Researcher - Nuffield Family Justice Observatory

Researcher - Nuffield Family Justice Observatory

• Salary: Starting from £43,333 per annum
• Contract: Maternity cover contract of up to 12 months, ideally starting mid/late July 2026. Secondment requests welcome.
• Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week) - we are open to discussing part time or flexible working patterns.
• Location: We are London based (Farringdon). Our staff have the option to work part of the week from home.
• Closing: 09:30am (BST), Monday 30th March 2026.

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory is an organisation that seeks to improve the lives of children and families by using data and research to hold up a mirror to children's and families' experiences of family court and their circumstances pre- and post- court proceedings.

Acknowledged as a trusted source of information about the family justice system, we have worked closely with judges, lawyers, social workers, families and policy makers to improve practice for children and families, communicating research evidence and data in accessible ways. The progress of our work is recorded in our 5 year impact report, and our values include empathy, curiosity and independence, collaboration, and equity.

The role

We are looking for a Researcher to join our team on a maternity cover basis. As a Researcher, you will support the work of Nuffield FJO by carrying out relevant data analysis and research on a range of topics relating to family justice (including social care, public and private law and the family courts). You will analyse nationally available administrative data, synthesise existing research findings, draft reports, develop infographics, present findings to a wide range of audiences and help build and develop Nuffield FJO's reach and influence.

About you

You will have a good knowledge of social science research, gained through work experience or studies in subjects such as law or a social science (including economics, sociology, social policy, education, public health etc.) You will have experience of a range of research techniques and excellent writing and presentation skills.

Some experience of working on issues related to families and children would be advantageous. You will have experience of coordinating and managing research projects. You will also have experience of quantitative data analysis of large datasets, using R, Stata or similar. Knowledge of data visualisation techniques and status as an approved researcher for ONS data sets is also highly desirable.

For further information about the role, please click through to the vacancy listing on our website.

About us

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory improves the lives of children and families by putting data and evidence at the heart of the family justice system. It's funded and hosted by the Nuffield Foundation, an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance educational opportunity and social well-being.

The Nuffield Foundation funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We are also the founder and co-funder of Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Ada Lovelace Institute.

We strongly encourage applicants from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the research and policy worlds (for example those who have lived experienced of the family justice system or come from a marginalised community). We are committed to tackling societal injustice and inequality through our work and believe that all kinds of experiences and backgrounds can contribute to this mission.

How to apply

The closing date for applications is 09:30am (BST) on Monday 30th March 2026. Interviews are then planned to take place on Monday 20th or Tuesday 21st April 2026.

This is a maternity cover contract (of up to 12 months) and we would ideally be looking for the successful candidate to start around mid-late July.

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job.
• making any reasonable adjustments - for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc
• paying for travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required

Our benefits package includes:

• Consideration of requests for part time and/or flexible working (eg compressed hours arrangements, job sharing etc)
• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays (with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days).
• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.
• Life assurance scheme.
• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.
• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.
• Frequent opportunities for learning and development (including options for coaching and mentoring, and reading weeks)
• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Staff peer groups and social networks.