Senior Director – Quantitative Impact Evaluation Hub Lead

Full Job Description

Senior Director – Quantitative Impact Evaluation Hub Lead

London, Westminster – Hybrid working available

Full/part-time

Permanent

Please submit your application by April 30th

Verian (formerly Kantar Public) is one of the leading social research, evaluation, and advisory agencies in the UK . We have over 150 specialist researchers and evaluators, and an office in the heart of Westminster. Our specialist teams create the evidence required for some of the biggest decisions in the country. We advise clients on public policy design, ground-breaking behaviour change programmes, and provide national statistics and longitudinal data.

Policy and programme evaluation is one of the fastest expanding areas in social research today. There is an increasing focus within the UK government on more and better evaluation, including impact evaluation. As one of the top two providers of evaluations to the UK government, Verian already has a wide portfolio of national evaluation studies covering a wide range of policy areas, including housing (e.g. infrastructure, support housing, and homelessness), crime (e.g drugs, anti-social behaviour, and violence against women and girls), education (e.g. with pupils, parents and adult learners), energy and climate change.

The role

Joining as a Senior Director, you will be leading the Quantitative Impact Evaluation (QIE) Hub within the Evaluation Practice at Verian UK. The QIE Hub leads on the acquisition and delivery of impact evaluations based on mixed-methods theory-based approaches, experimental or quasi-experimental designs and analytical methods including: randomised controlled trials, matching, synthetic control method, difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity design, interrupted time series, and other econometric techniques for assessing causality.

One of our core competitive advantages is our ability to combine methodological expertise and industry-leading primary data collection capabilities, with client and sector understanding. This enables us to deliver robust, impactful, policy-relevant work. As the QIE Hub lead you will lead and contribute to impact evaluations in close collaboration with policy specialists and our dedicated research methods team (who specialise in quantitative research design and analysis).

You will also lead on the development of the QIE strategy for the Evaluation Practice in the UK, including the identification of market trends, key clients, potential partners, and competitors in the impact evaluation arena. You will be showcasing our impact evaluation work externally, whilst also building capacity internally.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead proposal development in support of new business , including coordinating and writing technical proposals, identifying experts and partners, and creating proposal budgets
• Lead the delivery of impact evaluation projects, and other quantitative and mixed-methods research, including scoping studies
• Oversee the full impact evaluation data cycle including defining analysis plans, leading feasibility assessments, developing survey instruments, overseeing data collection and analysis, and disseminating results through written reports, briefing notes, presentations and workshops with stakeholders in the UK public sphere
• Manage and develop the QIE Hub team, within the Evaluation Practice, consisting of junior and senior evaluators and quantitative data analysts
• Provide quality assurance to impact evaluation projects and quantitative research studies
• Contribute to technical leadership by leading on knowledge management, thought leadership, and capacity building on QIE within the Evaluation Practice
• Strategy development, supporting the Evaluation Practice team lead to continue developing our quantitative impact evaluation offer, as well as support the development of other aspects of the Evaluation Practice strategy (e.g. VFM/Economic Evaluation).
• Maximise the impact of Verian’s work through the delivery of high-quality impact evaluation producing evidence that inform the UK policy agenda, and showcasing our work at national and international conferences

Required skills and experience

• Degree and post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline (economics or other appropriate social or data science disciplines)
• Graduate level training and advanced quantitative technical knowledge, including in experimental and quasi-experimental designs and econometric analysis
• Experience leading and managing large evaluation and impact evaluation projects, including monitoring and evaluation data management and analysis experience
• Experience leading projects with substantial survey components
• Experience managing teams of researchers, evaluators and/or data analysts
• Highly organised, with track record in delivering projects to quality, timetable and within budget
• Strong client handling skills
• Strong writing skills and delivery/verbal presentation skills to clients
• At least 10 years of impact evaluation design and delivery expertise
• Fluency working in Stata and/or R, including programming skills

Preferred skills and experience

• Experience/understanding of key administrative datasets in sectors such as education, energy and net zero, crime and justice etc
• Familiarity with qualitative, mixed-methods, and theory-based approaches
• Experience in economic evaluation methods (CBA, CEA, etc)
• Demonstrated experience working in the UK evaluation domestic sector, including experience working with UK Government Departments and/or the What Works Centres
• Active interest and/or experience in one of the following policy areas: education; energy and net zero; crime and justice; and innovation, science and technology
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications and/or conference participations

What we offer

You will be surrounded by passionate colleagues in an open and engaging environment, where people feel included, accepted, and are allowed to thrive in a space where wellbeing is prioritised.

We believe in work-life balance, and we are committed to flexible working and operate a hybrid working model.

We encourage applications from all sections of society and do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status or any other legally protected characteristics.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

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