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The Head of Research: Skills and Better Work is a new post for L&W. We’re expanding our team so that we can develop and deliver more – and better – policy-relevant research in the key areas of lifelong learning and progression to better work.

The post-holder will develop and lead research and insight projects. Those projects will be designed to influence policy change that will get more adults engaged in learning, developing their skills, and achieving their potential and ambitions in work. Income generation is part of this work: sometimes they will respond to reactive tenders, but we expect that they will also seek proactive opportunities to fund their work.

They will have the capability to lead a team of researchers, and work with colleagues with different methodological specialisms. The successful candidate will be confident with quantitative data, but might have a qualitative research background themselves, or they might think of themselves more as a ‘policy person’. The most important thing is that they have experience working out what insights are needed to solve a policy problem, and how to get them.

They will work across the lifelong learning, essential skills and better work pillars of our strategy – but key areas of focus for them are likely to include: increasing employer investment in skills; improving apprenticeship access and quality; reducing inequalities in lifelong learning; understanding and harnessing the rise of online, self-led learning; career change.

See the attached job description for further details. The role can be based in either Leicester or London.

Benefits (FTE equivalents, part time pro-rated)

-Salary of £47,250- £61,150 (FTE), depending on experience and location

- 31 days FTE holiday increasing to 33 days after 5 years’ service, of which 3 are shutdown days in addition to public holidays.

- Company pension scheme with 8% employer contribution

- Group Life Assurance 3*salary

- Hybrid working (with 40%-60% of your time required in the office)

- Flexible working practices

- Employee Development Scheme

- Retailer Discounts

- Enhanced occupational maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental pay

- Enhanced occupational sick pay

- Eye care scheme

- Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programme

- Gold award in Investors in People