Researcher ROLE OUTLINE
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​‘The Decision Problem’ is a not-for-profit think tank established to… (support/inform the liberal conservative response to the challenges of SARS-COV-2 by way of more balanced and sustainable policy and strategy). It is offering medium term intern positions of four to six months duration to individuals with the confidence to contribute and the curiosity to question accepted policies and approaches. Interns will work at the heart of the organisation, designing, structuring, developing, and delivering product as well as organising routine administration and archives.
 
The posts are home-based and unpaid although expenses will be reimbursed as appropriate. Interns will be expected to be available and contactable Monday to Friday each week (0900 – 1700) with some occasional evening work possible.  
Primary Responsibilities
  • Monitoring national and international media to capture data, information, and perspectives around SARS-COV-2.
  • Maintaining a clear understanding of national and international policy responses to SARS-COV-2 and providing appropriate comment and analysis.
  • Assisting with the design and playing a primary role in the development of areas of research to inform balanced and sustainable policy responses associated with SARS-COV-2.
  • Receiving and managing responses to requests for information.
  • Preparing briefing points and speaking notes with data-based evidence and sometimes at short notice.
  • Generating ideas for blogs, press releases, tweets, social media posts and op-ed articles.
  • Organising events. Administrative tasks such as arranging meetings and diary management.
Requirements for the Role
  • Confident and engaging; an ambassador for the programme able to deal with challenging beliefs and opinions with unbiased and mature political and cultural awareness.
  • Flexible, diplomatic, tactful, and discrete. Intellectually curious and naturally inclined to ask ‘why?’. A graduate from a first-class tertiary education establishment in a relevant field of study, humanities preferred.
  • Written and spoken fluency in English.
  • Confident and experienced in collating, interrogating, and presenting data and statistics.  
  • Excellent research, writing, and communication skills, including ‘virtual’ working and collaboration.
  • Competent and confident with the latest social media platforms and understanding of their user communities.
  • Self-motivated to complete routine tasks independently to a consistently high level of quality within a small and distributed team.
  • A high level of computer literacy with excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office package.
  • Able to work from home (with some occasional travel to London).
Outcomes and Objectives
Interns will be exposed to a variety of beliefs, perceptions, opinions, and agendas directly affecting, or associated with, the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. They will better understand the relative relationships, conflicting demands, and respective risks of differing areas of interest, including economics, health, social frameworks, education, and strategic communication. They should therefore develop a view of the complexities involved with the development of policy and strategy in contemporary society, and of the machinery of political process. There is every opportunity for interns to make a difference to national policy.