Qualitative Research Lead
Home working with access to central London desk space
£40,000 - £45,000 per annum depending on skills and experience + benefits
(please note, salary bands are under review, due for decision in December 2022)
Full time, permanent
Reporting to Director of Research & Evaluation and line managing a Research and Projects Assistant
Closing date: Monday 7th November (10am)
£40,000 - £45,000 per annum depending on skills and experience + benefits
(please note, salary bands are under review, due for decision in December 2022)
Full time, permanent
Reporting to Director of Research & Evaluation and line managing a Research and Projects Assistant
Closing date: Monday 7th November (10am)
Organisation:
Centre for Youth Impact is now part of YMCA George Williams College
In April 2022, YMCA George Williams College merged with the Centre for Youth Impact. The merger brings together the Centre’s work to progress thinking and practice in impact measurement in youth work and provision for young people with the College’s rich history of supporting high quality relational practice with young people and communities. The combined charity works across the UK, including locality working via dedicated regional networks across England. Although still developing the strategy for the newly combined charity, the two organisations have long shared a vision for all young people to have access to high quality provision and services that improve their life chances, and which enable them to achieve their potential in mind, body and spirit. We believe that embedding more meaningful approaches to evaluation, quality improvement and impact measurement at the heart of resilient, learning organisations is key to achieving this vision.
Centre for Youth Impact is now part of YMCA George Williams College
In April 2022, YMCA George Williams College merged with the Centre for Youth Impact. The merger brings together the Centre’s work to progress thinking and practice in impact measurement in youth work and provision for young people with the College’s rich history of supporting high quality relational practice with young people and communities. The combined charity works across the UK, including locality working via dedicated regional networks across England. Although still developing the strategy for the newly combined charity, the two organisations have long shared a vision for all young people to have access to high quality provision and services that improve their life chances, and which enable them to achieve their potential in mind, body and spirit. We believe that embedding more meaningful approaches to evaluation, quality improvement and impact measurement at the heart of resilient, learning organisations is key to achieving this vision.
Role:
The Qualitative Research Lead is a pivotal role for George Williams College. We believe in the power of research and evaluation to build a collective commitment to understanding and improving the impact of youth work and provision for young people. We also believe in the power of quality relational practice to change lives and communities. The Qualitative Research Lead shapes and delivers the College’s qualitative and mixed methods research and evaluation work to design, test and implement practice-aligned evaluation that both measures and cultivates quality practice. Qualitative research at the College includes working directly with young people and practitioners to gather their experiences and insights through focus groups, semi-structured interviews and site visits. It also includes the design and facilitation of creative and participatory research and methods including Most Significant Change and outcome harvesting.
Reporting to the Director of Research & Evaluation, the Qualitative Research Lead works closely with two other Leads, focused on digital products and quantitative research, and manages a portfolio of qualitative and mixed methods research and evaluation projects. This includes project scoping and design, direct delivery of research and evaluation activity, coordinating and supporting project teams (including staff and Fellows), collating and sharing learning from projects to influence the College’s work and strategy, and working closely with the senior leadership team to secure funding for new activities.
The Qualitative Research Lead is a pivotal role for George Williams College. We believe in the power of research and evaluation to build a collective commitment to understanding and improving the impact of youth work and provision for young people. We also believe in the power of quality relational practice to change lives and communities. The Qualitative Research Lead shapes and delivers the College’s qualitative and mixed methods research and evaluation work to design, test and implement practice-aligned evaluation that both measures and cultivates quality practice. Qualitative research at the College includes working directly with young people and practitioners to gather their experiences and insights through focus groups, semi-structured interviews and site visits. It also includes the design and facilitation of creative and participatory research and methods including Most Significant Change and outcome harvesting.
Reporting to the Director of Research & Evaluation, the Qualitative Research Lead works closely with two other Leads, focused on digital products and quantitative research, and manages a portfolio of qualitative and mixed methods research and evaluation projects. This includes project scoping and design, direct delivery of research and evaluation activity, coordinating and supporting project teams (including staff and Fellows), collating and sharing learning from projects to influence the College’s work and strategy, and working closely with the senior leadership team to secure funding for new activities.
Candidate:
We are seeking a thoughtful and experienced applied researcher and evaluator, with strong project management and people skills. You will need to be confident across a range of qualitative approaches, and have the ability to assess, design and determine proposed methods, dependent on context. You will be curious and keen to learn and influence this evolving field of practice, and comfortable representing the College externally to share our journey as we develop our thinking. You will also be confident in integrating findings from qualitative and quantitative data, and designing mixed methods research and evaluation studies. An understanding of informal and nonformal provision for young people, and how this influences research and evaluation practice, is desirable.
You will be comfortable and confident in working directly with young people and practitioners as part of our research and evaluation projects, including in focus groups and interviews exploring their experiences, in co-designing or collaborating in project design, and in working alongside young researchers to deliver key elements of projects.
You will be a strong project manager, with experience in managing both grant-funded and contract projects from inception to completion. You will be confident in managing project budgets, plans and capacity allocations, across multiple strands of work. You will be able to connect your portfolio into the broader organisational strategy, by drawing out insights from our project activities and sharing them with colleagues.
You will need to be highly responsive to the needs of partners, funders and our networks, with excellent listening, problem solving and negotiation skills. You will also need to be proactive and dynamic, sensing and acting on opportunities for the College to work alongside others to affect change. You will have some experience of income generation, and be confident to work alongside the senior leadership team in initiating and writing successful proposals.
You will also be an outstanding communicator: experienced in facilitation; willing to develop a coaching approach; an engaging presenter, and a compelling writer, able to frame and share ideas with a range of audiences.
Finally, you will be a team player. You will enjoy working with others, and be a valued partner, peer and colleague. You will see the bigger picture, at the same time as being on top of the detail. You will own and play a leadership role in your projects, but recognise and respect the leadership role of colleagues across the College’s strategic objectives.
Please review the following documents for further information: Role Profile, Organisation Chart, Benefits
We are seeking a thoughtful and experienced applied researcher and evaluator, with strong project management and people skills. You will need to be confident across a range of qualitative approaches, and have the ability to assess, design and determine proposed methods, dependent on context. You will be curious and keen to learn and influence this evolving field of practice, and comfortable representing the College externally to share our journey as we develop our thinking. You will also be confident in integrating findings from qualitative and quantitative data, and designing mixed methods research and evaluation studies. An understanding of informal and nonformal provision for young people, and how this influences research and evaluation practice, is desirable.
You will be comfortable and confident in working directly with young people and practitioners as part of our research and evaluation projects, including in focus groups and interviews exploring their experiences, in co-designing or collaborating in project design, and in working alongside young researchers to deliver key elements of projects.
You will be a strong project manager, with experience in managing both grant-funded and contract projects from inception to completion. You will be confident in managing project budgets, plans and capacity allocations, across multiple strands of work. You will be able to connect your portfolio into the broader organisational strategy, by drawing out insights from our project activities and sharing them with colleagues.
You will need to be highly responsive to the needs of partners, funders and our networks, with excellent listening, problem solving and negotiation skills. You will also need to be proactive and dynamic, sensing and acting on opportunities for the College to work alongside others to affect change. You will have some experience of income generation, and be confident to work alongside the senior leadership team in initiating and writing successful proposals.
You will also be an outstanding communicator: experienced in facilitation; willing to develop a coaching approach; an engaging presenter, and a compelling writer, able to frame and share ideas with a range of audiences.
Finally, you will be a team player. You will enjoy working with others, and be a valued partner, peer and colleague. You will see the bigger picture, at the same time as being on top of the detail. You will own and play a leadership role in your projects, but recognise and respect the leadership role of colleagues across the College’s strategic objectives.
Please review the following documents for further information: Role Profile, Organisation Chart, Benefits
If you have any questions about the role or would like to be considered, please send a copy of your CV and a separate personal statement (maximum two sides of A4) to [email protected]
As specialist recruiters we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
As specialist recruiters we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community.