Context: Careers at the policy-research interface may be ill-defined and require reframing of identity, depending on context and purpose. We wanted to explore this further as part of our involvement with the Partnership for Evidence and Equity in Responsive Social Systems (PEERSS) - a global partnership working to advance the use of evidence for progress in social systems. Aim: To share and prompt thinking about the skills, opportunities and barriers of such careers. Method: We iteratively develop themes informed by ecological theoretical frameworks, literature on policy-research interface, group discussion, and autoethnographies of people at a range of career stages and backgrounds. We invite participants to contribute their own views via a Padlet platform. Results and discussion: We highlight some of the individual attitudes and behaviours, socio-demographic factors, immediate environment, and wider context shaping early career development. Conclusions: While it may be challenging to distinguish specific themes from influences that may apply to other career trajectories, the emerging narrative generated provide useful and important insights for those wanting to develop roles in this area.