Location
Bristol Office (Hybrid – minimum 2 days per week in the office)

Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary
£44,736 to £49,028 per annum (Band H/I, depending on experience), with a salary review after successful completion of a 5-month probationary period

About the Role
We are looking for an experienced research leader to help shape and deliver research that supports a fair and sustainable energy transition. You will lead major research and evaluation projects, develop new opportunities for CSE’s work, and build relationships with partners, funders and policymakers to ensure our evidence informs real-world decisions. You will identify new opportunities, develop compelling funding proposals, and work with colleagues to win new projects that strengthen CSE’s research portfolio and influence.

You will manage large, strategic and technically complex research projects, providing social research expertise and advanced subject knowledge to advance CSE’s strategic objectives. Through your work, you will help ensure that social and behavioural evidence plays a central role in reducing fuel poverty, tackling climate change and creating a more equitable energy system.

Specific responsibilities include managing research design, planning, ethics, data management, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation; providing expertise in research management and social research; contributing advanced subject knowledge in the social impacts of the UK energy transition or other specialist areas relevant to CSE’s mission; leading and coordinating the work of others including external partners and subcontractors; developing and maintaining relationships with project partners and funders; identifying opportunities for policy and industry influence; consolidating research insights to deliver impactful outputs, communications and policy influence; presenting outputs to clients and wider stakeholders; representing CSE at external events; line managing two junior team members; and participating in effective workload planning across the Research & Analysis team.

For a more detailed list of responsibilities, please see the supporting documents available on our website.

Experience
- Strong track record of conducting and leading impactful research, including complex, large-scale projects.
- Experience developing successful funding proposals and new streams of work.
- Research methods skills including numerical/data analysis, survey design, and qualitative and/or evaluation methods.
- Effective coordination of teams, stakeholders and clients for project delivery.

About you
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage a wide range of audiences.
- Ability to produce clear, accurate research reports and effective technical and non-technical summaries.
- Excellent time management skills including priority setting, multi-tasking and problem-solving.
- Advanced knowledge of UK sustainable energy policy and the social and behavioural dimensions of the energy transition.
- A positive, flexible approach, self-motivated with the ability to work independently.

Qualifications
Please refer to the attached job description for the full list of essential and desirable skills and qualifications.

Benefits
- Company pension scheme (8% employer, 6% employee contributions)
- 25 days' paid holiday plus statutory holidays
- Subsidised bike purchase and Tech Scheme
- Life Assurance
- Health Cash plan
- Retail discounts
- Discounted breakdown cover and many more
- Fees and expenses paid for relevant training courses
- Flexible working hours, to be discussed at interview

Additional Information
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Sunday 8 November 2026. Interviews are expected to take place on 2nd and 3rd December 2026 in person at our Bristol office (subject to change). If invited to interview, you will be asked to provide evidence of eligibility to work in the UK.