Research and Design Officer
Research and Design Officer
We're looking for a full-time (or part-time 0.8 FTE) Research and Design Officer to join our fully remote and impact driven team.
Deadline for applications: Wednesday 22nd April 2026 at noon
About the job
Location: Working remotely from home across the four nations of the UK, occasionally co-working spaces, with occasional travel
Start date: As soon as possible (Spring/Summer 2026)
Salary: £38,422 p.a. (FTE)
Benefits: 38 days FTE (including bank holidays) so that leave can be taken when you wish, not necessarily on the fixed bank holiday days / Christian calendar. Pension Scheme. Flexible working arrangements. Access to co-working budget
Hours of work: Full-time or part-time (1 FTE or 0.8 FTE) worked flexibly around business needs (28 to 35 hours per week)
Contract type: Permanent contract
Do you feel passionate about supporting a charity who are reshaping the systems that support children and young people across the UK? Do you want to develop skills and get involved in a range of innovative social research and design initiatives? Do you want to join our impact driven team?
Dartington Service Design Lab is a national charity that harnesses experience, cutting edge evidence and design to tackle the challenges children and young people face today, securing thriving futures for tomorrow. As we move forward with our refreshed strategy, we are looking for a new Research and Design Officer to join our dynamic team.
The Research and Design Officer plays a crucial role in our work at Dartington. They work alongside experienced Leads, Senior Researchers and Designers, to support a varied portfolio of research and design projects.
This ‘Officer’ role is sometimes also referred to elsewhere as a research or design ‘associate’, ‘fellow’ or ‘consultant’.
Key duties include data collection and analysis, covering both qualitative research and design engagements (workshops, interviews, and focus groups – with young people, practitioners and system leaders) and quantitative work (surveys, synthesis of secondary and administrative data).
The Research and Design Officer also plays a key role in synthesising learning and insights, into digestible, engaging reports and outputs for a varied mix of clients and partners.
As well as strong research skills, the candidate will also bring a strong approach to co-design, facilitation and visual design.
The Research and Design Officer works with our wider team to ensure that we approach our work with rigour and integrity. This includes an intentional focus in putting our anti-racist and equitable principles into practice, and preparing materials for ethical review.
Research and Design Officers work across multiple concurrent projects and report directly to experienced Leads (who specialise in research, evaluation, service design, youth and community engagement, and systemic change).
The role demands a highly relational approach – working with a diverse range of clients, partners and working styles - flexing approaches as required. It also requires an ability to effectively context-switch and manage a varied workload and set of priorities. It will suit a candidate that thrives with a varied workload, is able to effectively prioritise and communicate well.
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn, develop new skills and experiences, and be part of a passionate, curious and highly skilled team.
If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
Don’t meet every single requirement outlined in the Job Description? Studies have shown that women and racially minoritised groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single requirement. Dartington Service Design Lab is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person to help us achieve our impact for children and young people.
The post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.
Find out more in the Candidate Briefing Pack here.
See the Job Description here.
38 Days Annual Leave (for Full time colleagues, including Bank Holidays)
Meet the team
Application process
Recruitment timetable:
Deadline for applications: Noon, Wednesday 22nd April 2026
Online Interviews: w/c 4th May 2026
We are committed to a recruitment approach that is inclusive and de-biased to ensure all candidates can be fairly assessed.
All candidates are asked to complete the application form and submit a CV at the same time. You are not required to submit a covering letter as these will not be considered, however when submitting your CV, please ensure it is tailored to highlight relevant skills and experience as described in the Job Description — generic or untailored CVs will be assessed accordingly.
The application form includes three questions which will be scored by the selection panel. The questions will be extracted and assessed without reference to any other documentation that could bias the review of responses (i.e. Name, CV, etc).
We use AI tools in our work and welcome candidates who do too. If AI helps you structure your thinking or polish your writing, that's absolutely fine — we see that as a practical skill in itself. What we're really interested in, though, is hearing from you directly: your experiences, your reasoning, and how you've navigated challenges. Please make sure your answers are rooted in your own professional story rather than generated on your behalf. Our panel will be looking for that personal specificity, and answers that lack it won't score well regardless of how well-written they are.
Following the scoring of questions, those candidates meeting a minimum threshold will have their redacted CVs assessed and scored against objective criteria. CVs will have all identifiable information removed such as name, address, age, gender, DOB, university attended.
Those candidates scoring highest at this stage will be invited to an online interview with the selection panel. When invited you will be informed of the panel membership and also the questions that you will be asked, allowing you to prepare appropriately.
We are committed to making our recruitment process accessible to everyone. If you have any access requirements or would benefit from any adjustments at any stage of this process — including during the application itself — please contact recruiting@dartington.org.uk and we will make sure the right support is in place.