Head of Community Research and Impact

Head of Community Research and Impact

Salary: £45,000 - £54,000

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

All applications must be received by Wednesday 12th March at 11.59pm.

As Head of Community Research and Impact you will lead a small but skilled team, delivering across our client's community research, impact and evaluation and communications functions. You will take a leading role in shaping and delivering their strategic vision for community-led research. Their approach to research aims to rebalance the role and power that communities have in deciding how research is informed, delivered and used to improve lives for Lambeth residents. This role will champion collaborative research practices, foster meaningful partnerships, and ensure their work drives tangible, positive change for the communities they serve.

Our client has built a strong foundation for its community-led research work over the past few years and has developed two flagship community research partnerships: Lambeth Peer Action Collective and Lambeth Community Research Network. They are now seeking an exceptional individual to significantly expand their work in this area to further build local evidence of community need, to work with communities to identify solutions and appropriate responses to local challenges and to advocate for change to policy and practice where needed.

To be successful in this role you will need to be able to develop new research projects which incorporate meaningful community involvement and have the potential to lead to positive change. You will take the lead on the design of new research programmes, sourcing funding to support these programmes and ensuring research projects are completed to a high standard, including the production of high-quality research outputs.

You will also lead the development of infrastructure around community-led research in Lambeth. Through the Lambeth Community Research Network, voluntary and community organisations will be able to access training, resources and networking opportunities that will enable them to build their capacity in developing and delivering new community-led research projects. The network will also create new opportunities for research collaborations between academics, public sector bodies and voluntary and community sector organisations.

As Head of Service, another key function of your role is the leadership and oversight of Monitoring & Evaluation and Communications, including of their partnerships. This allows our client to ensure they continue to deliver services that have the impact they intend, and that this impact is evidenced and communicated to their key stakeholders.

You will bring an understanding of how work and projects should be designed, delivered, and evaluated to ensure they continue to respond to community needs and priorities. You will also instinctively understand the challenges faced by VCS organisations and communities alike, whether gained from a track record of working in the sector or a related field. Our clients work aims to create tangible benefits for all those they work with and you will be excited to ensure that they continue to set the standard for community-led research and system change while creating tools, resources, and practices that benefit the wider sector.

The local community is at the heart of everything they do. You'll bring significant professional experience working in research and/or community settings, demonstrating your ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and develop initiatives that reflect and respond to local priorities. This role is an opportunity to drive meaningful change, expand their impact, and strengthen the role of community research in shaping a fairer, more inclusive future.

Benefits of working for our client:

• 35 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays and 3 Christmas days) rising by 1 day each year after 2 years' service (capped at an additional 8 days)
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave after 2 years' service
• Save money off a new bike with the Cycle to Work scheme
• Up to 7% contribution to the staff pension scheme
• 24/7 Employee Support Line
• Clear pay structure with yearly increments (based on performance)
• Annual Staff away day
• Premium eye-care vouchers through Specsavers and season ticket loans