Research Assistant (FTC)

Job Title: Research Assistant (FTC)
Location: Remote with regular travel to Cambridge 
Salary: £34,000–£36,000 p.a. full-time equivalent, dependent on experience
Basis: Fixed-term contract (12 months); part-time or flexible
Eligibility: You must be eligible to work in the UK

The role

Research in computing and digital making education is a key part of the work of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Through our work, we strive to deepen our understanding of how young people learn about computing and digital technologies, and use that knowledge to increase the impact of our own work and to advance the field of computing education. Together with the University of Cambridge, we have launched the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre to advance this mission. This role is employed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and will be given visitor status at the University of Cambridge.

We are now looking for an exceptional research assistant to support our research projects. The post will be ideal for a candidate with some experience or qualification in computing education research or a related field (e.g. educational research, educational psychology, social sciences). The post will involve assisting in collaborative research projects as well as working on individual research tasks. As a research assistant, you will engage in a wide variety of research tasks such as reading academic literature, collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data, and presenting this data to a wide range of audiences in the form of research papers, academic presentations, blogposts, and reports. Candidates should be highly motivated individuals with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with the wider research team.

We strive to make the Foundation a place where talented people who care about our mission can do the best work of their careers. We have a flexible and collaborative approach to all aspects of our work. If you’re the right person for the job, we’ll make it work for you, and you can be confident that you’ll be working with an exceptional team.

Responsibilities

• Work on research projects, supporting the implementation and execution of some of these projects
• Reviewing and synthesising research literature
• Collect, analyse, and interpret data using quantitative and qualitative research methods, ensuring rigorous and methodologically sound approaches
• Write up research findings for peer-reviewed journals and non-academic outputs and present findings at conferences and professional meetings to contribute to the academic discourse on computing education
• Administration relating to research work
• Supporting the building and maintaining relationships with participants and stakeholders in our research
• Organising research events and workshops
• Support other team members on projects
• Participate regularly in group meetings, and prepare and deliver presentations to the project team, internal and external stakeholders, or funders
• Contribute to the development of the academic discipline
• Keep abreast of developments within the discipline and profession, and seek continuous improvement of professional practice to inform research activity

Experience and personal attributes

We recognise that everyone has the potential for growth, and we welcome applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they have some, but not all, of the experience and personal attributes listed here.

• Experience of computing education research or a related field (e.g. education, social sciences or psychology)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate on research work
• Experience of either qualitative or quantitative data analysis, preferably both
• Outstanding organisational skills, and the capacity to deal with complex and changing situations
• Experience of research with educators and in schools
• The ability to write up findings and to effectively disseminate research
• Proven communication skills and the ability to present their research at the appropriate national and international forums and technical and non- technical audiences
• Experience of writing for a range of audience
• A high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Strong motivation to work in interdisciplinary environments
• Willingness to travel, potentially outside the UK

About us

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a UK-based educational charity with the mission to enable young people to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. You can read more about us on our careers page.

Established in 2008 and first known for our product — the wildly successful Raspberry Pi computer — the Foundation has developed education programmes, learning experiences, and products that are helping millions of young people learn vital new knowledge and skills

Through Code Club, we support the world’s largest network of free informal computing clubs for young people. Tens of thousands of educators have taken our online courses, and millions of people use our free online learning resources. To deepen our understanding of how young people learn about computing and how to create with digital technologies, we conduct academic research, and we use that knowledge to increase the impact of our work and advance the field of computing education.

Across all of our work, we work hard to engage young people who come from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the field of computing or who experience educational disadvantage. We work all over the world, with teams based in the UK, Ireland, North America, and India, and partnerships with mission-aligned organisations in over 40 countries.

We are at the forefront of the global movement to help young people learn about computing and digital making. You can read more about our mission, values, and goals in our Annual Review 2023 and our Strategy 2022–2025.

Benefits

In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a range of benefits for all of our colleagues, including:

• 25 days’ annual leave initially, growing to 30 days after five years’ service
• Company-wide close down for 3 days at the end of the year
• Generous company pension scheme with 8% employer and 4% employee contributions
• Private healthcare
• Life assurance and long-term illness insurance policy
• Investment in professional development and learning
• Flexible work hours as needed, to fit around childcare or other commitments
• Generous family leave policy
• Cycle-to-work scheme and season ticket loan

Timetable for applications

Closing date: 21 March 2025 9.00am GMT
Phone screen: 24 March 2025 
First-round interview: 31 March 2025
Second-round interview: 7 April 2025

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. If successful in the selection process, you will be required to undergo a background check to confirm that you are a suitable person to work with children. Further background checks will be made at regular intervals thereafter.