Implementation Lead

Help turn the ambition to end homelessness into lasting change

This is an exciting time to join us.

Homelessness is firmly at the centre of the national policy agenda. The new Prime Minister has made ending long-term rough sleeping one of his first priorities, and the Government's National Plan to End Homelessness sets out an ambitious shift away from managing homelessness as a crisis towards preventing it, acting earlier and creating lasting solutions. The plan puts all levels of government at the heart of this change, with a stronger emphasis on evidence, outcomes, collaboration and learning.

But ambition alone will not end homelessness. The real challenge is turning action into better decisions, services and outcomes for people.

This creates a significant opportunity for the Centre and for this role.

We are the UK’s What Works Centre for homelessness. We bring together evidence, data, practice and lived experience to understand what works, support people and organisations to apply it, and help build the conditions for change at scale.

We are now looking for an exceptional Implementation Lead to join our team and help make that happen. The role is a 12 month fixed-term post, and we actively welcome secondments. We would particularly encourage applications from people currently working in other What Works Centres, think tanks, or local, regional or national government. It is an opportunity to bring your expertise into a What Works Centre and work at the intersection of evidence, policy and implementation.

We are seeking one knowledgeable, skilled and creative Implementation Lead to design and deliver activities to help people working in and around homelessness to collaborate and take a more strategic approach to using evidence and data to enhance their impact of their work. 

Supporting our mission to end homelessness, you will lead and support projects across the organisation by providing specialist implementation support to local and regional authorities and national governments to ensure high quality delivery and impact.

We are looking for:

• A candidate with the skills, experience and curiosity to work across complex systems, and ideally a strong understanding of systems thinking.

• A practical, collaborative problem-solver who can translate evidence into action.

• Someone excited by the opportunity to work in a What Works Centre at a time when the homelessness sector is undergoing significant change.

• A person who can navigate the realities of policy and practice while keeping a clear focus on outcomes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

IN A NUTSHELL

You will work to support a systematic turn to preventing homelessness across the UK through policy and practice. You will advocate for and support partners to implement and enhance the use of evidence and data, and maximise collective impact.  This work will involve working with local authorities, regional and central government, and third sector organisations.

WHY IS THIS ROLE IMPORTANT FOR THE CENTRE’S WORK?

You will be helping to build capacity within local and regional areas across the UK to generate and use evidence and data to achieve breakthrough and sustainable results to address homelessness. 

We are an agile team who work closely with our partners, understanding their context, needs and ambitions, and work with our multi-disciplinary team, delivery associates and programme partners to design and deliver solutions that make a real difference to those affected by homelessness, as well as people working towards a future without it. 

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING?

You will be part of the Implementation Team within the Centre, reporting to the Head of Implementation. By working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary colleagues and with a focus on practical solutions, you will design and deliver client-facing implementation activities.  

You will ensure that the Centre is able to: 

• Design and deliver activities which translate evidence of what works into practical advice for practitioners, policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders.

• Synthesise knowledge, skills and expertise from relevant fields (e.g. homelessness/housing, local government, public services transformation, service design) to generate insights and provide credible and impactful analysis and advice.

• Draw on a broad toolkit of approaches (project management; user design; behavioural insights; systems thinking: public service transformation; interpersonal coaching) both from your own skills and our multidisciplinary team and expert partners and associates.

• Proactively identify, create and grow strong relationships with potential partner organisations, working in a client-focused manner to identify opportunities, develop goals, and draft and deliver implementation plans and projects.

EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK Our Implementation Leads are currently: 

• Developing ‘collective impact initiatives’ in key regions across the UK that bring together stakeholders to collaborate on key strategic priorities that require improved system coordination and capacity building, better use of data, and robust outcomes monitoring. 

• Mapping practice and developing service models in homeless pathways (such as Housing Options, Hostels, and Outreach) to test optimum models and maximise value for investment.

• Advising on the development of outcomes frameworks and homelessness action plans for representative bodies of Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords to embed evidence-based practise and robust implementation methodology.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND BEHAVIOURS

• Outstanding communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills, including strong capacity to manage and coordinate simultaneous customer relationships and projects, and drive projects forwards to achieve tangible results;

• Experience in delivering transformation work with local, regional or national governments.

• Understanding of homelessness policy and practice across the UK.

• Collaborative and flexible work style;

• High proficiency in project management software, engagement and facilitation tools, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite.

• Track record in helping organisations use evidence and data to improve the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of their services or interventions;

• Experience in implementation science, service design, impact evaluation methodologies, data analysis, systems thinking and/or behavioural insights.

You will be able to demonstrate the following

• The capacity to build and nurture good relationships with diverse stakeholders and deliver tangible results.

• Ability to analyse and synthesise complex information, generate and present recommendations, and support their implementation.

• Ability to communicate confidently with a variety of audiences and in a range of media.

• Willingness to try new things in a considered and structured way and learning from experiences to improve processes.

• Interest in learning from other disciplines and curiosity to learn from a spectrum of perspectives.

• A commitment to both the aims and values of the Centre.

Working here

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• Interest-free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy

• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%

• 30 days’ annual leave which increases with service to 33 days

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay

• Employee assistance programme

Application deadline: Monday 26th October 2026.

Interviews will take place during w/c 2nd November 2026.