Research Consultant

Salary: $50,000 - $60,000

Who are we?

Ballad is a team of Alberta-based professionals dedicated to strengthening the communities in which we live and work. We provide services related to business and strategic planning, community development, economic development, and stakeholder and Indigenous rights-holder engagement. Our diverse team brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and creativity to each project we undertake.

We are a growing company with a broad portfolio of consulting projects. We have experience working with Indigenous organizations, municipalities, academic institutions, communities, industry, and public sector organizations. We take a community-focused approach to design, deliver, and evaluate projects with impact. Through meaningful and collaborative relationships with our clients, Ballad aims to empower people, communities, and businesses across Canada.

This position takes place in-person at our Edmonton downtown office.

The Opportunity

Ballad is looking to hire a recent university graduate or someone with entry-level experience in a research-related role to join our consulting team.

The ideal candidate for the Research Consultant position must be motivated, forward-thinking, and educated to degree level. This individual will work in a fast-paced and creative environment, collaborating with the consulting team to provide services to clients across Canada.

In particular, the Research Consultant will focus on qualitative research, literature review, and report writing to support communities and organizations in achieving their strategic goals. This role requires versatile social science and/or business research skills. Our portfolio of work is highly dynamic, with examples of recent projects including mental health service assessments, tourism strategic plans, labour recruitment and retention studies, recreation needs assessments, and capital needs and programming assessments for child and family service departments, among others.

A key component of this work will include report writing, with the selected candidate expected to complete insightful research and determine suitable recommendations for clients based on findings. Therefore, candidates are asked to provide a writing sample with their application.

Additionally, the successful candidate will provide support to Ballad managers to help maximize daily productivity. The ideal candidate is a reliable self-starter with experience supporting multiple projects, the capacity to deliver high-quality work across multiple projects at the same time, and the ability to handle confidential information with professionalism. The individual will also be expected to interact in a professional manner with internal and external contacts, including clients and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Research and Analysis:

• Develop and implement research methodologies.
• Conduct literature reviews to gather relevant information and insights.
• Formulate and structure research questions for interviews and surveys.
• Support senior consultants at public and stakeholder engagement events.

Research Interpretation:

• Accurately summarize and interpret research findings from various sources.
• Analyze research to identify trends, insights, and themes.
• Provide actionable recommendations based on contextual understanding and thematic analysis.

Report Writing and Presentation:

• Synthesize and translate research findings into comprehensive written reports, presentations, visuals, and strategic recommendations.
• Deliver presentations to both expert and general audiences.
• Ensure all deliverables are of high quality and meet client expectations.

Project Design and Delivery:

• Design and deliver consulting projects with a focus on community development, strategic planning, and economic development.
• Collaborate with team members to ensure the successful execution of projects.

Indigenous Knowledge

• Lived or professional experience working with Indigenous Communities.
• Understanding of Indigenous Peoples, protocols, and history.
• Willingness to pursue cultural awareness education.

Qualifications

Essential:

• A post-secondary degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Commerce).
• Strong writing skills acquired through academic and/or professional experience and demonstrated in a writing sample.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional weekends and/or evenings and willingness to travel to rural and remote communities.
• Demonstrated understanding of consulting practice with the ability to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget.

Assets:

• Educated to masters level.
• Experience in a research-related role.
• Understanding of Indigenous Peoples, protocols, and history or willingness to pursue cultural awareness education to that end.
• Comfortable working with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, and/or similar.
• Valid drivers license.