21193 - Research Officer - Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £40,014 - £42,859 |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | London, E14 4BB |
| Working pattern: | Hybrid - 2 days remote |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Posting date: | 17 Aug 2026 |
| Closing date: | 1 Sept 2026 |
Summary
Overview of role
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman – HEO (Band C) Research Officer Job Description
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) is an Arm’s Length Body (ALB) of the Ministry of Justice. We have three key duties:
to investigate complaints made by prisoners, young people in detention, offenders under probation supervision and immigration detainees; and
to investigate deaths of prisoners, young people in detention, approved premises’ residents and immigration detainees.
to investigate deaths of recently released prisoners that occur within 14 days of release from prison (except homicide).
The Research, Data and Analysis Team supports the Ombudsman to make a fairer and safer justice system by providing data summaries and insightful analysis. The team has been vital in moving the PPO beyond focusing on learning from individual cases to being able to identify themes and patterns across our evidence base. Our bulletins and thematic reports – our most ‘visible’ analytical output – are available to view on our website.
The team is made up of one Grade 7 Head of Research, two HEO Research Officers and four EO Research Assistants. The Research Officers report to the Head of Research. Once established in post, you will be expected to support and eventually line-manage some of the EO Research Assistants.
This post offers an exciting opportunity to contribute towards and deliver the Ombudsman’s research and data strategy. It would suit someone with experience of survey research and of working with quantitative-focused statistical packages to undertake data analysis, though applicants with broader experience e.g. qualitative fieldwork, evaluation/ mixed methods researchers are welcome. Strong time management is important given the variety of work the post holder would need to do in our small but busy team.
Previous experience of the Criminal Justice System is preferable but not essential (see below for more details of requirements on skills and experience).
The PPO is based at the HM Government hub at 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf. Staff are expected to work at least three days of the week at the London office, with the rest of the time spent working at home or at commuter hubs.
While you will usually have some flexibility to decide which days of the week you work in the office to enable you to manage your office attendance around your personal circumstances, there will be occasions when you will be required to attend the office (for example, team meetings, office or function-wide meetings) or visit establishments belonging to our services in remit on particular days.
Please note that the PPO is unable to offer home working contracts or allow you to permanently work at any other location, other than 10 South Colonnade, for the required office attendance days.
If you are successful, you may need to attend the office more frequently in your first six weeks, to undertake key training and induction activity.
Interviews will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams.
The salary range is £40,014 - £42,859, though we expect this to increase imminently. You will also receive a Data and Analysis allowance of £1,000.
Successful candidates who are already at HEO will keep their base salary on transfer. Allowances do not transfer. Successful candidates joining on promotion will start on either the minimum of the salary range or receive a 10% increase to their current base salary, whichever is higher.
Job Description
The post holder may be responsible for the following:
Thematic reports
Analyse PPO investigation evidence (case data) and research databases to produce learning and recommendations for services in remit.
Write research reports and bulletins (lead author) including appropriate data visualisations. Supervising research assistants with some tasks.
Help disseminate findings to staff and stakeholders (e.g. at seminars or conferences).
Help identify research topics and run deep-dive projects as part of our regular planning cycle.
Stakeholder feedback
Manage PPO stakeholder feedback surveys (various recipients).
Set up and analyse excel datasets of responses.
Write reports of findings and comparison with previous years.
Disseminate findings to internal stakeholders.
General analytical support
Evaluate PPO pilot and business as usual projects.
Produce management information for monthly performance management meetings.
Contribute to the continued development of our data dashboards
Provide analytical support for annual reporting cycle.
Provide briefings and data for managers for liaison with stakeholders/ external presentations.
Respond to Freedom of Information and other external data/ information requests.
Contribute to other analytical work in the office as required.
The Application and Interview Process
The PPO is a Disability Confident Committed Employer, and we ensure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Please complete the application information on reasonable adjustments and disabilities if relevant. Further information on the types of reasonable adjustment that can be provided can be found at https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
Summary of post holder requirements
Experience
Essential
Desk based analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.
Desirable
Project management of research or analytical projects.
Project or programme evaluation.
Survey research.
Qualitative fieldwork delivery.
Criminal justice sector research or analysis.
Criminal justice sector – operational role/s.
Technical and other skills
Essential
Experience of working with statistical packages.
Excel (intermediate skills minimum).
Report writing.
Data visualisation.
Desirable
Excellent R skills (or similar software where skills are transferrable).
Strong time management.
Data visualisation and dashboard skills (experience with software such as PowerBI or Tableau).
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