Research & Evaluation Manager

About The Royal Foundation

The Royal Foundation mobilises leaders, businesses, and individuals to address society’s greatest challenges. Under the leadership of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, our initiatives are driven by world-class research, long-term partnerships, and a commitment to measurable, scalable impact.

Role Purpose

The Royal Foundation is recruiting a Research and Impact Manager  for the Homewards programme, which seeks to demonstrate that it is possible to end homelessness and inspire others to replicate effective practice.

The successful candidate will be a champion for evidence-led decision making, committed to generating robust research and evaluation and ensuring the programme is grounded in evidence. This role will ensure we generate high quality, compelling evidence about the effectiveness of interventions tested through the programme and facilitate a culture of learning to improve delivery and maximise impact.

This role will sit within The Royal Foundation’s in-house Research & Impact Team, which provides research and evaluation expertise and delivers key insights across our programmes of work, to help us design and deliver programmes and understand our impact. This role is central to our effort to make The Royal Foundation evidence-led and cutting edge, helping maximise our impact across the range of issues we support.

Role Description and Core Responsibilities

·         Scope, commission, and manage evaluation projects to generate actionable evidence for commissioning and service delivery, ensuring effective supplier, project management, and contractor relationships.

·         Monitor project progress to ensure timely, budget-compliant delivery of high-quality evaluations, meeting objectives and adhering to policies.

·         Collate evaluation and programme data for organisation-level impact reports.

·         Analyse research data and conduct desk research to support the Homewards programme team in scoping future activities.

·         Provide day-to-day support to the Senior Research and Impact Manager in overseeing research and evaluation across the Homewards programme.

·         Disseminate evidence effectively through various channels and support the interpretation and application of learnings to a wide range of stakeholders.

·         Provide updates for internal and external stakeholders, including the Board and Homewards partners.

·         Advise programme partners on research and evaluation design and delivery for action plans.

·         Identify and mitigate risks through strong project management.

·         Ensure compliance with Market Research Society (MRS) standards and GDPR for data handling.

·         Support the Research and Impact team in developing and delivering the research strategy.

·         Perform other ad hoc duties as required.

Knowledge, experience, and personal qualities:

The Essentials:

·         Minimum 5 years' experience managing research and evaluation projects.

·         Strong understanding of evaluation techniques, including expertise in commissioning various evaluation approaches, including process, quantitative impact, and theory-based evaluations.

·         Experience in developing procurement materials and briefing external suppliers, managing research commissions, and ensuring quality and compliance with financial and contractual requirements.

·         Proven ability to draft research materials, analyse data, and produce high-quality outputs (quantitative and qualitative).

·         Excellent analytical skills with the ability to synthesize data from a range of sources.

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills, skilled in communicating research findings to both internal teams and external audiences, including non-researchers.

·         Able to work independently and prioritise own tasks and time, has an excellent eye for detail, and can work collaboratively and effectively with others.

• Optimistic and energetic outlook, keen to maximise the positive change that the Homewards programme can deliver.
• Relationship builder. Adaptable and has a flexible approach to plans, able to respond confidently and positively to changing scenarios, seize opportunities and solve problems.

The Desirables:

·         Experience of applying systems thinking in evaluation, including using system mapping to understand system change.  

·         Experience of working as part of a learning network or collaborating with stakeholders to share evidence and enable knowledge exchange. 

• Experience of analysing administrative datasets to support programme design and monitor outputs and outcomes. 
• Experience of participatory evaluation and working with peer evaluators and those with lived experience.
• Experience of scoping and managing evaluations of communications and public relations campaigns

About Homewards

Homewards is a five-year, locally led programme, launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in June 2023.

Homewards was inspired by successful projects from across the UK and around the world, all of which had one mission: to prevent and end homelessness. They brought together all sectors of society and started with a focus on specific groups – to understand the help that is needed.

Our Company & Culture:

 The Royal Foundation is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to ensuring a positive, safe, and respectful environment which promotes the wellbeing and dignity of our employees, partners, suppliers, and those whose interests we represent. We are committed to promoting a positive and inclusive working environment that has a diversity of people and views, and one that supports our culture of collaboration and curiosity. These principles underpin our professional behaviour and are embedded in our policies, procedures, day-to-day practices, and external relationships.  We therefore welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds.

If you have the relevant skills and enthusiasm for the role, then we’d love to hear from you.  Please send your CV and a one-page covering letter explaining your motivation for applying and how you meet the skills and experience required for the role by clicking ‘Apply’ now.