Research assistant internship

Salary: London Living Wage (pro rata, current rate £30,784)

Start date: Week commencing 13th July 2026 (with flexibility if needed)

Duration: 6 months

Hours: Full-time Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm (with occasional evening working)

Location: Our offices are currently in Somerset House in central London, with all staff expected to be working in the office at least 2 days a week.

Interviews: We will be conducting interviews between Monday 29th June and Friday 3rd July via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. We will inform candidates shortlisted for an interview by the end of the day on Wednesday 24th June. Please be aware that if you are shortlisted there will be a short written task to be completed ahead of the interview.

Application deadline: Midday on Wednesday 17th June.

Kickstart a career in research with hands-on experience supporting interviews, focus groups, analysis and client-facing projects.

We are a fast-growing research agency that puts public and stakeholder opinion at the heart of our clients' thinking. Our research methodologies span all qualitative and quantitative techniques, and we have a diverse client base across the private, public and third sectors. We strongly encourage all potential applicants to take a look at our website for more information about who we are and what we do, including some of our previous reports: thinksinsight.com.

We are looking for a bright, enthusiastic and hard-working Research Assistant to join our team.The chosen candidate will be primarily responsible for providing logistical and analytical support on research projects, as well as providing wider administrative support to the team – just some examples of key tasks include:

• Liaising with our network of recruiters to find suitable research participants
• Transcribing (and eventually conducting) qualitative fieldwork sessions, such as interviews and focus groups
• Attending analysis brainstorms
• Supporting with ad-hoc tasks such as proofreading

That said, Research Assistants gain exposure to all elements of our work, including seeing focus groups in action, and contributing to the analysis and reporting process.This internship is designed to be an introduction to research and so is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to embark on a career in social and market research or in communications.

Whilst the Research Assistant internship is a six-month role, there is the potential for a permanent role as a Research Executive at the end of the placement. Lots of our current team joined us as interns and we see the internship as an important way of bringing talent into our business. Any offer of a permanent role will depend on individual performance during the internship.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their background, race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. We particularly encourage applications from candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, as these groups are underrepresented both in our workplace and in the sector.

You must:

• Have strong communication skills, on paper, in person and on the phone.
• Have strong organisational skills and be able to multi-task.
• Have an excellent academic record.
• Be able to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel to a high degree of proficiency.
• Have permission to work in the UK at the time of starting employment.

Ideally you would also have some previous theoretical or practical exposure to qualitative or quantitative research methodologies (e.g. through academic studies or work experience), and experience of working in an office-based environment. AI skills would also be welcomed.

How to apply

If this sounds like you, please complete our online application form.

The application form covers:

• Your contact details.
• Your academic and employment history (please note that you will not need to upload a CV).
• Why you would like to apply to be an Intern at Thinks.
• Why you feel you are a good fit for the role.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the recruitment team at internship@thinksinsight.com.

While we will try our best to contact all unsuccessful candidates, this may not be possible due to high numbers of applicants.

Past applicants

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications from individuals who have previously come in for an interview for our internship programme.

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.