Research jobs in Edinburgh

Help ensure Scottish voices are heard — and turn everyday experiences into insight that shapes decisions.

Can you commit to at least 20 hours per week over 3 days, including availability across weekdays, evenings and weekends?

Talk to people. Capture stories. Help Scotland be represented.

As a Field Interviewer, you’ll visit people in your local area and carry out in-home research interviews on issues that matter — including health, housing, transport, and everyday life.

This is about listening, not selling. You’ll represent a trusted research organisation in your community, helping make sure the realities of life in Scotland are reflected in the decisions that affect services, funding and policy.

People you visit will usually have been contacted in advance. Your role is to make it easy for them to share their perspective — with warmth, respect and good listening.

You’ll be assigned a defined area, with practical route planning support to help make your patch manageable. In many Scottish communities, travel is a key part of the role, and you’ll need to be comfortable travelling throughout your assigned area. Some projects may also require longer journeys and occasional overnight stays. Paid travel time is available on most projects, alongside mileage allowance.

Using a NatCen device, you’ll guide thoughtful, respectful conversations and accurately record responses. The stories and experiences you capture help inform decisions made by governments, universities and charities — ultimately helping improve lives across the country.

You’ll be fully trained before you go out on your own, including:

• Shadowing experienced interviewers
• Role-play and guided practice
• Supported doorstep visits

Once you’re up and running, you won’t be doing this alone. You’ll have regular check-ins, practical route planning support and a named contact to help you stay on track, build confidence and keep improving.

But when someone says yes, invites you in, and shares their story? That’s when it clicks. You’ll know that by listening, you’ve helped give people a voice and played a part in creating positive change.

What you’ll earn

Additional support in this area

• Work with visible public value — helping people in Scotland be counted and heard
• Route planning support to make your week efficient
• Paid travel time on most projects and mileage allowance
• Full training and support from day one

What you’ll need

• Valid UK driving licence and sole use of a car
• Class 1 Business insurance
• Right to work in the UK
• Willingness to complete a DBS check
• Reliable home broadband
• Confidence using basic technology
• At least 20 hours available per week (minimum 3 days a week)
• Flexibility to work across weekdays, evenings and weekends. While you can plan your schedule, the role requires availability to carry out interviews at the times participants are available, including evening and weekend appointments.
• Strong verbal and written English

Who this role suits

This role suits people who enjoy talking to others, are comfortable working independently, and want flexible work with purpose.

You don’t need a particular accent or background — just the ability to build rapport, ask questions with empathy, and listen carefully. If you’re curious about people and motivated by work that truly matters, you’ll do well.

It’s a great fit if you’ve worked in retail, hospitality, admin, driving, sales, or any other customer-facing role. You don’t need previous research experience; full training is provided. You can typically expect to travel around 30–60 minutes each way.

We’re looking for reliable, approachable people who take pride in doing work that matters. It’s especially well suited if you’re looking for flexible, part-time hours that can fit around family, studies, or other commitments.

Personal qualities

• Good at talking to people
• Friendly, respectful and professional
• Resilient and confident
• Self-motivated and independent
• Good time management and prioritising skills

At ScotCen, we believe that social research has the power to make life better. By really understanding the complexity of people’s lives and what they think about the issues that affect them, we give the public a powerful and influential role in shaping services that can make a difference to everyone. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, we focus our time and energy on meeting our clients’ needs and delivering social research that works for society.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the interview process, please make us aware and we will endeavour to support you so you can showcase your best self during our hiring process.

• All references to pay, bonuses and working arrangements are based on current projects and typical performance. Individual outcomes may vary.

At The National Centre for Social Research we believe that social research has the power to make life better. By really understanding the complexity of people’s lives and what they think about the issues that affect them, we give the public a powerful and influential role in shaping services that can make a difference to everyone. And as an independent, not-for-profit organisation we’re able to focus our time and energy on meeting our clients’ needs and delivering social research that works for society.