Policy and research analyst jobs in norwich, norfolk

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

Are you an innovative and certified Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM professional who wishes to be a valued member of a busy and friendly fundraising team, taking responsibility for the management of the charity’s future Dynamics 365 CRM? 

The charity shall shortly begin the discovery phase of its CRM project, to deliver its future Dynamics 365 CRM.  The new Dynamics 365 CRM will be at the heart of the charity’s success, to deliver excellent supporter data quality for its fundraising and communication campaigns to supporters. 

Reporting to the Director of Fundraising, and collaborating closely with the Head of IT, CRM Project Manager and Data Analyst, the CRM Officer shall be a vital and visible role, fundamental to the charity’s fundraising success, to further its vision of a world where every horse is treated with respect, compassion and understanding.

Through your proven Dynamics 365 CRM skills and experience, you will also lead on the charity’s CRM business processes and data quality, collaborating with fundraising, communications, IT and finance stakeholders, colleagues and third party suppliers.

If you want to make real and positive difference to a leading charity’s fundraising and campaigns success, through your professional Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM management skills and experience, then we’d love you to apply.

Location

This position is based remotely.  But you must be a resident of the United Kingdom with all the necessary legislative ‘right to work’ documentation.  You will be required to attend the charity’s head office located in Norfolk a minimum of 6 times per year and this will be at your own expense for travel and accommodation.

About World Horse Welfare

World Horse Welfare is an international equine charity whose vision is a world where every horse is treated with respect, compassion and understanding. 

The charity’s work covers horses in need, sport and leisure, work and production within both the UK and abroad.  The charity runs four farm centres for rehabilitation and outreach work within the UK. The charity has four key strategic themes under which its programmes of work nationally and internationally are structured, these are: Care, Research, Education and Influence.

In 2023, the charity fundraised c. £15.6 million, including significant Legacy income.

Benefits include a generous pension scheme and cash health plan, paid employee sickness absence scheme, a minimum of 31 days’ holiday (including bank/public holidays and mandatory shutdown between Christmas and New Year) and death in service.

World Horse Welfare is committed to championing equality and diversity in all aspects of employment and in the services that it provides. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQ+ and disabled people.