Job Description

Graduate Research Executive - Public Affairs

Application Deadline: 27 April 2026

Department: Graduate

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: London

Compensation: £26,500 / year

We are a leading global market research company, enabling organisations to make smarter, bolder, and faster decisions.

Ipsos Public Affairs is a world-leading social research team of approximately 300 dedicated professionals in the UK, bridging the gap between government and the public to provide robust evidence that shapes public policy.

Our work spans all major areas of public life, giving you the opportunity to explore diverse sectors such as health and social care, education, transport, energy and environment, the economy, welfare and social cohesion.

As a Graduate, you’ll support us in delivering high-quality research and evaluation of policy for our clients. You’ll work on studies which bring public, workforce and stakeholder views, experiences, preferences and needs to our clients, helping to ensure their policies and decisions are informed by the people most affected by them. You will also help clients assess the effectiveness and impact of policies and programmes and improve the delivery of public services.

The Role

A typical day will involve various tasks to support the management of all aspects of the research and evaluation lifecycle, from design, initial set-up to delivery and reporting. This includes:

• Attending internal and client meetings to review progress and work together to plan and deliver the study.
• Drafting materials, such as writing questionnaires, discussion guides and theories of change, in collaboration with your project team.
• Managing and co-ordinating fieldwork, including undertaking qualitative research.
• Analysing a variety of data and using story-telling skills to report on findings, as well as conducting quality checks to ensure all data and outputs are error-free.
• Focusing on the narrative of our research and evaluation, showing your findings to the client and using high-quality evidence to impact policy development.
• Being involved in proposals to help the team bring in new business.

About You

We encourage diversity of thought so we look for candidates who are as diverse as the societies, markets and people we work with. Therefore we are looking for:

• An analytical and problem-solving mindset, focused on not only interpreting data but also understanding the “why” behind the evidence.
• Effective communication and storytelling skills, the ability to derive actionable insights from data and present them in a clear and engaging way for diverse audiences.
• Commercial awareness and client-focused mindset, with a genuine passion in understanding client needs and delivering impactful, value-driven solutions.
• A curiosity and learning agility that fosters exploration of new ideas and openness to understanding changing trends.
• Creativity and innovation to think outside the box and bring fresh, impactful ideas to life.
  Embrace collaboration and teamwork, working effectively with others and valuing diverse perspectives to build on colleagues' strengths.
• Strong organisational and attention to detail skills, with a commitment to accuracy and integrity in every task.
• A focus on self-awareness and a growth mindset, driven to succeed and make a real impact, with a willingness to reflect, learn, and grow.
• An aptitude for leveraging AI tools and techniques to enhance research and insights, in line with Ipsos' standards and policies.
  
  

Along with…

• The unrestricted right to work in the UK.

Why Ipsos

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday that increases to 30 days over time, plus an extra day off for your birthday
• Flexible working and inclusive bank holiday options, recognising the diversity of our workforce and that people may celebrate different events
• Interest-free Future Talent Loan of up to £1,000, providing optional support for unexpected costs so you can focus on starting your career
• Work anywhere for up to 4 weeks each calendar year (subject to relevant Right to Work requirements)
• Bupa Well+ Health and Wellbeing Services for ongoing health and wellness support
• Comprehensive benefits including pension contributions, income protection, winter flu jabs, eye care vouchers, and many others
• Company paid Curiosity & ESG Days
• Diversity and Inclusion Belong Networks, bringing together people with shared identities and interests to foster a welcoming and supportive workplace

Successful applicants will move on to a cognitive and personality assessment, followed by a virtual interview with one of our talent partners. The final stage will be an in-person interview in our London office on 6th May and we are looking for candidates to start in May.

We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success - a more diverse workforce will enable us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme, certified as a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. We provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

To find out more, please check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@ipsosnextgen