Careers · London
Research Analyst, the Desk
A research analyst for the Desk, the firm’s research team, working on issues registers and narrative risk profiles.
The Desk is the firm’s research team of nine. It prepares issues registers for clients’ boards, researches the people most likely to write about a client and what they are likely to ask, and supports the firm’s crisis and litigation work with research drawn from published and publicly available sources.
As a research analyst you will work to the Desk’s rules on sources, retention and review, which are strict and which you will help to apply.
The Desk is led by Owen Hallworth. Its analysts work across the firm’s matters rather than for a single partner, and each usually supports four to six live matters at a time. It works only from published and publicly available material: it does not obtain private information, use pretexts or monitor private accounts or private communications, and it does not record the home addresses or family members of the people it profiles.
What you will do
- Compile and maintain profiles of the people likely to report on or comment on a client during a live matter
- Research the published record of an issue: what has been reported, by whom, and what remains unanswered
- Track how stories develop in specialist, trade and online media, with the digital listening team
- Write short briefings for partners and clients, usually of a page or less
- Contribute to issues registers for clients’ boards and to the research for the firm’s annual board readiness survey
- Review profiles with the matter team every six months, and close them when the matter closes
What we are looking for
- A degree, or equivalent experience, in a subject that involves research and writing
- Experience of open-source research, journalism, due diligence or a similar discipline is helpful
- Familiarity with court records, company filings and official publications
- Accuracy, discretion and a sceptical eye
- Comfort reading a great deal quickly and summarising it in a paragraph
What we offer
The salary band for research analysts is £36,500 to £41,000. Where you start within it depends on your experience, and salaries are reviewed each May.
- Twenty-seven days’ holiday, plus public holidays and a day off on your birthday
- A pension to which the firm contributes 6 per cent of salary
- Private medical insurance, life assurance at four times salary and a confidential employee assistance line
- An interest-free season ticket loan
- Two weeks of training in your first year, and a development budget of £1,500 a year after that
- A structured first year on the Desk, with training on sources, verification and data protection
Working pattern
The role is based at our London office in Wrenfield Place, from 9.00 to 17.30, Monday to Friday. The Desk works in the office at least three days a week; the other days may be worked from home.
Research analysts are not on the out-of-hours rota. During a live crisis the Desk may ask an analyst to work at a weekend, by agreement, and gives time off in lieu.
The selection process
Shortlisted applicants are asked to prepare a profile of no more than two pages on a commentator we name, from published material, in two hours, and then to discuss it at an interview with Owen Hallworth and a member of the Desk.
How to apply
Send a letter of no more than one page, a CV and a short piece of your own writing to careers@haldenrook.com, with the title of the role in the subject line, by . We reply to every application.
Halden Rook LLP is an equal opportunities employer. We will make any adjustment you need to apply or to interview. We do not accept unsolicited CVs from recruitment agencies.