Senior Researcher

Senior Researcher
£32,269 - £35,728 per annum + 8% employer pension contribution
Full time (35 hours per week), permanent
Edinburgh or Inverness – hybrid of home and office working

Looking for a new role with a talented team, creating lasting change and delivering solutions that matter? Changeworks is looking for a Senior Researcher to contribute to the development and delivery of high-impact research and consultancy projects. These projects align with Changeworks’ ambition to decarbonise homes and deliver a just transition to net zero.

As Senior Researcher, you’ll conduct research and support action-focused projects cutting across a range of clients and topics related to the decarbonisation of homes in Scotland. You will deploy your analytical skills through evidence reviews, qualitative and quantitative research methods and stakeholder interviews and workshops. Your outputs will help inform direct delivery by Changeworks as well as our external clients.

You will also play a role in supporting our proactive efforts to use Changeworks insights and experience to shape sector policy and practice. This is undertaken through contributions to thought leadership, public engagement, and cross-sector working groups.

Finally, you will have opportunities to further develop your project management skills through contributing and leading as required the on-time delivery of high-quality projects.

About You

You will have experience in a relevant professional setting—whether in academia, think tank, consultancy, or the community sector—and demonstrate experience in the delivery of impactful research and analysis.

We’re seeking a motivated and forward-thinking professional with the following strengths:

• Strategic Insight: understanding of the policy and regulatory landscape in Scotland and the UK, and the challenges and opportunities faced by our clients and partners in decarbonising domestic buildings.
• Sector-relevant Expertise: knowledge of energy efficiency, individual and collective low-carbon heating systems, an understanding of the drivers of fuel poverty, and knowledge of project finance and retrofit financing.
• Research & Report Writing Experience: a track record of applying a range of research techniques to draft and deliver high quality deliverables in a consultancy, think tank or similar research environment.
• Research Project Management: demonstrable experience in delivering excellence in project management in a professional, research or consultancy role.
• Communication & Collaboration: strong communication and presentation skills, with experience engaging with diverse stakeholder groups.

Above all, we are looking for passionate and proactive individuals who share our commitment to a sustainable, low-carbon Scotland.

While we welcome candidates with expertise across all these areas, we encourage applications from individuals with strengths in some and a willingness to grow in others. Dependent on experience, an offer may be made to the successful candidate at the Researcher grade with the opportunity to develop into a Senior Researcher.

About the Consultancy Team

Our Consultancy team offers expert analytical and advisory services to a diverse range of clients including local authorities, housing associations, the Scottish Government, and organisations across the third and private sectors. Our work covers the full spectrum of decarbonising Scotland’s homes—from energy efficiency and low-carbon heat to renewable energy systems, fuel poverty, and behaviour change.

We support clients to decarbonise their housing assets and contribute evidence to inform policy, planning, supply chains, and finance at both national and local levels.

About us

Changeworks is a great place to work. We hold Investors in People Platinum accreditation (something only a few organisations in Scotland have), and we were nominated for employer of the year by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce this year. Our staff overwhelmingly would recommend us as an employer too.

The Climate Emergency has resulted in ambitious national targets to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment and reduce rates of fuel poverty. This has driven a significant increase in the number of pilot and large-scale interventions delivered by Changeworks and external organisations in this area. These include area-based domestic energy efficiency retrofit and decarbonisation projects and programmes.

We are a growing organisation, and this role is crucial to the delivery of our ambitious objectives. We want to decarbonise homes in Scotland on a massive scale, and that needs talented individuals like you to help us deliver on our objectives. You’ll receive full training plus coaching and mentoring.

We offer a wide range of staff benefits including flexible working, bike to work scheme, an excellent pension scheme and 26 days paid holiday plus 9 public holidays per year.

At Changeworks, we welcome and encourage applications from everyone.

Closing date for applications: 11am, Monday 16 June 2025

Interviews: Week commencing 23 June 2025

For further information about this post please contact Dr Ian Cochran at [email protected] 

Changeworks ~ delivering positive low carbon living