of GRN’s research by producing engaging short-form outputs and contributing to strategic communication.

Help shape public-facing messaging and share insights through relevant channels and events.

Key skills and experience
Essential:

Project management: Experience of successfully managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Public policy expertise: In-depth understanding of relevant UK policy areas such as inclusive or fair economic growth, devolution, public service reform, public health and prevention, regional economic development.

Stakeholder management: Strong relationship building skills with a wide range of stakeholders at a relatively senior level, including politicians, officers, policymakers, and community organisations or business.

Writing: A track record of drafting and publishing reports and articles at speed and for different audiences.

Quantitative analysis: advanced data analysis and interpretation skills, including use of advanced statistical software such as R. Adept at both conducting analysis and explaining the results and their implications to a non-technical audience.

Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience in representing an organisation to external stakeholders.

Desirable:

Line management: experience managing direct reports including managing performance and providing guidance.

Economics background: an academic background in Economics and/or experience working in a relevant economics role.

Fundraising: experience of successfully bidding for project and programme funding.

Evaluation: experience of conducting programme evaluation, ideally in a public policy context.

Qualitative research experience: experience commissioning, designing and facilitating original qualitative research including interviews and focus groups.

Local and regional government: A strong understanding of the local and regional government landscape, with demonstrated experience of working with council leaders/mayors, and/or local or regional government chief executives and directors.

The Growth and Reform Network Operated by Centre for Progressive Policy Ltd
58 Victoria Embankment, Temple, London, EC4Y 0DS
Registered in England 10754581