Further Particulars
RESEARCH & PRODUCT OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
Senior Data Manager, Grade 6
About the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
NFER is the leading independent provider of education research. With an income of £12 million and 190 staff, we are a registered charity whose purpose is to:
Provide robust, independent research and related services that improve education particularly for children and young people. Our research, assessments and other services are widely known and used by key decision makers and our work supports effective policy and practice in education, in the UK and internationally.
Through our extensive knowledge and our trusted expertise we offer a unique perspective, and provide authoritative insights which are relevant and accessible and used to inform debate on the issues that matter in education. Our clients include government departments and agencies at international, national and local levels, all of whom benefit from NFER’s full range of expertise and professional services including access to international networks and data sources. We also invest NFER’s own resources to fund research and development activities that we believe will have a positive impact on society and improve the services we offer our clients.
We undertake research on all aspects of education from early years to higher education, and share the results with a wide range of organisations and individuals, including education policy makers and professionals. We use our expertise to identify and develop practical solutions to bring about improvements for children and young people often working in collaboration with partners.
We strongly believe that changes to education should be informed by evidence and the impacts evaluated so that policy makers, leaders and practitioners can see whether their actions are really making a difference. We work with those who are genuinely interested in making a difference to education, from major employers to government departments; from school leaders and teachers to parents.
The majority of NFER’s staff are based at the Foundation’s Slough office which is located in pleasant grounds less than a mile from the centre of Slough. Communications by road and rail are excellent and there is free parking. There are also two regional offices – a Welsh office in Swansea and a York office.
There is a strong emphasis on collegiate and team working. The Foundation is committed to the development of all its staff and has achieved and retained Investors in People status.
For further information you may wish to visit our website: http://www.nfer.ac.uk
Research & Product Operations
RPO is responsible for the logistical, administrative and data collection aspects of all of NFER’s extensive range of surveys, data collection and assessment trialling projects. We also provide research services directly to external clients. We run a number of panel based and omnibus services and manage the delivery of a number of NFER’s products and services for schools.
We currently have 24 research staff (including data analysts), supported by a team of 18 support and secretarial staff and two print staff. We also frequently employ additional temporary help to meet the fluctuating demands of the department. The service is divided into a number of teams, overseen by the Director of Research & Product Operations. We are experts in large scale operational exercises, using a range of research and assessment techniques as well deploying project management expertise. We have a particular focus on working with schools and in managing day to day relations with the schools and data about them in relation to our range of projects.
This post will join our growing team in Research and Product Operations.
The Role
The Senior Data Manager will have two sets of core responsibilities:
Project management:
Using your exceptional organisational and interpersonal skills, you will manage a variety of research and business change projects. These could include managing a panel survey designed to investigate teachers’ opinions on educational policy, or developing new operational research methods and creating new teams to implement them, or taking a deep dive into our schools database – which contains data on every school in the country and all the research projects we’ve worked on with them – to pull out key trends and insights to inform our research strategies. You will need to working on a variety of projects at once, leading small teams and working out how to overcome resistance to change in order to introduce innovative new ways to improve the work of the department.
Data management:
Located in our Research and Product Operations Department, the Data Management Unit (DMU) is a team of operational data specialists with a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail. We provide expertise and advice on data management, we develop online surveys, set up web-based marking and reporting platforms, and undertake database and panel management. We support many of NFER’s programmes of work and get involved in lots of varied projects. We’re also lucky enough to implement new technology and are involved from conception to launch.
We are looking for a bright, enthusiastic and hard-working person with a keen eye for detail. You need to be educated to degree level with some programming experience. A high level of written communication is essential as well as the ability to plan work and meet deadlines.
We are looking for people who have a proactive and collaborative approach with a strong sense of ownership and responsibility.
Conditions of this Appointment:
Placement on the grade and associated salary range for these positions will depend upon qualifications and experience:
Grade 6: £33,801 - £38,042
New Employee Checks
NFER undertakes the following checks on all staff:
· Identity.
· Nationality and immigrations status to confirm entitlement to work in the UK.
· References: All appointments are subject to the receipt of satisfactory references, covering the past three years’ employment history, including the current employer.
· Disclosure & Barring Services (“DBS”) Check: The person appointed to this post will be required to undergo a criminal record check and to provide a satisfactory DBS Disclosure Certificate at the commencement of appointment.
Candidates invited for interview are required to provide details of all unspent criminal convictions and charges and any pending prosecutions or cautions.
Deliberate failure to make such a disclosure may disqualify candidates and, if the omission is discovered after appointment, they may be dismissed.
Candidates are required to declare on application or at interview if, to their knowledge, they are related to any member of the Foundation's Board or any Foundation employee. Deliberate failure to make such a disclosure may disqualify candidates and, if the omission is discovered after appointment, they may be dismissed.
Probationary Period
All new appointments are subject to a 6 month probationary period.
Employment benefits of working at NFER include:
Annual Leave
The Foundation’s leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March; the full time annual leave entitlement is 30 days (two of which are normally required to be taken over the Christmas period). In addition there are eight Bank Holidays and four discretionary days.
Car Parking
There is free car parking available at the Slough site.
Child Care
Parents with children are able to purchase Childcare Vouchers through payroll. Further details are available.
Occupational Health
Pre-employment medical checks are carried out on all new employees via a confidential, e-questionnaire which is reviewed and reported on by a qualified Occupational Health Physician on NFER’s behalf.
The Foundation provides staff with access to a free Employee Assistance Programme through an external provider and staff are also eligible for consideration for free physiotherapy support.
Health and Safety Policy
The Foundation recognises and accepts its responsibilities as an employer to provide a safe working environment for all its employees and its Policy Statement is contained in the Staff Handbook.
Hours of Work
Full-time staff work 35 hours per week which are normally 9:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. with one hour for lunch. There may be a requirement for occasional overtime at weekends as well as additional hours during the working week in peak times.
Pension
All new permanent members of staff will automatically become members of the NFER Section of the Federated Retirement Savings Plan (the NFER Pension Scheme) with effect from their first day of employment. This is a defined contribution, occupational pension scheme with a salary exchange arrangement as the mechanism for paying pension contributions.
Season Ticket Loans
Season ticket loans are available on the following conditions:
§ normally for an annual ticket, although a shorter period will be considered
§ the payment will be made by cheque direct to the provider
§ loans will be deducted monthly from salary
§ should a member of staff leave the Foundation, any outstanding balance will be deducted from their final salary
§ request for a season ticket loan must be made on the appropriate application form to Finance.
Staff Council
Staff Council provides a forum for staff participation in the Foundation’s decision making process to the mutual benefit of both the management and its staff.
Cafeteria
The Cafeteria is located in ‘The Zone’, a comfortable area where staff can meet and relax; a variety of snacks and drinks are available as well as a microwave facility for staff.
Learning and Development
The Foundation is a recognised Investor in People (IIP) and is fully committed to training and developing all its employees and as such its aim is to provide staff with support to enable them to achieve their potential.
Applications for this post should be made using the Foundation’s standard application form and returned to: or by post to:
The HR Department, NFER, The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ.
Closing date: Friday 21st October 2016Further information on the NFER is available on our website at http://www.nfer.ac.uk/about-nfer/ for additional queries, please contact The HR Office
We look forward to receiving your completed application form