Head of Research: Evaluation and Qualitative Methods London or Leicester (with hybrid working)
About Us We’re Learning and Work Institute, an independent policy and research organisation focused on lifelong learning and better work.
We're dedicated to tackling the big challenges of today. How do we help more people find work and build successful careers in a changing jobs market? How do we empower citizens to be active, engaged members of their communities? How can adults continually develop their skills throughout their lifetime?
We’re now looking for a Head of Research: Evaluation and Qualitative Methods to enhance our Research Team on a full-time, permanent basis. Requests for flexible working will be considered with a minimum option of 0.6 FTE, working condensed hours with flexible start and finish times.
Your Rewards Salary of £45,650 - £59,080 per annum (pro rata for part-time), dependent on experience and location
31 days' holiday increasing to 33 days after 5 years’ service, of which 3 are shutdown days in addition to public holidays (pro rata for part-time)
Company pension scheme with 8% employer contribution
Group Life Assurance 3*salary
Hybrid working: 40-60% in an L&W office. Our offices for this role are currently in Leicester and London, but if you are based elsewhere, please contact us to talk about how the role could work for you
Employee Development Scheme
Enhanced occupational maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental pay
Enhanced occupational sick pay
Eye care scheme
Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programme
Gold award in Investors in People
This is an exceptional opportunity for a talented research and programme management professional to take their next step with our vital national charity.
You'll be playing a leading role across our organisation, providing training to upskill our team, supporting tenders to aid our funding, and driving change across our research programmes, meaning this is the perfect role for those who love challenge, thrive with variety and are eager to enhance their own skills.
What's more, you'll be joining a purpose-driven organisation that delivers real impact locally and nationally and is enthusiastic about learning and improving, so you know this is the right role for both now and your future career.
Your Role As the Head of Research: Evaluation and Qualitative Methods, you will be taking on a brand new role directing research projects across all our areas of work, developing research skills within our team and playing a vital role in tender responses.
Specifically, you will provide leadership and expertise to programme and systems-level evaluations and projects. You will utilise innovative or advanced qualitative methods, such as system mapping, co-design methods, ethnographic methods, creative methods and/or theory-based/realist evaluation, to ensure accurate outcomes for our research.
Working with colleagues to develop proactive research proposals, you will seek to build external relationships with funding commissioners and shape projects to deliver meaningful insights that solve the problems practitioners and policymakers face.
Additionally, you will:
Line manage members of the R&D team
Write and contribute to reactive and proactive funding proposals
Identify potential research partners
Ensure that all projects generate meaningful insights and recommendations
Act as Project Director for research and evaluation projects
Help develop appropriate comms and influencing plans for projects
About You To be considered as the Head of Research: Evaluation and Qualitative Methods, you will need:
Experience of delivering and directing high-quality programme evaluation and policy-relevant research, shaping research plans, working with funders and delivering meaningful insights
Experience of responding to research and evaluation tenders and writing proposals
Experience of managing, supporting and developing researchers and research managers
Advanced qualitative evaluation and research skills, e.g. one or more of theory-based evaluation, ethnographic methods, creative/art-based methods, co-design methods, system-level evaluation
Effective and efficient relationship management skills
A clear and direct written communication style
The closing date for this role is the 20th February 2026.
Other organisations may call this role Head of Research Evaluation, Head of Qualitative Research, Senior Research Manager, or Research Fellow.
Webrecruit and the Learning and Work Institute are equal opportunities employers, value diversity, and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business, and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.
So, if you want to take your career to the next level as our Head of Research: Evaluation and Qualitative Methods, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.
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