TASC is hiring a Research & Training Officer for our Social Inclusion Stream

TASC is looking to hire someone with experience in both research and training to advance our work in Social Inclusion. The successful candidate will focus primarily on our Financial Resilience initiatives but will be asked to support TASC across other research areas.

TASC's Social Inclusion research focuses on understanding how inequality, social exclusion, and poverty impact society, and it informs the creation of public education initiatives that cater to the needs of groups facing social, economic, and cultural marginalisation. The current cost-of-living crisis has left more individuals struggling financially, increasing the likelihood of them falling into problematic debt. Initiatives promoting financial resilience aim to equip people with the skills, knowledge, and behaviours needed to enhance their ability to withstand financial challenges and improve their living standards. TASC has successfully obtained funding to enhance and broaden its financial resilience training programmes, specifically targeting marginalised groups.

This is a full-time fixed-term contract of one year starting ideally in June 2024.

Subject to funding and candidate availability, the post may be extended beyond one year. The position reports directly to TASC’s Senior Researcher for Social Inclusion, Dr Sara Singleton, while engaging with other research teams, as well as administrative and communications staff.

Our office is based in Dublin 2. Working locations for this position are flexible but will require some time in our Dublin office. The successful candidate may also be required to travel occasionally in Ireland to deliver training.

About TASC

TASC is an independent think-tank whose mission is to address inequality and sustain democracy by translating analysis into action. TASC's Constitution presents its main objectives as:

• Promoting education for the public benefit
• Encouraging a more participative and inclusive society
• Promoting and publishing research for public benefit

As a public education charity, TASC engages in research and public outreach concerning inequality, democracy, and climate justice in the current political, economic, and social environment. Through its work, TASC seeks to increase public knowledge of economic and social policy, improve working conditions, facilitate a just transition to advance climate action and protect livelihoods and communities, and more generally, contribute to positive social change in Ireland and the EU.

Core Responsibilities include:

• Work as part of a small team to deliver the objectives of TASC's Social Inclusion workstream, in particular our Financial Resilience Research and Training Initiatives.
• Contribute to the design of adaption of training initiatives.
• Deliver training and workshops, both online and in-person.
• Liaise with sessional and part-time trainers.
• Collect qualitative data using methods such as interviews and focus groups and analyse desk-based, qualitative and quantitative data, and summarise results.
• Undertake reviews of academic and policy literature.
• Draft and input into documents to inform the Social Inclusion stream's activities, including position papers, concept notes, agendas, proposals and presentations.
• Support applications for future funding.
• Undertake duties as required by the TASC Senior Researchers and TASC Director.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A postgraduate degree, ideally in sociology, social policy, psychology, economics, community development, development studies, politics or human rights; other relevant qualifications may be considered.
• Experience in facilitating in person and virtual training, workshops, and/or community events.
• Experience in qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including sensitivity and appreciation for diversity.
• Proven track record of strong project coordination.
• Experience in developing and implementing projects that require the engagement of local community groups and stakeholders.
• Experience in working with vulnerable populations.
• Some experience with the analysis of quantitative data is desirable.

Required Skills

• Effective listener with the ability to distil out critical, substantial, and contextual information from conversations.
• High level of emotional intelligence with a genuine care for people, their sense of belonging, their stories and their aspirations.
• Good interpersonal skills with the capacity to work in a multicultural setting.
• Excellent written, computer and oral presentation skills.
• Able to effectively prioritise and organise own workloads and operate under pressure.
• Fluent English (Irish and other European languages are very desirable).

Key competencies

• The successful candidate will conduct themselves with integrity and will treat people with empathy, politeness, and kindness.
• The successful candidate will encourage colleagues and value collaboration and teamwork that shares in success and learns from shortcomings.
• The successful candidate will not fear making mistakes, being wrong, or coming up short.
• The successful candidate will have the ability to understand and appreciate issues from a wide range of perspectives and adapt their own thinking and approach based on this understanding.

Expected hours of work

This is a full-time post (5 days/week). The successful candidate will need to be flexible in terms of working as some community facilitation work may occur beyond a typical 9-5 schedule. 

Compensation

The salary for this role is between 34,000 – 38,000, depending on experience.

Applications

Send your CV with a 1-page cover letter to contact@tasc.ie by April 22. Unfortunately, due to capacity constraints, we can only guarantee a response to shortlisted candidates.

Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented groups often don’t apply for roles if they don’t meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested; we’d love to know how your experience can advance TASC’s social inclusion work.