V&C
Senior Researcher

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Have you worked in Parliament, public affairs or regulation and want to put that experience to work for one of Britain's most valuable industries?
V&C Associates is partnering with a leading UK trade association representing Britain's most celebrated luxury brands, spanning fashion, travel, hospitality, automotive, spirits and retail. They are the collective voice of British luxury, working with Government, Parliament, regulators, media and international partners to protect and grow a sector that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK.
They are now looking for a Researcher to join their collaborative team. You will be the engine behind the evidence that drives their advocacy.
The Role
One day you might be drafting a consultation response. The next you could be preparing a briefing for a Ministerial meeting, and the day after analysing CEO sentiment data. You'll work across three Associate Directors (Government Relations & Policy, Member Development & Insights, and Communications & Reputation), so your work will be seen and used at the highest levels.
What You'll Do
- Horizon-scan political and regulatory developments across Westminster, Whitehall, the devolved administrations and the EU
- Track legislation, regulatory change and consultations affecting the sector, and assess their impact on members
- Draft policy submissions, select committee evidence, consultation responses and position papers
- Prepare briefing notes for Ministerial, official and Parliamentary meetings
- Maintain the public policy CRM, keeping a diligent record of Government stakeholder engagement
- Coordinate senior member councils, including corporate and legal affairs, and turn discussion into clear policy insight
- Design and analyse member surveys, including a quarterly CEO sentiment survey
- Project manage research delivered by external partners, including a major economic impact study
- Research international markets and produce country insight summaries
- Write reports, white papers and thought leadership for an informed business audience
- Support governance, including the association's Articles and internal policies such as safe AI use
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Ideal Background
This is a second or early third role. It suits someone who has built a strong foundation and is ready for more responsibility and visibility. Graduate-entry candidates won't be considered.
We'd particularly like to hear from people with experience in one or more of these areas:
- Parliamentary experience, for example as a researcher or caseworker for an MP or Peer, in a select committee or APPG secretariat, or in a political party
- Public affairs, whether at a consultancy, trade association, membership body or in-house team
- Regulatory or policy work, for example at a regulator, a Government department, a think tank, or in a regulatory affairs or compliance-facing role


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Alongside this, you'll bring:
- A strong working knowledge of how Parliament, Government and consultation processes operate
- Excellent research and analytical skills across qualitative and quantitative data
- Outstanding writing and editing, with a track record of producing briefings, consultation responses or evidence-based reports
- Confidence working with senior stakeholders and industry leaders
- The organisation to run multiple projects at once
- A genuine interest in luxury, business and the forces shaping the UK economy
Why This Role
Rare access to the leaders of Britain's most iconic brands. Your work will feed directly into engagement with Government and Parliament, and the remit covers policy, regulation, insight and international work. It's an outstanding next step for anyone building a career in public affairs or policy.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
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