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Background and Need for the Post

There remains a profound gap in the sector’s understanding of the needs and lived realities of women of faith who are navigating violence, harm, and the pursuit of justice. Their experiences are often shaped by intersecting systems of oppression including racism, misogyny, faith illiteracy, and institutional bias which create barriers to life-saving support and can lead to further marginalisation and re-victimisation.  The Faith & VAWG Coalition exists to challenge these inequities by centring survivor expertise, generating nuanced and contextually grounded evidence, and influencing policy and practice across VAWG services, statutory agencies, and faith communities. Guided by feminist, anti-racist, and decolonial principles, we work in ways that honour multiple worldviews while remaining critically engaged with the structures that shape power, harm, and belonging. We have secured three years of funding to carry out research, to transform how the sector listens to and responds to survivors from faith backgrounds. We are recruiting for a Research & Policy Lead who will carry out ethical and trauma-informed research; translate findings into meaningful policy interventions; and help shift the conditions in which survivors seek safety and justice. The role calls for humility, reflexivity, and a commitment to challenging bias whilst contributing to systemic change. 

 Key Responsibilities 
1. Lead the full design and delivery of research projects, including survey development, survivor recruitment, interviews, focus groups, data analysis, and ethical oversight.
2. Develop policy recommendations and influence strategies based on the research, producing policy briefings, targeted recommendations, and evidence-based guidance for statutory and faith-based stakeholders.
3. Coordinate and manage the Advisory Board, integrating expert input into both research design and policy outputs. 
4. Engage and support survivors throughout the research phases, including organising debrief workshops and ensuring trauma-informed, inclusive, and culturally respectful practice.
5. Write research reports and publications and create accompanying policy materials for practitioners, MPs, policymakers, and funders.
6. Lead dissemination activities, including launch events, parliamentary roundtables, a conference, webinars, and social-media-friendly outputs.
7. Represent the Coalition externally, strengthening relationships across the VAWG sector, faith communities, academic institutions, and policy audiences.     

Person Specifications 
Experience delivering mixed-methods research using non extractive practices (surveys, interviews, focus groups) 
Experience conducting research in an academic setting and or experience of conducting research with marginalised groups  
Ability to research and synthesise data to write impactful and targeted policy briefings, recommendations to influence strategies 
Experience engaging MPs, funders, or government departments and media 
Understanding of VAWG Knowledge of domestic abuse, sexual violence, or gendered violence through an intersectional lens 
Experience working in the specialist VAWG sector using an intersectional lens Faith literacy
Awareness of faithsensitive approaches in secular contexts  
Experience working directly with faith communities
Experience working with survivors using traumainformed and culturally safe approaches
Ability to convene and nurture advisory groups, partnerships, or multisector collaborations 
Ability to utilise existing relations and partnerships in VAWG, academia, or justice sectors
Strong communication skills including ability to communicate complex ideas, write impactful messaging and excellent interpersonal skills