84 Flexible Jobs in Tyne and Wear

The successful Social Researcher will manage a programme of work across a number of policy areas including driver policy, motorcycle policy and vocational vehicles.

This includes managing research and evaluation projects targeted on policy questions, but also work with policy colleagues and other analysts to quickly draw on or gather new evidence for decisions.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at DVSA.

Job description

The role holder will be provided with an excellent opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the policy process, and experience of making an impact with evidence.

The role may include a combination of managing externally commissioned research or evaluation projects; advising policy colleagues who directly manage commissioned research; identifying evidence needs and designing solutions; and drawing on and disseminating research for it to be used in decisions.

DVSA is open to new approaches to doing things, and there are lots of opportunity to offer leadership and develop new ways of working.

This role will have close links with professional contacts within the Department for Transport (DfT) and the cross-government community. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to be an active participant of the Driver Policy senior leadership team.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to;

Design, specify, commission, deliver and disseminate social research and evaluation projects to inform policy. Engage widely with various customers (policy, analysts, external) to identify evidence needs, shape work and deliver evidence or advice. This may vary across all of the specialist teams working within the Driver Policy teams for example motorcycle policy or Approved Driving Instructor policy areas.
Collate insights from the evidence base to answer emerging policy questions.
Provide technical advice to policy colleagues on evaluation and social research methods, including on the relative robustness of evidence sources, and the interpretation of findings, so that they can be used appropriately in policymaking.
Take individual responsibility for providing timely, high-quality advice, research, analysis and briefing of both driver policy and legislation.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To succeed in this role, you will need to have experience of designing, managing and / or implementing complex social research or evaluation projects, to ensure the delivery of robust results on time.

You will need to have experience of using your leadership, communication, and collaboration skills to achieve impact from search or evaluation.

You will need to have experience of analysing a range of information and evidence from diverse sources to form conclusions and make recommendations.

Additional Information

You can be based at any of the above locations, however if your chosen location is Yeading/Uxbridge please note:

This role is being advertised in Uxbridge, however the contractual base will be Yeading.

While estates work is being carried out in Yeading all posts are being temporarily based at Uxbridge. Successful applicants will start with us at our Uxbridge location.

Please be aware that all employees will be required to work from the Yeading site once it reopens in 2028.

Employees based at Uxbridge will receive a London Weighting allowance of £4,000. This allowance will continue when the location moves to Yeading.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Qualifications

The expectation is that candidates will have the same qualifications as GSR (Government Social Research) members.

Qualification requirements are dependent on whether candidates are eligible for GSR professional membership under the qualification route or the experience route:

Qualification route:

• Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with an additional postgraduate degree.
• The degree must include a substantial research methods component, comprising around 30% of the modules taken on the course.

Experience route:

• Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with an additional postgraduate degree, in any subject; OR a degree equivalent such as the MRS Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice.
• In addition to the above qualification, applicants must also have at least 4 years’ experience of social research practice, which may consist of working in a research agency, market research agency or a specialist research team.

In your application, please remember to include details on:

• Any social research modules taken as part of your undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
• Any relevant professional qualifications you hold, such as the MRS Advanced Certificate or equivalent.

You will be asked to provide proof of qualifications should you be successful at sift.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Knowledge of research methods, techniques and applications of these in more complex projects
Identifying research needs, designing and specifying research
Analysis and interpretation
Managing and commissioning social research.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,241, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency contributes £12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
Access to the staff discount portal.
Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750 word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

Experience of designing, managing and implementing complex social research and/ or evaluation projects to ensure the delivery of robust results on time.
Experience of using your leadership and communication skills to identify what evidence is needed and delivering research/evaluation which impacts senior level decision making.
Experience of analysing a range of information and evidence from diverse sources to form conclusions and make recommendations.

The sift will take place week commencing 10th August 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours – Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service
Experience
Technical – Knowledge of research methods, techniques and applications of these in more complex projects; Identifying research needs, designing and specifying research; Analysis and interpretation; Managing and commissioning social research.

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Technical Skills above. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

Your technical skills will be assessed against the Government Social Research Framework, which can be found here.

The interviews will take place week commencing 24th August 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
Threats or acts of violence
Illegal activity or substance misuse
Sexually explicit material
Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Bob Hannigan
Email : bob.hannigan@dvsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 195kB)

Salary range

£44,241 per year