Evaluation Manager

Responsible to:

Director of Policy Research & Impact

Contract type:

Part-time working 3 days a week between Mon-Thur

Fixed-term contract for 18 months initially

Closing date:

21st July 2024 at 23:59

Interviews:

We will be interviewing on a rolling basis, please apply as soon as possible

 

Who we are

Speakers for Schools is the largest social mobility charity in the UK. We help to level the playing field between state and independent schools by giving all young people access to the same prestigious networks available to the top fee-paying schools.

We believe that by inspiring young people to explore their ambitions through our speaker programme, facilitating access to multi-day experiences of the world of work, and supporting young people to successfully seize opportunities available to them, then we can make a profound difference to the lives of young people, their future happiness and prosperity.

By 2028, our ambition is that every young person in the UK has access to high quality work experience. Yet today, less than half of young people leave secondary school having had any work experience whatsoever. 

Role Summary

Speakers For Schools is looking for a senior and experienced Evaluation Manager to lead and oversee an impact evaluation of its newly funded programme, ‘IntoTech’. This role requires a dedicated professional to manage the day-to-day operations of an independent evaluation conducted by an external agency.

The Evaluation Manager will ensure the project is executed smoothly, meets its objectives, and delivers high-quality, actionable insights. This position is ideal for someone with strong project management skills, a solid background in evaluation methodologies, and the ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders.  

The Evaluation Manager works closely with the Director of Policy, Research and Impact and the Director of Programme and Delivery to ensure the successful implementation of the project. The successful candidate will be the main point of contact for the evaluation delivery, and it involves a great level of internal and external stakeholder engagement and communication skills.  

Key Duties / Responsibilities:

Strategic Purpose: 

·       Lead the evaluation project, ensuring it adheres to timelines, budget, and quality standards.  

·       Serve as the primary point of contact between the external evaluation agency, internal stakeholders and the funder.  

·       Monitor the progress of the evaluation, addressing any issues that arise and ensuring that milestones are met. 

·       Make informed, timely, and effective decisions to drive the project forward. The candidate should be able to analyse complex situations, consider various perspectives, and choose the best course of action to resolve issues and make progress. 

Engagement: 

·       Coordination and facilitation of effective communication and collaboration among all parties involved, including staff, partners, and the evaluation agency. 

·       Build and maintain strong relationships with a diverse range of internal stakeholders, including the Programmes and Delivery Directorate, Technology and Data team and Communications 

·       Collaborate with the Data Compliance team to ensure adherence to data integrity and security standards  

·       Prepare and present regular updates to senior management and the funding body, highlighting key findings and progress. 

Delivery: 

·       Conduct regular checks and audits to ensure data quality, completeness, and integrity.

·       Work closely with the evaluators to address any discrepancies or issues identified during data collection or analysis. 

·       Develop a how-to-guide for future impact evaluations for the charity and design a knowledge transfer tool during the course of the project  

·       Develop and implement processes for data validation and verification to improve accuracy and reliability. 

·       Adherence to data compliance, standards, guidelines, and best practices to ensure our data integrity and consistency. 

·       Ensure safeguarding best practices are embedded in all organisational activities. 

 Note: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties required.

 Skills / Experience / Knowledge:

Essential

·       Minimum of 5 years of experience in evaluation, impact or a related field. 

·       Knowledge and experience of both quantitative & qualitative research and evaluation methods, tools and techniques 

·       Highly numerate and computer literate, including advanced Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint skills, as well as a wider range of project management, CRM and internal communication tools 

·       Experience in analysing, interpreting and presenting data; Familiarity with evaluation methodologies and best practices 

·       Strong verbal and written communication skills 

·       Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and quality 

·       Able to develop and lead strong internal and external relationships 

·       Proactive and positive problem solver, self-starter and start-finisher 

 

Desirable

·       Knowledge of the specific sector related to the funding (e.g., education, technology, community development, careers education/employability). 

·       Skill in developing training and professional development programmes to build the capacity of staff and partners to contribute to impact and quality efforts. 

·       The ability to identify innovative approaches and technologies that can enhance impact and quality for the charity in the long term  

·       Familiarity with quality assurance frameworks  

Speakers for Schools Values

PASSION: 

We are committed to levelling the playing field for young people across the UK, creating social mobility and tackling disadvantages.

AGILITY: 

We challenge our ideas of what is possible in order to better meet the needs of those we support. We are human, make mistakes, learn, evolve and adapt.

INTEGRITY: 

We act with empathy and bring our authentic selves to work every day. We value and respect the talent, time and intentions of those we work with.

COLLABORATION: 

We are one team with one mission and only by working together can we deliver better outcomes for young people. We support each other unconditionally and feel motivation in shared success as well as individual progress.

DIVERSITY: 

We know it takes people with different ideas, strengths, identities, interests, and cultural backgrounds to make our organisation succeed. We encourage constructive debate and critical friendship.

 Benefits offered at Speakers for Schools:

·      25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and option to purchase annual leave

·      Morning of your birthday off

·      Pension scheme

·      3 voluntary days per year

·      Wellbeing programme

·      Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption package

·      Subsidised office furniture

·      £500 a year training allowance

Diversity at our core

Speakers for schools is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and encouraging equality and diversity among our workforces. As a Disability Confident Employer, we acknowledge that some candidates may require additional support to overcome barriers experienced during the application process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please reach out to us.

The Application Process:

Please apply as soon as possible by submitting your application through our recruitment portal.

The deadline to submit your application is 21st July 2024 at 23:59.

 We will be interviewing on a rolling basis, please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Please note that we reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Speakers for Schools is committed to safeguarding the young people we work with and expects all staff members to share this commitment. Appointees are subject to a DBS check.   Having a criminal record will not automatically exclude applicants. You are also required to have the Right to Work in the UK for this role.

 If you have not heard from us two weeks after the closing date, please presume your application has been unsuccessful.