Supporter care officer jobs

The Sands Insights Network is an online community of bereaved parents who want to use their experience and knowledge to shape Sands work to make maternity and neonatal care safer.

The Network sits within the Saving Babies Lives team which focusses on using evidence, including from parents, to drive improvements in maternity and neonatal safety. The Network also facilitates parents’ involvement in Sands policy and campaigning work, as well as external projects seeking to include people with experience of baby loss.

Main Purpose of Job 

1. Undertake the day-to-day management of a successful network, building diverse membership and ensuring a safe environment for bereaved parents 

2. Ensure the diverse experiences and perspectives of bereaved parents are included in research, learning and improvement initiatives in a way that works for them 

3. Ensure the involvement activities are monitored, evaluated and impact is captured and shared

4. Help to build Sands’ reputation as a leader in partnership working, advocating for the inclusion of bereaved parents in research and decision making

Principle Tasks and Responsibilities 

1. Undertake the day-to-day management of a successful network, building diverse membership and ensuring a safe environment for bereaved parents 

• Grow the network. Engage potential new members and oversee screening and onboarding processes.

• Create a welcoming space with signposting to enable new and existing network members to navigate and make best use of the platform. 

• Maintain the network as a safe space for bereaved parents. 

• Promote the platform and its impact to Sands audiences. 

• Create and embed Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) principles throughout the network and proactively ensure the membership is diverse in experience and background as the network grows.

• Work with Research Manager to ensure appropriate risk management and safeguarding protocols are in place and followed. 

• Work with the Research Manager to co-create governance policies/agreements with the network members.Moderate user activities and take actions where needed if policies are breached. 

2. Ensure the diverse experiences and perspectives of bereaved parents are included in research, learning and improvement initiatives in a way that works for them 

• Working with Sands teams and with external groups, identify opportunities for PPIE involvement, to provide a continuous range of options for parents to engage with. 

• Engage with network members to develop the community, and create activity based on their needs. 

• Share opportunities with the Network, encouraging and supporting involvement from members. 

• Create a dynamic and interactive atmosphere on the platform, building and maintain relationships with network members, and generating enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. 

• Encourage and facilitate activity within project groups on the network to ensure activities proceed and are constructive and inclusive. 

• Develop and share tools and resources to support parents with the skills and information they may need to be positively involved in research and improvement projects.

• Lead some involvement activities, including discussion groups, interviews and collaborative working. 

• Work with the Research Manager and the membership of the network to develop and implement a policy for reward and recognition for both internal and external opportunities. 

3. Ensure the involvement activities are monitored, evaluated and impact is captured

• In partnership with the Research Manager develop and embed a framework for monitoring and evaluating activities. 

• Summarise and share findings and outcomes of network projects, feeding into research, service and policy development. 

• Provide regular reports on impact and share those across Sands.

4. Help to build Sands’ reputation as a leader in partnership working, advocating for the inclusion of bereaved parents in research and decision making

• Build relationships with external stakeholders; support network members to influence people and organisations outside Sand directly, including decisionmakers, influencers, research groups or research funders.

• Represent network members externally and advocate for their involvement and inclusion in research and improvement programmes. 

• Represent Sands at external events, meetings and activities, helping to build Sands’ reputation as a leader in the field of working in partnership with bereaved parents.

General 

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role as required by the Research Manager, Head of Saving Babies Lives team and the CEO.

• Work flexibly and collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to achieve shared goals. 

• Always maintain strict confidentiality. 

• Adhere to all Sands policies and procedures. 

• Undertake all mandatory training as required. 

• Participate actively in annual appraisals and personal development

We're looking for an inspiring Head of Volunteering to lead and shape the future of volunteering across Sense.

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

About the Role

We're looking for an inspiring Head of Volunteering to lead and shape the future of volunteering across Sense.

This is a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change, ensuring volunteering continues to play a vital role in delivering our mission. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, you'll provide organisation-wide leadership on volunteering, helping us maximise our impact, strengthen community connections, and support the long-term sustainability of our services.

Working closely with senior leaders and teams across the organisation, you'll champion inclusive, accessible and innovative volunteering opportunities that enable people from all backgrounds to contribute in ways that are meaningful to them.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and deliver a volunteering development plan aligned to Sense's strategic priorities.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on volunteering strategy and opportunities.
• Champion volunteering as a key contributor to organisational impact, reputation and sustainability.
• Represent Sense internally and externally, promoting excellence in volunteering.

Developing Volunteering

• Create new, flexible and inclusive volunteering opportunities across services, communities, retail and corporate activity.
• Develop frameworks, tools and guidance that support managers to recruit, engage and retain volunteers effectively.
• Build volunteering opportunities that are meaningful, accessible and rewarding.
• Develop robust KPIs to measure volunteer engagement, impact and experience.
• Use volunteer feedback to drive continuous improvement and innovation.

Inclusion and Engagement

• Promote accessible and inclusive volunteering practices across the organisation.
• Work alongside volunteers, disabled people with complex needs and families to co-design volunteering opportunities.
• Ensure volunteer voices help shape the future of volunteering at Sense.

Governance and Compliance

• Provide expert guidance on volunteering governance, risk management and best practice.
• Lead the development and review of volunteering policies and procedures.
• Ensure volunteering activities comply with relevant legislation, regulation and safeguarding requirements.
• Manage the central volunteering budget and demonstrate value for money.

About You

You'll be a passionate and experienced volunteering leader with a strong commitment to inclusion and social impact.

You'll bring:

• Proven leadership experience within volunteer management.
• Experience working in social care, health, disability services or a related sector.
• A track record of developing and growing inclusive, sustainable volunteering programmes.
• Strong coaching, facilitation and influencing skills.
• Experience using data and insight to inform decision-making and demonstrate impact.
• Budget management experience and an ability to demonstrate return on investment.
• A commitment to accessibility, inclusion and rights-based approaches.

We'd love it if you also have

• Experience supporting disabled people with complex needs.
• Experience within regulated services.
• Knowledge of retail volunteering.
• Experience of co-production and co-design approaches.
• Understanding of trauma-informed or positive behaviour support approaches.
• Experience using digital systems to enhance volunteer engagement.

Why Join Sense?

This is an opportunity to shape volunteering across one of the UK's leading disability charities. You'll join a values-led organisation where collaboration, inclusion and innovation are at the heart of everything we do.

If you're passionate about creating outstanding volunteer experiences and want to help more people make a meaningful difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Our values

Our values shape the way we behave and work alongside disabled people with complex needs to break down barriers. 

• We're creating change
• We're always learning
• We're better together

To apply

Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your application to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly.  We would recommend that you read the job description and person specification before applying.

Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time.

No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable.

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to a DBS check; level dependent on the nature of the role.

Sense is here to break down barriers alongside disabled people with complex needs. That's why we're committed to increasing the number of disabled people working across our organisation and creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

We actively encourage disabled people to apply for our vacancies and believe that a diverse range of perspectives, experiences and talents makes us stronger.

We know there's always more we can do to become a truly inclusive employer, and we're working together to achieve that. Join us and help create the change thousands of disabled people with complex needs and families told us they want to see: a world without limits.

If you need us to adjust our recruitment process to help you access our vacancies, then please get in touch with a member of the talent acquisition team. We are a Disability Confident Leader and commit to interviewing disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for a role. More information on this can be found here Our commitment as an employer | Sense Careers

Apply before 17th July 2026

This role requires you to already have a Right to Work in the UK

Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer

Location: 122 Braymere Road, Peterborough, PE7 8NB (On-site work)

Weekly Hours: 40 hours per week (08.30 AM to 5.30 PM, Monday to Friday)

Salary: £32,500 p.a.

Annual Leave: 28 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays

WELCOME TO GFA WORLD

Since 1979, we have been committed to serving the “least of these” in Asia and Africa, primarily in places where no one has ever heard the name of Jesus, so that those still waiting can experience the love of God for the first time. Today, nearly 3 billion people have little to no opportunity to ever hear the name of Jesus. Every single day, an estimated 70,000 people die without ever hearing His name.

We are partnered with National Missionaries serving as the hands and feet of Christ in Asia and Africa, children in poverty and suffering, and community development initiatives helping families in need of care or during disasters.

As a Christian missions order we are a small organisation, but we are deeply committed to doing our work with excellence, faithfulness, and care in everything we do. We function as a community, and by joining GFA World you’ll be joining a family that does life together—journeying toward Jesus, living for eternity, and making a difference for some of the poorest and most afflicted people on earth in Christ’s name.

Our Mission

We exist to ensure no one dies without knowing the love of Christ and give people the chance to experience a transformed life in Christ by partnering with National Missionaries to bring the love of Jesus to communities still waiting to hear His name.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

GFA World's mission is to help people know Jesus and experience His love in places where there is little or no Christian presence. Every donation, prayer, event, communication, and ministry activity relies on strong systems and faithful stewardship behind the scenes. 

This role helps ensure that GFA World remains financially sound, legally compliant, operationally effective, and a healthy place for staff to serve. You will help steward the resources entrusted to us by our partners, support the staff who carry out the ministry, and maintain the systems that allow our work to grow sustainably.

As a small and highly collaborative team, we do not have separate departments for finance, human resources, compliance, facilities, health and safety, or operations. Instead, we rely on people who are willing to take ownership, learn new things, solve problems, and help strengthen the organisation wherever needed.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys creating and improving systems, spotting gaps, and ensuring that important things do not fall through the cracks.

OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT

As a result of our Christian ethos, this post is covered by an Occupational Requirement under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010. The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Be a practising Christian and active member of a local church.
• Subscribe to GFA World’s Statement of Faith and the Nicene Creed.
• Demonstrate a personal commitment to our Mission and Core Values.
• Participate in and lead Christian prayer as part of normal organisational life.
• Work effectively with Christians from a variety of denominational backgrounds.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Finance & Accounting (25%)

• Maintain online accounting system (QuickBooks Online) and other related financial systems.
• Maintain and improve accounting structures, nominal ledger, and chart of account.
• Review, maintain, and automate transaction processing workflows.
• Upload and reconcile donations and other financialtransactions.
• Complete monthly and quarterly reconciliations.
• Process payroll and maintain payroll records.
• Oversee pension administration and HMRC submissions.
• Prepare budgets and reports in collaboration with leadership.
• Monitor actual performance against budgets and identify variances.
• Assist with year-end processes and external audits.

People & Culture (25%)

• Administer HR system (Employment Hero) and maintain accurate staff records.
• Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, and off-boarding processes.
• Maintain employment documentation, contracts, and policies in accordance with GDPR.
• Coordinate staff training and professional development records.
• Support performance review and appraisal processes.
• Help preserve and strengthen GFA World's mission, values, and staff culture.
• Assist staff and managers with HR-related administration and processes.

Compliance & Governance (25%)

• Maintain awareness of relevant employment, charity, and workplace regulations.
• Review organisational policies and recommend updates where needed.
• Maintain compliance records and organisational documentation.
• Support legal and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Coordinate organisational risk assessments.
• Maintain the health & safety master file and supporting records.
• Carry out routine health and safety tests.
• Organise mandatory health and safety trainings and checks.
• Maintain incident records and compliance documentation.
• Help ensure a safe working environment for staff and visitors.

Operations & Facilities (25%)

• Maintain the smooth day-to-day operation of the office.
• Order office supplies and consumables.
• Manage office equipment and coordinate repairs when required.
• Liaise with contractors, service providers, and suppliers.
• Manage office keys, alarms, access systems, and security procedures.
• Support office refurbishments and workplace improvement projects.
• Identify opportunities to improve organisational systems, processes, and ways of working.
• Take ownership of operational issues and see them through to completion.

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY LIFE

GFA World is a Christian ministry, and prayer is central to who we are and how we serve.

All staff participate in regular corporate prayer as part of normal organisational life. These times include reading Scripture, sharing thanksgiving, and praying for the needs of the ministry, our staff, and the mission field.

The successful applicant will be expected to actively participate in these prayer times and, on occasion, lead them.

As with all roles at GFA World, staff are expected to support the spiritual life and mission of the organisation through prayer, service, and Christian fellowship.

ABOUT THE APPLICANT

We recognise that, to be great at your role, there are certain characteristics that are important and others that enable a good fit within our existing team and culture. But if you don’t meet them, get in touch anyway! You may be more awesome than you realise.

Required

• You are a practising Christian with active involvement in a local church.
• You have a heart for helping people know Jesus, even if your role is primarily office-based.
• You care about serving people in some of the world’s most underserved communities.
• You are willing to support the mission in whatever practical way is needed.
• You have experience in accounting and human resources administration.
• You are comfortable working with financial systems, spreadsheets, and IT softwares.
• You are naturally organised and detail-oriented.
• You enjoy creating order, systems, and clear processes.
• You take ownership of problems rather than waiting for someone else to solve them.
• You are comfortable researching unfamiliar topics and learning independently.
• You can manage multiple responsibilities and priorities simultaneously.
• You communicate clearly and professionally in both written and spoken English.
• You can work independently while also contributing positively to a team.
• You are comfortable handling confidential and sensitive information with discretion and integrity.

Desirable

• Experience with QuickBooks Online.
• Experience with Employment Hero or similar HR software.
• Experience processing payroll and administering workplace pensions.
• Experience preparing budgets or monitoring budget performance.
• Experience maintaining policies, compliance records, or organisational documentation.
• Experience coordinating staff training and maintaining training records.
• Experience with health and safety administration, risk assessments, and workplace compliance.
• Experience within a charity, church, ministry, or values-driven organisation.
• Experience identifying and improving organisational systems and processes.

GFA WORLD’S STATEMENT OF FAITH

We Believe:

•    That the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God, given to us by the Church – “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
•    The Nicene Creed to be the official Creed of the Holy Church.
•    In one God, Creator of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that these three are co-eternal and of equal dignity and power.
•    In the deity of Jesus Christ; His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit; His virgin birth; His sinless life; His death on a cross; His bodily resurrection; His ascension to the right hand of the Father; and His personal, imminent return.
•    That man was created by and for God; that by man’s disobeying God, every person incurred spiritual death, which meant they were no longer in communion with God, and physical death was the consequence; and that all people are given the option of being redeemed and restored to God.
•    The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins and that all who believe in Him are declared righteous because of His victory over death and are, therefore, in right relationship with God.
•    Salvation means far more than being “saved from sin; we are saved for sonship, to be divinely adopted sons and daughters of God. Forgiveness is the precondition for God’s greater gift, the gift that will last beyond our death: the gift of divine life” (1 Corinthians 15:3-7).
•    Believers in Christ are destined to share in the life of the Holy Trinity. Sharing in the life of God, as God has shared in our humanity (1 Peter 1:4).
•    In the present ministry of the Holy Spirit indwelling all believers and thus enabling and empowering the life and ministry of the believer.
•    In the bodily resurrection of everyone who has lived, the everlasting blessedness of those in right relationship with God, and eternal separation for those who have rejected God’s forgiveness in His Son.
•    The sacrament of marriage to be ordained by God as a holy union between one man and one woman as biologically defined at birth.

OUR DESIRE

To be devout followers of Christ and to fulfil His Great Commission amongst people still waiting to hear His name for the first time, by training up, sending out, and assisting qualified labourers in partnership with the body of Christ

OUR CORE VALUES

1. Knowing the lord Jesus more fully & intimately
2. Being a people of integrity and excellence
3. Living in submission to God’s word
4. Being a people of faith
5. Being a people committed to prayer & worship
6. Having a servant lifestyle
7. Being a people of grace & love
8. Serving sacrificially
9. Being a people sold out to win the lost at any cost
10. Working together with the body of Christ

THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made; being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and died and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And we believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen

The Youth Endowment Fund 

Senior Evaluation Manager

Reports to: Head of Evaluation

Salary: £54,300 

Location: Central London, hybrid* 

Contract: 24 months full-time (Fixed term contract) 

Application deadline:  5pm, Monday 6th July 2026 

About the Youth Endowment Fund 

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. 

All of us will experience violence at some point in our lives. For many children, it is a daily reality. Each year, tens of children are killed, hundreds are hospitalised, 1 in 5 teenage children are victims and the majority admit to feeling afraid of violence. It scares them when they travel home from school, prevents them from going out and makes the most vulnerable feel like they don’t matter. It is taking lives, traumatising families and dividing communities. It robs potential, progress and hope. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The Youth Endowment Fund exists to try and permanently change things. To succeed, we must build an exceptional body of knowledge about violence affecting young people and how we reduce it. This knowledge has to be both rigorous and highly relevant to those making decisions about how to support vulnerable young people. We need to find out what works and what doesn’t through evidence synthesis, data analysis and qualitative research into children’s lives. We need to convert this into highly accessible content on what works, how delivery organisations need to change their practice and how the systems they operate in need to be reformed. We then need to work with the right people that can make change happen, across systems, policies and practice, to have a real impact on reducing violence affecting children’s lives. 

The evaluation team contributes to the design and implementation of the fund’s various funding rounds. The team is also responsible for assessing, appointing, monitoring, and the quality assurance of rigorous impact evaluations from experts in the field. The Senior Evaluation Manager will play a key role in leading evaluation work. The post holder will also lead a team of evaluation managers, ensuring they have the support to deliver a portfolio of evaluation projects. 

Key responsibilities 

The core of your job is to ensure that we are excellent at evaluation, so that we can find out the very best ways to prevent young people and children from becoming involved in violence. 

Evaluation 

Working with the Head of Evaluation the post holder will: 

• Implement the processes for assessing the quality of evidence underpinning applications to the fund and making funding recommendations to the Grants and Evaluation Committee. 

• Shape the evaluation approach for individual grant rounds, including leading on this for a small number of rounds. 

• Act as a source of expertise on the statistical underpinnings of YEF’s evaluation work, including on issues such as  power calculations, regression analysis and  missing data.

• Lead the delivery of YEF’s evaluation work, designing, commissioning and managing complex and large-scale RCTs and QEDs

• Be responsible for YEF’s evaluation policies and reporting templates, ensuring they remain consistent and fit for purpose. 

• Be responsible for the ongoing development of YEF’s commissioning guidance. 

Team management 

The post holder will likely lead the recruitment, management and development of a team of evaluation officers and will: 

• Ensure they have the knowledge, skills and support to carry out their work effectively. 

• Provide regular feedback and coaching on written outputs. 

• Supervise and project manage the team’s evaluation work, providing quality assurance and monitoring of progress against project plans and project budgets. 

Collaborative working 

The post holder will contribute to the wider YEF team and will: 

• Be accountable to YEF’s Fund Leadership Team for the delivery of evaluations, on time and on budget, including reporting on risks and issues. 

• Work closely with colleagues across YEF and specifically the Programme team. 

• Ensure high-quality evidence is at the heart of all YEF activity and that the evidence we produce is communicated in a clear and accessible way which will drive sustainable change. 

• Support the management of YEF’s panel of evaluators and expert panel 

General 

The post holder may be involved in other elements of YEF's projects, working with senior colleagues to commission, scope and deliver projects. 

About you 

You are this sort of person: 

• You don't want your days to pass without making a difference. You want to play a significant part in reducing the level of youth violence and see the value in an evidence-informed approach.

• You are an excellent communicator. You can produce technical documents that accurately report methodological and statistical information. You will combine this with experience of communicating complex evidence and analysis in a simple and accessible format to non- experts. 

• You have a post-graduate degree (Masters or PhD) in social science, social policy, public health, health services or other field, with a significant quantitative component, or relevant experience equivalent to a Masters qualification. 

• You have strong knowledge, experience and technical expertise in evaluation methodologies including experience of RCT design and/or design of complex quasi-experimental evaluations (e.g. propensity score matching, regression discontinuity design, instrumental variables). 

• You have quantitative analysis skills  including experience of using advanced analytical software such as R, Stata or SPSS. 

• You have significant experience in carrying out or commissioning research including designing all aspects of the research and managing external contractors.  This may be in academia, government or a related sector. 

• You have strong relationship management skills. You are comfortable working with a wide range of people, including senior academics and other research experts, children and their families, practitioners, and policy makers. You’re able to provide constructive challenge when required.

• You bring the best out of your colleagues.You have experience in leading teams and managing others to achieve amazing results. You can both take and give direction. You are collaborative and a team player, able to build strong relationships across the whole organisation. You are happy to help out when and where it’s needed. 

• You have excellent project and time management skills and the ability to deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment. 

• You learn fast but remain humble. You like learning. You’re very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know and that you can always learn more.

• You work well in a team. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You support your colleagues to produce excellent work.

• You’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. You believe and act in a way that celebrates and encourages a range of experiences, views and values. 

You may have, but they are not essential: 

• A good level of knowledge and understanding of crime or serious violence. You know the facts, understand the issues, know the key people, and can discuss the theories. You’re knowledgeable on this topic and very at ease discussing it with experts. Alternatively, you might have a strong understanding of a relevant area such as education, youth work or social care.   

While it is not a criterion, we are especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of youth violence. 

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background. 

Hybrid Working Details    

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office for a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.     

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage. 

To apply 

To apply, please send a CV, cover letter and the monitoring form via our application page by 5:00pm on Monday 6th July 

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter can answer, within a maximum of 1000 words, the following questions:    

1. Tell us about why you want to work at the Youth Endowment Fund, and any experience you have that demonstrates your commitment to preventing youth violence.   
2. Tell us about your experience in designing, commissioning and managing evaluations. We’re particularly interested in hearing about the methodologies and tools you’ve used to ensure evaluations are rigorous and produce robust evidence.   
3. How do you ensure that your work – whether technical analysis or collaborative evaluation management – is inclusive and accessible?  

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission. 

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Interview process 

Shortlisted candidates will be sent a technical task to complete before the interview. Interviews will take place on the week commencing 20th July 2026. 

Personal data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area. 

This is a hands-on role that moves between two registers: structured qualitative research with proper analytical underpinning, and fast-turnaround reactive policy work. You will need to be genuinely comfortable in both able to run a multi-month thematic publication and turn around a tight briefing or consultation response within 48-72 hours when a policy window opens.

The role will lead The Difference's qualitative research and insight function, including research workstreams tied to the Difference Schools Partnership's annual thematic priorities, and our Harmful and Abusive Behaviours (HaB) workstream convening a sector council to build a shared framework for how schools understand and respond to peer-on-peer harm. You will produce briefings, evidence submissions and publications, manage external research partners, and work with the CEO, Head of Policy and Communications team to launch research with real impact. The role reports to the Head of Policy and works closely with colleagues across Strategy, Research and Programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead The Difference's qualitative research and insight function, running research workstreams tied to annual DSP thematic priorities and emerging strands on MAT inclusion and LA working
• Design and deliver qualitative research with schools, MATs and local authorities interviews, focus groups, school visits and thematic analysis  translating findings into evidence and policy recommendations
• Lead the Harmful and Abusive Behaviours research workstream, convening a sector council, producing briefing material and managing the route from convening to publication
• Produce timely, citable evidence for policy influence  including drafting briefings, consultation responses and evidence submissions on fast turnaround
• Project manage publication cycles from scoping through to launch, working with coalition and media partners to maximise reach and tracking policy traction post-launch
• Brief, manage and integrate the outputs of external research partners where commissioned (e.g. FFT Datalab, Pro Bono Economics)
• Capture and develop case studies from DSP schools and the wider Difference network

About The Difference

• Every day, the equivalent of 5,500 children are suspended from England's schools, doubling their likelihood of being NEET by 24. The Difference is a young education charity founded to change this story through whole school inclusion. We train school leaders, carry out our own research, and turn frontline insights into policy recommendations lobbying Ofsted and the Department for Education to improve funding and support for inclusion. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030.

About You

Essential

• Dual capability across reactive and structured research : comfortable producing tight briefings on a 48–72 hour turnaround and running multi-month qualitative publications
• Experience in education research, policy research or applied social research, with examples of published, commissioned or internally-influential work
• Strong qualitative research skills : interview and focus group design, thematic coding, framework development, synthesis across multiple sources
• Persuasive writing for mixed audiences : able to write clearly and concisely for policymakers, school leaders, the press and the sector, and comfortable ghost-writing for senior colleagues
• Project management discipline : able to run multiple workstreams in parallel, manage your own deadlines, and keep colleagues and external partners on track
• Comfortable working at pace in a fast-moving environment where priorities shift as policy windows open and close : self-directed, flexible and able to make good judgement calls under pressure
• Shared values with The Difference and personal commitment to improving life outcomes for young people

Desired

• Strong working understanding of UK education policy, particularly around inclusion, exclusion, SEND, accountability and school improvement
• Confident data literacy and basic quantitative analysis : comfortable interrogating population-level datasets and translating findings into accessible policy language
• Understanding of why language matters when writing about behaviour, exclusion and vulnerability, and the ability to frame behaviour as a signal of unmet need consistently across all work
• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people
• Experience of working in or with schools, multi-academy trusts or local authorities
• Existing relationships in education research, policy or sector organisations

Please see the attached Job Description for full role details and person specification.

We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector. As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and protected characteristics redacted.