Research Associate - National Youth Agency
Contract: 12-month Fixed Term Contract (with potential to extend)
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £30,000 – £35,000 per annum, dependent on experience
Remote: This role is 100% homebased with occasional travel for staff residentials and other events.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join our Knowledge Team, working alongside two existing Research Associates and a Data Analyst.
You will be integral in delivering research, data, and insights that support organisational development and programme delivery across NYA.
We are looking for an experienced mixed-methods researcher with a strong understanding of social research and evaluation approaches. Ideally, you will have experience working in or alongside the youth sector and be confident using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
You’ll need to be flexible, proactive, and a strong communicator, able to explain complex ideas to varied audiences.
This role is ideal for someone looking to make a tangible difference through evidence-led approaches that shape policy, practice, and impact in youth work.
Key responsibilities for this role will include:
- Designing and delivering research projects using a range of methods including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
- Supporting the development of the NYA research and data hub, including external research collation and data visualisation.
- Leading on evaluations to meet funder requirements and contribute to NYA’s growing evidence base.
- Analysing data from NYA programmes to support impact measurement.
- Promoting evidence-based practice across NYA and the wider youth sector.
- Communicating findings clearly through reports, briefings, and presentations.
- Managing research projects and collaborating with internal and external partners to deliver on time and to quality.
- Responding to internal and external research enquiries.
The ideal candidate will have experience in social research, familiarity with various research methodologies, and the ability to communicate complex findings to diverse audiences.
Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.
Why Work for NYA?
NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.life with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.
How to Apply:
Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Monday 12th May 2025:
A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the
About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.
Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it. As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
REF-221126
Registered Charity 
21 - 50
Thank you!
The Countess of Brecknock Hospice provides expert, compassionate palliative care to people with life-limiting illnesses in Andover and the surrounding areas. Care is delivered both within the hospice’s beautiful new premises and out in the local community — and made possible by the generosity of local people and the work of our dedicated charity team.
The Countess of Brecknock Hospice Charity is now seeking an experienced and inspirational Deputy Charity Director & Fundraiser to help shape and grow our future. This is a pivotal new role, created at an exciting moment of expansion, and offers the opportunity to significantly increase our fundraising capacity, strengthen our impact and deepen our reach across the community.
If you are a strategic, hands-on fundraising leader with a strong track record of income growth across a variety of streams, we would love to hear from you. You will bring fresh thinking and proven experience in engaging individual supporters, trusts, corporates and the wider community — along with the drive and resilience to grow income from £800k to over £1m in the next few years.
This is a varied, rewarding role in a small, passionate team, where your ideas will be welcomed, and your impact will be clear.
Role: Deputy Charity Director & Fundraiser
Location: Offices based at the Countess of Brecknock Hospice in Andover, with some flexibility for hybrid working
Salary: circa £50,000 per annum depending on experience
Contract: Full-time, permanent (35 hours per week)
Amongst other criteria, the successful candidate will have:
- A proven track record of successful income generation across multiple fundraising streams, ideally including major donors, events, trusts and foundations, legacies, corporate partnerships and community fundraising.
- A proactive and strategic mindset, with the ability to spot opportunities, shape compelling cases for support, and deliver results.
- The confidence to operate at a senior level and deputise for the Charity Director when needed.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to build meaningful, lasting relationships with supporters, donors and volunteers.
- A deep connection to the mission of hospice care, and a commitment to our values of compassion, dignity and respect.
If you would like to receive a full candidate information pack for this role with details on how to apply, please contact Faye Marshall at Harris Hill via the apply button.Tthe Information Pack can also be found as an attachment to this advert.
Closing date for applications: 9am, Tuesday 27th May 2025
Interview Date (in person): Tuesday 3rd June 2025
Harris Hill is a certified B Corp™ and a leading charity recruitment agency, committed to equitable and inclusive recruitment practices. Applications from all sections of the community are actively welcomed, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality or other protected characteristics.
