THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
IN ENGLAND AND WALES
DEPUTY HEAD OF STATISTICS
£24,591 - £33,463 per annum - pay award pending
The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) is seeking an
experienced statistician to join its team working on a variety of research
projects. The NFER is an independent organisation, the country's leading
educational research institution. A large part of its work depends
critically on high quality statistical analysis, carried out by members of
the Statistics Section. The Foundation intends to recruit a deputy to the
head of the section, who will have responsibilities for management as well
as specific project work.
The successful candidate will be well-qualified in statistics with several
years' experience of research, ideally in an educational context. In
addition they will have good communication and management skills and be able
to take an active and dynamic part in the work of the section and the
Foundation.
For further details please contact (01753) 747207 (24 hour answer phone),
e-mail [log in to unmask] or write to The Personnel Office, NFER, The
Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ. Please quote reference No.
SOR03. Closing date for return of completed applications is 11 June 1999.
The NFER is an equal opportunity employer, an Investor in People and a
Registered Charity (No. 313392).
THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
IN ENGLAND AND WALES
Deputy Head of Statistics
(Post No. SOR03)
FURTHER PARTICULARS
The Foundation
The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was founded in 1946,
and is Britain's leading educational research institution. It is an
independent body undertaking research and development projects on issues of
current interest in all sectors of education and training. The Foundation's
mission is to gather, analyse and disseminate research based information
with a view to improving education and training Its membership includes all
the local authorities in England and Wales, the main teachers' associations
and a large number of other major organisations with educational interests.
The NFER is managed by a Director (Dr. Seamus Hegarty), three Assistant
Directors and the Head of Finance and Administration. It is overseen by a
Board of Trustees and Council.
The Foundation has a staff of approximately 220, most of whom are based at
the Foundation's offices which are 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 growing regional
offices - a Welsh office, based in Swansea, and a Northern office, based in
York. NFER staff benefit from some of the best conditions of service
available at any British research institution, and there is a strong
emphasis on collegiate and team working. The Foundation is committed to the
development of all its staff and has achieved Investor in People status.
For further information you may wish to visit our website:
http://www.nfer.ac.uk
The Service
The Statistics Section provides a statistical service to projects throughout
the NFER, and is also increasingly involved in various forms of consultancy
and statistical analysis for outside bodies, including government
departments and agencies, and local educational authorities. It is
responsible for ensuring that appropriate methods are used in analysis and
valid conclusions are drawn from the results, and that necessary software is
available and applied appropriately .
We now wish to appoint a Deputy Head of the Section, to work on a variety of
research projects in collaboration with researchers and other statisticians,
and to take an active part in the management of the Section.
The Person
The successful candidate will have:
* a higher degree with a substantial statistical content;
* at least five years of relevant experience, preferably in
educational or social research;
* the ability to plan and undertake analyses of complex data sets and
communicate the findings clearly;
* the ability to work accurately, to meet demanding timescales, and to
prioritise work;
* the ability to develop good working relationships with colleagues,
both within the Section and within NFER generally, with sponsors and with
those in the wider educational research community;
* experience of managing others within a research context;
* the ability to write for a variety of purposes, ranging from
summaries of complex statistical findings for a non-technical audience, to
technical reports and academic papers;
* the ability to present results orally, both internally and to
external bodies;
* the ability to contribute to the development of proposals for
submission to sponsors;
* a high level of familiarity with and expertise in a range of
computer packages.
It is likely that the person appointed will also be able to demonstrate that
they possess, or are capable of developing:
* good links with other agencies in the education and training
sectors;
* expertise in at least some of SPSS, EXCEL, or SAS;
* extensive experience in the design and analysis of questionnaire
surveys;
* experience in psychometrics, including both classical and Item
Response theory models; and
* knowledge and experience of multilevel modelling techniques.
Employment Package
1. Salary Scale: Grade SRO 2 £24,591 - £29,048 PRO 1 £29,500 -
£33,463 per annum. Placement on scale according to qualifications and
experience.
2. Holiday Leave: In addition to 12 Bank and other general holidays,
leave is 30 working days per annum.
3. Hours: Hours of work are 9:15am to 5:15pm (one hour for lunch).
4. Pension Scheme: The person appointed may join the Local Government
Pension Scheme.
5. Health Care: The Foundation is a member of Corporate Health
Limited and all staff may use the facilities provided.
Conditions of Appointment
1. References: All appointments are subject to the receipt of
satisfactory references.
2. Medical Examination: All employees are asked to complete a
medical history questionnaire on joining the Foundation and to undergo a
medical examination if required. Appointments are subject to receipt of a
satisfactory report.
3. Probationary Period: All new appointments are subject to a twelve
months probationary period; thereafter the appointment is on-going, subject
to the availability of appropriate work.
Application forms should be returned no later than 11 June 1999. Please
return completed forms to:
The Personnel Office
NFER, The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ.
Candidates are required to declare on application or at interview if, to
their knowledge, they are related to any member of the Foundation's Council
or any Foundation employee. Deliberate omission to make such a disclosure
may disqualify candidates and, if the omission is discovered after
appointment, they may be dismissed. Canvassing of members of the
Foundation's Council, either directly or indirectly, shall disqualify
candidates.
Further queries concerning the vacancy should be addressed to the Personnel
Office
Statistics Section
NFER
The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ.
01753 574123
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.nfer.ac.uk
This e-mail is provided for information only. Any legally binding agreement
resulting from its content must be made separately in a printed medium.
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