Charity registered in Scotland SC006403
informing, supporting and inspiring single parent families
We aim to encourage and enable parents across Scotland to make the most of the opportunities available to them so they can flourish as happy, healthy and achieving families. One Parent Families Scotland provides help to all single parent families: mums, dads, young parents and kinship carers.
Research Officer
- Part time
- £26,640 – £32,560 pro-rata
- Hybrid: Glasgow or Edinburgh
- Closing 18th November 2026
Established in 1944, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) is the leading charity working with single parent families in Scotland. We provide expert advice, practical support and campaign with parents to make their voices heard to change the systems, policies and attitudes that disadvantage single parent families. We work alongside single parents and their families, placing them at the centre of everything we do. Creating ways to overcome barriers, changing their lives and
fulfilling their potential. We also celebrate the many achievements of single parents and their children.
Our vision is to see a Scotland where single parent families are celebrated in all their diversity, are treated fairly and live free from discrimination and poverty. Our mission is to amplify the voices of single parent families in their unique role as sole carers and providers and together challenge stigma, poverty and inequality to achieve change.
Our values are trust, equity, justice, collaboration and compassion. These are the principles or standards that we consider important in life. They shape behaviour and guide our decisions and actions.
Our strategic objectives shape and guide all roles at OPFS. They are the pillars that underpin all our work. We all will:
- Support single parents to build on their strengths and attributes to achieve their goals.
- Strengthen single parent families’ wellbeing, enabling children to be happy and thrive.
- Influence policies to eradicate child poverty taking an intersectional, equalities approach to policy making.
- Involve single parents, experts by experience, to co-produce OPFS services and policy priorities.
- Challenge societal attitudes and behaviours to fully support and respect single parent families.
About this role
We're looking for an experience Research Officer to join our Policy, Participation and External Relations team. This is an exciting opportunity to drive forward research projects, produce compelling findings, recommendations and high quality impact reports and webinars that bring our findings to life. We're looking for a creative and insightful person who is passionate about creating a Scotland where single parent families can thrive.
For more information, please download the Job Description & Person Specification below.