Research Analyst

Chambers Limited; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research firm is seeking a Research Writer/Analyst to join their Insight team in Birmingham. The role involves analyzing raw data and turning it into compelling reports that assist law firms in understanding their rankings. Ideal candidates have a strong writing ability, attention to accuracy, and intellectual curiosity. This position involves an ongoing recruitment process, with anticipated starts in the summer, and includes training on compiling market intelligence reports.

Qualifications

• Ability to draw broad conclusions after examining raw data.
• Ability to follow house style closely.
• Intellectually curious and open to feedback.

Responsibilities

• Parse raw data into useful information for law firms.
• Write 200-400 words of compelling copy for reports.
• Discuss reports regularly with the Research Manager.

Skills

Research database usage

Writing clear and concise copy

Analyzing competitor trends

Accuracy in reports

Engaging with technological enhancements

Job description

Overview

We are looking for a Research Writer/Analyst to join our Insight team at Chambers and Partners. The specific role requested is a replacement for a London-based member of the team, and as such, this is being put forward as a request for a London-based role. At present, approximately ¼ of the Insight team is based in the Birmingham office. Presently, 100% of the Research Manager team is based in London, although by March we expect 25% of the Research Manager team to be based out of the Birmingham office, with two incoming hires for that the team. We may move to a position where greater than 25% of the Insight team is based from the Birmingham office, however, at a certain point, we likely will not be able to continue adding new team members to that office, either because of office space restraints, or because we don’t wish to make the entire team too heavily Birmingham-based relative to the Research Manager team, with their extensive experience, remaining predominantly London-based.

If that is indeed the likely case, then my suggestion would be that we have the next few replacements for London-based researchers remain as London-based job offers. This would firstly, reassure the broader team that opportunities for Insight do remain in the London office and are not purely afforded to the Birmingham office, as we are continuing to recruit here. Secondly, if we are to further build out the Birmingham office with new hires then it makes more sense to do so when Research Managers are already present in the office, which will not be true for a few months. This would enhance the development of both the managers and the new additions to the Birmingham office at that later stage. If instead we populate the remaining spaces we want to fill in the next month or two, implicitly that isn’t as effective deployment of resources, as, with minimal Birmingham-based Insight resources for the next few months, there will be challenges in the training and up-skilling of Birmingham joiners at this stage that will not be present in a few months time.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Research Analysts on Chambers Insight are part of one of the company’s most important teams – its success is crucial to the business’s success. Their role involves parsing the raw data compiled by research teams for all of our published guides and turning it into useful information for law firms. Law firms are endlessly fascinated with the rankings and require their positions in the tables explained as concisely and clearly as possible. We recruit on an ongoing basis and anticipate successful candidates to start in positions for this role in the summer although there are often immediate requirements.

Research Analysts on Chambers Insight are assigned a law firm’s report to write and must use the data provided by research to draw sensible conclusions about what the reasons for the firm and its lawyers’ rankings were. They write 200-400 words of compelling copy in every chapter of their report, with the aim of answering all of a firm’s potential questions about the rankings. Part of their training involves learning how to write the most sophisticated Client and Market Intelligence reports, which include an analysis of the entire market, including a discussion of competitor trends. They take ownership of each report assigned to them and regularly discuss their work with their Research Manager.

Skills and Experience

• Using the research database to find relevant raw data
• Coming to appropriate conclusions regarding how the final ranking decisions were arrived at, incorporating research notes left by the research team
• Writing compelling copy that is clear, concise and easily understood by a layperson
• After an appropriate period of training, to be able to analyse the wider market and write about competitor trends in Client and Market Intelligence reports
• Using appropriate software to accurately translate interviews that were conducted in languages other than English
• Engaging with technological enhancements that accurately summarise comments in concise and accurate ways, while retaining the anonymity of the source.
• To maintain a high standard of accuracy in reports by ensuring that factual information is correct and up to date

Person Specification

• Ability to draw broad conclusions after examining raw data and research notes
• The ability to closely follow house style
• Intellectually curious
• Ability to absorb feedback and incorporate into future work.