Role description
The Research Programme Manager (RPM) is a key member of the HACT Services Team, with responsibility for successfully managing the delivery of research and consultancy projects across HACT’s Services portfolio. HACT’s Services portfolio has four key workstream, including: social value, health, data and housing and communities.
The RPM role involves the design and development of research and consultancy projects; set up and ongoing management of these projects; and effective engagement with HACT colleagues and Associates, partners and other stakeholders to ensure that work is delivered to a high standard of quality. The ideal candidate will bring strong programme management skills, interest in HACT’s areas of work, and a proven track record of managing research and consultancy projects throughout the project lifecycle.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include:
• Leading on the design, set up, management and delivery of multiple research and consultancy projects across the HACT Services portfolio.
• Implementing robust project management processes and protocols, in line with best practice. This will involve routinely reviewing risks, issues and progress and taking actions as necessary to ensure minimum impact on project deadlines.
• Developing and implementing appropriate research methodologies, evaluation
strategies and research tools and analysis into research and consultancy projects.
• Leading on the production of high-quality research and consultancy project outputs, including formal outputs, informal progress updates to customers/partners etc, with input from the Head of Services and other colleagues as relevant.
• Providing support to project teams, including Associates, to ensure work is delivered to time and quality expectations, and within budget. This will involve coordinating and managing resources and information flows and ensuring quality assurance process take place on project outputs.
• Liaising with customers to set up and deliver projects, including leading on initial scoping work and development of project plans, progress meetings with customers and functioning as the nominated key project contact at HACT.
• Working with HACT’s communications team to develop powerful case studies, highlighting successful outputs and outcomes of the projects.
• Supporting income generation, in collaboration with other HACT staff, including contributing to research tenders and developing project ideas.
• Representing HACT with key stakeholders and at sector events.
• Staying abreast of issues in the social housing, built environment and health sectors, and feeding these into HACT work.
• Undertaking any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post.
• Travel and occasional overnight stays across the UK will be required.
Skills and Experience
Essential
- Minimum three years of experience of managing the delivery of research and/or consultancy projects to meet funders’ requirements, including to time and quality
- expectations, within budget.
- Strong Project Management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and project teams simultaneously to tight deadlines.
- Strong organisational and planning skills, that ensure work is effectively prioritised to meet deadlines.
- Excellent time management, with the ability to work on multiple projects
- simultaneously and to tight deadlines whilst maintain quality.
- Ability to develop and utilise appropriate quantitative or qualitative methods and tools to support high quality research and analysis.
- Proven skills in writing for and speaking to a range of audiences to ensure impact
- Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage a range of audiences, stakeholders, funders and partners using different media.
- Experience in developing research proposals and track record of securing funding.
- Ability to work under own initiative, be flexible, and have a proactive approach to problem solving.
- Understanding and application of a range of research methods, including qualitative and quantitative methods
Desriable
- Experience of working in the social housing sector, built environment sector, community sector, or voluntary sector.
- Understanding and application of different evaluative approaches, including process and impact evaluations, Theory of Change
- Understanding of social housing, build environment, community, health or social impact
About HACT
HACT’s products, services, consultancy, and research helps organisations to:
• Calculate social return on investment with rigour by using our Social Value Banks.
• Broker housing and health partnerships, demonstrate the importance of housing in delivering health outcomes and integrate housing into the delivery of health services.
• Measure impact, understand communities and demonstrate the value of community investment work through our insight tools.
• Provide a forum to network with partners to complement and strengthen success of delivery through our Centre for Excellence in Community Investment.
• Connect, share ideas and innovation, and develop sector specific tools such as the UK Housing Data Standards.
• Identify cost benefits, evaluate performance, and deliver strategic insights.
We are a deeply committed team, working with individuals and organisations who share our vision for impact, innovation, and collaboration within social housing and beyond.
To apply, please submit a copy of your CV and a covering letter describing what appeals to you about the role and your suitability for it.
To support the social housing sector to unlock the full potential of its social purpose, for the benefit of residents & local communities
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.