Open Position: Consultant (Research), EU Projects
About IDEA
IDEA Group has worked with organisations in Malta for 22 years across consulting, training, education and care. Its business lines include IDEA Consulting, the group’s advisory arm, IDEA College, a private higher education institution offering programmes from MQF Level 4 to 8, IDEA Care, a private domicillary care company and Sidroc Services, a premium medical and surgical equipment retailer.
IDEA takes part as a project partner in EU-funded cooperation projects, working alongside universities, public bodies and enterprises from other Member States. We are forming a core team to deliver this growing portfolio and are recruiting a Consultant (Research) to lead the research work within it.
The role
The Consultant (Research) is responsible for the evidence base behind IDEA’s contribution to each project. This means designing and running studies, turning findings into deliverables that partners can build on, and making sure every hour and output is documented to the standard that programme controllers expect. You will work across several projects at once, typically under Interreg and other EU funding programmes, and you will be IDEA’s main technical voice in research work packages.
Key responsibilities
Research and analysis
• Carry out literature reviews and sector baseline studies that feed directly into project deliverables.
• Design survey instruments grounded in validated tools from the literature, keeping them short, practical and suitable for online completion.
• Adapt instruments for use across countries and languages, including forward and back translation, reconciliation and cognitive pre-testing with respondents.
• Plan sampling and fieldwork with partners, and manage data collection with respondent burden and data quality in mind.
• Analyse quantitative and qualitative data using methods suited to the sample available, including reliability testing, item analysis, composite indices and conservative comparisons between groups.
• Map good practice and write it up as compendia, case studies and frameworks.
• Convert research findings into training needs, syllabi and practical recommendations for later work packages.
Project delivery and partner coordination
• Represent IDEA at partner meetings, steering committees and technical working groups, online and in person.
• Draft, review and finalise deliverables to agreed quality standards, and contribute to the project’s quality assurance and risk management.
• Prepare presentations and content for launch conferences, workshops and stakeholder events.
• Engage SMEs, industry associations and public bodies to recruit study participants and share results.
Reporting and compliance
• Keep accurate timesheets and activity logs mapped to work packages and activity codes.
• Prepare partner progress reports and work plan narratives in the programme’s monitoring system (for example, JEMS).
• Assemble supporting evidence for First Level Control and respond to queries from controllers, lead partners and Managing Authorities.
• Handle research data in line with GDPR, covering consent, anonymisation and secure storage.
Proposal development
• Contribute to new project proposals, including state-of-the-art summaries, methodology sections, work plans and staff effort estimates.
Requirements
Essential
• A Master’s degree (MQF Level 7) in business, economics, social sciences, environmental or sustainability studies, public policy, or a related field.
• At least two years’ experience in applied research, consultancy or EU-funded project work.
• Proven ability to design surveys and analyse quantitative data using SPSS, R, Stata, Python or similar.
• Working knowledge of qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups and thematic analysis.
• Excellent written English, with the ability to produce clear, formal reports for funders, partners and controllers.
• Strong organisation, including the discipline to track hours, deadlines and deliverables across several projects at once.
• Willingness to travel within the EU for meetings and events.
Desirable
• A doctorate, or doctoral study in progress, in a related field.
• Experience on Interreg, Erasmus+ or Horizon Europe projects, including familiarity with JEMS, eligibility rules and First Level Control.
• Working knowledge of Italian. Maltese is an advantage.
• Subject knowledge in one or more of circular economy and sustainability, SME development, health and care, or education and training.
• Experience with instrument validation or structural equation modelling (for example, PLS-SEM).
• Experience designing training programmes or facilitating workshops.
What we offer
• A core role in an established Maltese group with a growing EU project portfolio.
• Work that connects research with policy and practice, alongside partners in other Member States.
• Support for professional development and conference participation linked to project work.
• A competitive package in line with qualifications and experience.
How to apply
Please send your CV, a cover letter of no more than one page explaining how your experience fits this role, and a short writing sample (such as an extract from a report you authored) to careers@ideamalta.com by 30th May 2026.
Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a short practical task as part of the selection process.
IDEA is an equal opportunities employer. All applications will be treated in strict confidence and processed in line with GDPR.