About the job:

Role Purpose
 
As Research Manager, you will lead the design, development, commissioning, delivery and dissemination of ETF's research, evaluation and policy insight portfolio. You will be responsible for ensuring that ETF produces high-quality, impactful and methodologically rigorous research that strengthens the evidence base for policy, practice and workforce development across the Further Education and Skills sector. 

You will provide leadership across ETF's research activity, managing the research team and overseeing a programme of internally delivered and externally commissioned projects. You will play a key role in identifying emerging research priorities, building partnerships with academic institutions and sector bodies, securing externally funded and collaborative research opportunities, and ensuring research findings are translated into actionable insights for diverse audiences. 

Working closely with senior leaders across ETF and external stakeholders, you will champion the use of evidence in programme design, strategic decision-making and sector improvement, helping position ETF as a leading voice in research and thought leadership across the FE and Skills sector. 

This role is fixed term until 28 February 2027.

Responsibilities 

Research Strategy, Development and Delivery

• Lead the design, development and implementation of ETF's research and evaluation programme, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and sector needs.
• Develop and maintain a proactive research pipeline that identifies emerging policy, practice and workforce development issues affecting the FE and skills sector.
• Support and facilitate the planning, design and delivery of ETF’s Research Community initiative, including delivery and hosting of sessions.
• Lead complex research and evaluation projects, including literature reviews, mixed-method studies, impact evaluations, and longitudinal research.
• Ensure all research activities are delivered to the highest standards of methodological rigour, ethics, quality assurance and data protection.
• Oversee the production of high-quality reports, briefings, evidence reviews and thought leadership outputs that influence policy and practice.
• Develop systems and processes for monitoring the quality, progress and impact of the research portfolio.
• Drive the continuous improvement of research methodologies, tools and practices across the organisation.

Research Funding, Bids and Partnerships

• Seek out and develop research proposals, funding applications and competitive bids, proactively identifying opportunities for collaborative and externally funded research.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with funders, government departments, sector bodies, academic institutions, think tanks and research organisations.
• Represent ETF within research networks, conferences and stakeholder forums, strengthening the organisation's profile and influence.
• Establish and manage collaborative research partnerships which extend ETF's research capability and impact.
• Identify opportunities to leverage external funding and partnership arrangements to increase the scale and reach of ETF's research activity.

Commissioning and Research Management

• Lead the commissioning of external research and evaluation providers, including development of specifications, procurement processes and contract management.
• Ensure commissioned projects deliver high-quality outputs on time, within budget and to agreed standards.
• Monitor risks across the research portfolio and implement mitigation strategies as required.
• Oversee project governance arrangements and provide regular progress reports to senior stakeholders.

Leadership and Team Management

• Manage, support and develop members of the research team, creating a positive and high-performing research culture.
• Set objectives, provide coaching and undertake performance management activities.
• Build research capability across ETF by promoting best practice in evidence generation, evaluation and knowledge mobilisation.
• Support colleagues across the organisation to utilise evidence effectively within programme design, implementation and strategic planning.
• Foster a culture of innovation, curiosity and continuous professional development within the team.

Insight, Influence and Impact

• Analyse and interpret complex qualitative and quantitative evidence to provide strategic insight and recommendations.
• Lead the translation of research findings into accessible outputs for a range of audiences including policymakers, practitioners, senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to ETF's policy engagement, thought leadership and public affairs activity through evidence-based analysis.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact and influence of ETF's research outputs and wider evidence portfolio.
• Ensure evidence and insight are effectively communicated across the organisation to inform strategic and operational decision-making.

Use Information and Write Reports

• Produce high-quality reports, board papers, strategic briefings and presentations for senior internal and external audiences.
• Analyse large and complex datasets to identify trends, insights and opportunities for sector improvement.
• Develop impactful data visualisations and evidence summaries to support decision-making.
• Present research findings confidently to a wide range of audiences including government officials, sector leaders, academics and practitioners.

Use of generative AI in carrying out your responsibilities is expected.
 

Your profile

The successful candidate will have:

Experience, Skills and Knowledge

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject area and/or equivalent professional experience
• Significant experience leading and delivering complex research and evaluation projects 
• Strong knowledge of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method research approaches
• Experience managing research staff, consultants or project teams 
• Proven experience commissioning and managing externally delivered research projects 
• Experience developing successful research bids, funding proposals or grant applications 
• Strong understanding of the UK education and skills policy landscape, ideally within Further Education 
• Experience translating complex evidence into practical recommendations and accessible outputs 
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with experience interpreting complex datasets 
• Excellent report writing, presentation and communication skills 
• Experience building productive relationships with senior stakeholders and external partners
• Thorough understanding of research ethics, GDPR and data governance requirements
• Experience using data analysis software and digital research tools  
• Experience managing multiple projects, budgets and competing priorities simultaneously 

Personal Qualities

• Demonstrates commitment to ETF's values
• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to identify emerging trends and opportunities
• Highly credible and confident communicator with excellent influencing skills
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to develop others and build high performing teams
• Proactive, innovative and solution-focused approach to work
• Demonstrates sound judgement and decision-making skills
• Commitment to evidence-informed practice and continuous improvement
• Demonstrates knowledge, understanding and personal commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

Information

Internal and external contacts that this role liaises with include:

• ETF Executive Team and senior leadership
• Programme and policy teams across ETF
• Research Officers and other members of the Impact & Evaluation team
• Government departments and public agencies
• Universities and academic researchers
• Research consultancies and evaluation providers
• Further Education providers and sector representative bodies
• Funding organisations and grant-making bodies
• Think tanks and policy organisations
• National and regional stakeholder networks

Benefits:

Benefits:

• London Allowance of £1,000 p/a for London office-based staff to support commuting costs
• Life Assurance (4x basic salary upon death, please keep your nomination updated)
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) 
• Simplyhealth Health Cash Plan (funded by ETF)
• Flexible Working/Working from home
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Volunteering leave – 5 days in total (3 days paid and 2 days unpaid)
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loans
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicle lease scheme (TBC in 2027)
• CPD Opportunities (apprenticeships and contributions to personal professional memberships