Research Associate - National Youth Agency
Contract: 12-month Fixed Term Contract (with potential to extend)
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £30,000 – £35,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Remote: This role is 100% homebased with occasional travel for staff residentials and other events.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Knowledge Team, working alongside two existing Research Associates and a Data Analyst.
You will be integral in delivering research, data, and insights that support organisational development and programme delivery across NYA.
We are looking for an experienced mixed-methods researcher with a strong understanding of social research and evaluation approaches. Ideally, you will have experience working in or alongside the youth sector and be confident using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
You’ll need to be flexible, proactive, and a strong communicator, able to explain complex ideas to varied audiences.
This role is ideal for someone looking to make a tangible difference through evidence-led approaches that shape policy, practice, and impact in youth work.
Key responsibilities for this role will include:
- Designing and delivering research projects using a range of methods including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
- Supporting the development of the NYA research and data hub, including external research collation and data visualisation.
- Leading on evaluations to meet funder requirements and contribute to NYA’s growing evidence base.
- Analysing data from NYA programmes to support impact measurement.
- Promoting evidence-based practice across NYA and the wider youth sector.
- Communicating findings clearly through reports, briefings, and presentations.
- Managing research projects and collaborating with internal and external partners to deliver on time and to quality.
- Responding to internal and external research enquiries.
The ideal candidate will have experience in social research, familiarity with various research methodologies, and the ability to communicate complex findings to diverse audiences.
Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.
Why Work for NYA?
NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.
How to Apply:
Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 12th May 2025:
A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the
About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.
Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it. As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
REF-221126
Thank you!
Since last year, we have been gradually launching our new Excellence Network regional clinical lead roles across England as part of our new regional model in England. We're now recruiting for the final regional clinical lead in England to lead their regional network in London.
In September 2024, the Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network (PEN) moved to a new regional model in England and introduced the 7 newly-formed PEN regions in England, with the boundaries aligned to the 7 NHS England regions. Click here to read more about the new model.
The regional model in the devolved nations remains the same: there are 3 regions in Scotland, 2 in Wales and 1 region in Northern Ireland.
Last year we began gradually recruiting the consultancy services of regional clinical leads in each of the 7 regions in England, to help us deliver this new model.
By the end of 2024, we were delighted to have appointed 4 regional clinical leads. We welcomed Antonella Macerollo and Sarah Fraser in the north west and north east and Yorkshire, respectively. You can find out more about Antonella and Sarah here.
So far in 2025, Alistair Mackett and Emily Henderson joined us in January as the regional clinical leads for the east of England and south west. Read more about Alistair and Emily here.
And we will soon be welcoming 2 more regional clinical leads for the Midlands and south east, respectively. We will be announcing these appointments very soon so keep an eye out!
Join the regional clinical lead team
We are now recruiting for the final regional clinical lead vacancy in England to lead their regional network in London.
Who can apply?
Any UK-based healthcare professional, working in Parkinson’s or with an interest and expertise in the condition, with exceptional interpersonal and influencing skills is welcome to apply. Healthcare professionals living with Parkinson’s are also encouraged.
You’ll have a good understanding of the landscape of health and care delivery, education and workforce development to support the strategic aims and objectives of Parkinson’s UK.
Time commitment: 0.5 days per week (1 programmed activity) to be worked flexibly across the month.
Remuneration: monthly rate based on skills and experience.
Term of consultancy services: 3 years from date of appointment, with an option to extend for a further 3 years. You can then re-apply for the role if you wish.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a 1 hour virtual interview.
Closing date for applications: midnight on Monday 19 May.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
We exist to make every day better, for everybody living with Parkinson’s. Right now.
Thank you!
Mentor Recruitment Lead £32,000 per annum (pro-rata) plus London weighting if successful candidate is in London
Previous applicants need not apply
Full time role (37.5 hours) with an initial 6-month fixed term contract continuing subject to funding.
Remote working, with the option for hybrid working (up to two days in the office) if located 45 minutes away from one of our offices in London, Manchester and Cardiff.
At One Million Mentors, our aim is to ensure that every young person in the country has access to a trained mentor as they transition into adulthood. We believe that investing in mentors will help to address the skills gap agenda and improve social cohesion.
Would you like the opportunity to:
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Be part of a dynamic, values-driven organisation working to achieve lasting social change?
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Work across the business, public and third sector to develop innovative ways of harnessing the potential of young people in Great Britain?
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Help shape a growing organisation?
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Enhance your personal development and job satisfaction through monthly team training sessions, personal L&D opportunities and a 15 hour per year volunteering allowance?
If so, this may be the role for YOU!
1MM Mentor Recruitment Lead main tasks include:
● Build, lead, own and execute 1MM’s mentor recruitment strategy
● Source enough mentors to ensure 1MM has an oversupply (c.15% higher than demand) of fully trained, location relevant mentors available
● Build a sustainable growth engine that ensures the pipeline of mentors remains sufficient on an ongoing basis
● Work with key stakeholders across the business to improve conversion rates by refining our onboarding process
● Meeting all quality assurance KPIs
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Establishing employers, professional networks, community groups etc. as Volunteer Providers.
● Ensure key partners are smoothly handed over to the relevant colleagues within the business at the appropriate time.
● Provide regular reports on progress related to the role.
For a more detailed job description, please see the job pack attached.
Remuneration and benefits: Salary bracket of £32,000 (pro rata) plus London weighting if successful candidate lives in London,, up to 6.5% employer pension contribution and 25 days holiday per year (pro rata).
**Please note that applications submitted without a Covering Letter will not be considered**
For further details on how to apply, please see application guidelines attached.
Registered Charity
6 - 10
To transform our society by connecting one million young people with one million opportunities.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.