Regional Advantage Group (RAG) is seeking an experienced Quantitative Social Research & Evaluation Specialist to support a defined consultancy work package associated with a current Australian agricultural industry research tender.

This is not a full time role. We are seeking an independent consultant or specialist practitioner with strong quantitative social research capability who may provide limited input during the tender stage and, if RAG is successful, undertake a defined technical work package during project delivery.

The role The specialist will provide technical leadership for the quantitative evidence component of the project. The work is expected to involve critical review and secondary analysis of existing community trust and related research, rather than designing a new primary research program.

Key responsibilities may include

- critically assessing existing surveys, studies and datasets for quality, relevance and comparability
- determining whether evidence collected at different times, using different samples, questions or scales can legitimately be compared or combined
- establishing a defensible quantitative baseline from the available evidence
- identifying and analysing drivers of community trust using methods appropriate to the available data
- distinguishing clearly between association, prediction and causal inference
- documenting limitations, uncertainty and evidence gaps
- translating quantitative findings into explicit, decision-practical insights for non-technical stakeholders
- contributing to practical monitoring and evaluation measures
- working with RAG's Project Director and broader stakeholder engagement team while retaining technical responsibility for the quantitative methodology

About you We are particularly interested in people whose core experience is in quantitative social research, survey methodology or evaluation, rather than general data analytics.

You should be able to demonstrate:

- strong quantitative social research or evaluation experience
- expertise in survey methodology and analysis




- experience working with existing research and secondary datasets
- sound judgement regarding measurement validity and comparability
- demonstrated statistical capability relevant to social research
- rigorous treatment of uncertainty and causal limitations
- ability to explain complex quantitative findings clearly to non-technical audiences
- experience delivering professional research or evaluation work for government, industry, community or similar clients

Experience in community trust, social licence, regional communities, agriculture or rural industries would be highly regarded but is not mandatory.

Engagement

This is a consultancy/contract opportunity, not permanent employment.

Initial selection will occur during September 2026. We will ask shortlisted candidates for a CV, two relevant project examples, concise responses to several technical screening questions, availability, hourly or daily rate, and indicative effort for the work package.

Any substantive tender-stage technical work requested from the preferred specialist will be paid at an agreed rate.

If RAG is successful in the tender, the specialist would potentially undertake the defined quantitative work package, with intermittent involvement through December 2027.

Applicants should be Australia-based and able to operate through their own ABN or consultancy entity. Professional indemnity insurance status should be stated.

To apply

Please provide

1. Your CV.
2. Two examples of comparable quantitative social research or evaluation projects, including your personal role and methods used.
3. Your hourly or daily rate.
4. Your availability during September 2026 and, if the project proceeds, during 2027.
5. Your ABN/entity and professional indemnity insurance status.
6. Any relevant experience in community trust, social licence, regional communities, agriculture or rural industries.

Key: We are looking for methodological judgement, not simply someone who can run statistical software. The successful specialist will need to determine what the available evidence can legitimately support, including when datasets or studies should not be combined.

📌 Quantitative Social Research & Evaluation Specialist (Australia)
🏢 Regional Advantage Group
📍 Australia