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Research Evaluation and Impact Officer

Permanent

35 hours/week

£30,500 per annum
Location: Remote, with occasional travel to the London office

Benefits include but not limited to:

• 36 days’ annual leave, inclusive of flexible bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• We match up to 8% pension
• Free counselling service
• Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
• 2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us:
The Children’s Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

About the role:
You’ll play a key part in our Research, Evaluation and Impact team, working closely with colleagues in our practice teams throughout the commissioning and delivery of independent evaluation and learning exercises, providing technical expertise on methods, drafting tenders, and maintaining relationships with evaluators. You may also contribute to the development and piloting of methods and instruments, organising and conducting fieldwork, collecting and analysing data, contributing to internally and externally published reports and their dissemination, and to the ongoing development of work on understanding and demonstrating the organisation's impact.

We’re looking for a dedicated and skilled Research, Evaluation and Impact Officer with the ability to support colleagues across the organisation to manage external evaluations and to contribute to the development of the organisation's evidence base, making a real impact in the lives of children and young people.

Key skills and experience:

The required skills and competencies for this role are:

• Skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Relevant IT skills (Microsoft Office)
• Skills in engaging with a wide range of people
• Excellent organisational skills
• Understanding of research and evaluation methodologies
• Understanding of safeguarding and the ethical issues involved in undertaking research/evaluation with young people into sensitive topics areas
• Previous experience of at least one year of undertaking social research/ evaluation and/or a relevant postgraduate degree

It would also be an advantage if you have any of the following skills and competencies:

• Proficiency in use of data analysis software (e.g. SPSS, NVivo)
• Understanding of statistics
• Understanding of child-centred research/evaluation methodologies - and commitment to incorporating young people's voices in research/evaluation
• Knowledge of topics relevant to young people
• Previous experience in a paid research/evaluation role
• Working within a team, working alone and meeting deadlines
• Experience of prioritising within a busy workload
• Working directly with disadvantaged young people in a paid or voluntary capacity
• Experience of analysing quantitative data - including large datasets - and writing up findings
• Supporting the delivery of evaluation projects by independent contractors

Closing date: Midnight on 6th November 2026
Interviews: W/B 16th November 2026 (exact date TBC)

The Children’s Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.

In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You’re welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.

IN3