Research & Evaluation Lead - Thriving Futures Programme

About Black Thrive Global

We exist to change the odds stacked against Black people by embedding race equity into systemic change so that thriving is not the exception but the norm.

Global Black Thrive evolved from the work of the Black Thrive Lambeth Partnership, which was established in 2016 to address the inequalities that negatively impact the mental health and wellbeing of Black people in Lambeth. Black people’s cumulative exposure to negative experiences and poor outcomes are not unique to Lambeth and Black Thrive Global was founded in 2020 to address the detrimental outcomes for Black people of African and Caribbean descent wherever they may be located.

Our work covers all life stages – children and young people, working age adults and older adults. Our guiding principle is to centre the lived experiences of Black communities in all that we do, and our strategic priorities are to embed race equity in systems change and to decolonise the evidence landscape.

Role Description

Following a recent round of successful funding, Black Thrive are looking for a highly skilled and community-focused Research & Evaluation Lead to strengthen the evidence and learning functions across the Thriving Futures – Scaling Systems Change programme. This role is central to building a robust understanding of community needs, mental health outcomes, and the impact of systems change activities on Black communities across our localities.

This position requires a researcher with experience in mixed-methods research and who is confident in working both strategically and on the ground in community settings. You will be responsible for developing and implementing evaluation frameworks, gathering high-quality data, and supporting Black Thrive Global and the localities in their own monitoring, learning, and evaluation capacity. Strong relationship-building skills are essential, as much of this role involves working closely with black led organisations, local leaders, and partners across health, voluntary, and statutory sectors.

You will work closely with the Head of Research and Evaluation and the wider Thriving Futures team to design, deliver, and communicate research and evaluation projects that drive learning and improvement. Your work will combine community-based data collection, analysis, inclusive and culturally grounded evaluation methods, and clear reporting that helps us tell the story of our progress and impact.

Black Thrive uses Asana, Microsoft Excel, and a range of qualitative and quantitative tools to track learning, evidence systemic change outcomes, and ensure the programme remains responsive to the needs and priorities of Black communities.

Key responsibilities

Community-Embedded Research & Evaluation

• Lead on-the-ground community-based research activities, including regular engagement with localities, community organisations, grassroots partners, and residents to understand lived experiences, mental health outcomes, and community-identified priorities.
• Conduct mixed-methods community needs assessments to capture changing local conditions, emerging challenges, and gaps in support provision across priority localities.
• Build trusted relationships with community partners to co-design evaluation activities, ensuring methods are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and accessible to organisations operating in diverse community settings.
• Facilitate participatory research approaches (e.g., community researcher models, participatory action research, peer-led data collection) to ensure the voices of Black communities are embedded in all evaluation work.

Supporting Community Organisations & Localities

• Provide tailored research and evaluation support to Black Thrive localities who delivering the Scaling System Change programme, including helping them develop data collection tools, outcome measures, and monitoring processes that align with Black Thrive’s frameworks.
• Deliver capacity-building workshops, coaching, and 1:1 support for localities to strengthen their ability to collect, interpret, and use data for programme improvement.
• Support localities in implementing mixed-methods approaches, including the design of short surveys, interview guides, focus groups, observational tools, and community feedback mechanisms.
• Work collaboratively with local organisations to interpret findings and co-generate learning that strengthens community-led decision-making and informs systemic change.

Scaling Systems Change Programme Evaluation

• Lead the development of Scaling Systems Change and support in shaping the programmatic evaluation for the Scaling Systems Change programme, including identifying community-relevant indicators, data sources, and measurement approaches that reflect both outcomes and structural shifts.
• Develop and refine theories of change and logic models in collaboration with programme teams and community stakeholders.
• Oversee the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data related to the Scaling Systems Change programme, synthesising insights into evaluative conclusions and strategic recommendations.
• Track progress on system-level outcomes and community-driven indicators, ensuring alignment with Black Thrive Global’s race equity mission and systems change goals.

Data Collection, Analysis & Insight Generation

• Conduct qualitative data collection (e.g., interviews, focus groups, reflective sessions, community conversations) and apply rigorous, culturally informed qualitative analysis techniques.
• Integrate primary and secondary datasets—community-level statistics, organisational monitoring data, local authority data, and service delivery datasets—into comprehensive evaluations.
• Ensure high-quality documentation and coding of qualitative datasets using recognised analytical frameworks.

Reporting, Learning & Dissemination

• Produce high-quality annual research and evaluation reports, local evaluation and research summaries, dashboards, and accessible materials for community partners and stakeholders.
• Translate complex data and findings into clear, actionable insights tailored to policymakers, community organisations, funders, and residents.
• Facilitate feedback loops and learning events with partners to discuss findings, share learning, and identify opportunities for adaptation and improvement.
• Contribute to internal strategic learning by presenting insights to senior leaders, programme teams, and key partners.

Ethics, Governance & Quality Assurance

• Ensure ethical, safe, and culturally competent research practice, especially when working with communities disproportionately affected by systemic racism and mental health inequalities.
• Maintain robust data governance systems suitable for community-based and multi-organisation research environments.
• The above is not an exhaustive list of duties, and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organisation and the overall business objectives of the organisation.

Personal Specification

Essential Criteria

• Ability to carry out community-based data collection (interviews, focus groups, surveys) and basic analysis both quantitative and qualitative.
• Competence in using basic data tools (Excel) for organising and summarising data.
• Strong facilitation skills for participatory approaches (e.g., supporting in Black community researchers).
• Good written and verbal communication skills to present findings clearly
• Ability to build trusting relationships with grassroots organisations and Black people, community leaders from Lambeth, Haringey and Birmingham.
• Good level of understanding of supporting Black people, including trauma-informed and anti-racist approaches.
• Knowledge and understanding of research ethics and GDPR practices including data protection and data sharing.
• Experience conducting qualitative research (e.g., interviews, focus groups) in community settings.
• Have a university degree or equivalent.
• Understanding of race equity issues and mental health inequalities affecting Black communities.
• Awareness of ethical research practices and safeguarding when working with vulnerable groups.
• Experience working with community organisations or grassroots groups.
• Experience producing clear summaries or reports for non-technical audiences.
• Commitment to race equity and social justice.
• Collaborative, approachable, and adaptable.
• Organised and able to manage multiple tasks.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience supporting community-led research projects.
• Familiarity with basic evaluation frameworks or monitoring tools.
• Knowledge of participatory research principles.
• Ability to use simple data visualisation tools (e.g., Canva, Power BI basics).
• Previous involvement in capacity-building activities (training or coaching).
• Degree in social sciences, public health, or related field (or equivalent experience).

To apply, please submit a CV and a cover letter (no longer than 2 pages) via CharityJobs

This will be a two stage interview process.

The first interview will take place on Tuesday, 28th April 2026, and the second Interview will take place on Tuesday 5th May 2026.