Senior Research and Impact Manager | Design Council | London
Salary Band: Professional (Senior Manager)
Salary range: £40,000 - £45,000
(Up to £50k for an exceptional candidate)
About this role
Our role as the UK’s national strategic advisor for design is to champion the value of design and to build the evidence needed to create the conditions needed for design to thrive. From our flagship Design Economy programme to our impact reports for national clients such as Network Rail, our research has inspired similar studies around the world. Our research helps to shape national policy and programmes, industry-led change, and to build awareness of the value of design with the public.
With our mission – Design for Planet – we are at the forefront of developing new research methodologies to capture the wider social, environmental and economic value of design, and the role it can play in systems change and transformation.
This is a rare opportunity to manage and deliver our flagship research programme Design Economy, and oversee the strategic development and implementation of our collective impact assessment across our transformational design programmes. The postholder will lead major programmes of research; be passionate about bringing design-led methodologies into research and evaluation practice; and translate new insights into accessible, understandable and compelling narratives and recommendations for national government, industry, the design community and the public.
The successful candidate will have a strong sense of the value of design, be confident in delivering large-scale research projects, and managing third-party research partners. They will be an expert in a range of quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methodologies and be committed to engaging different stakeholders in their work in an inclusive way. They will be excellent storytellers and communicators, able to translate data into powerful insights and narratives for a range of audiences.
What does this role do?
Deliver our flagship research into evidencing the value of design
Plan and manage the delivery of Design Council’s flagship Design Economy research programme.
Develop and deliver research proposals, projects and tenders for external research partners, working with the Head of Research and Practice.
Commission and manage third parties to deliver research and evaluation work, providing quality assurance on projects and managing project timelines and budgets as required.
Deliver specific research projects using a range of quant and qual methodologies, including literature reviews, surveys, interviews, data analysis, deliberative workshops, futures thinking, community listening etc.
Translate the findings into understandable, accessible insights for a range of audiences.
Develop and maintain organisational standards for impact data collection, analysis and reporting.
Manage the production and delivery of final reports, digital content and publications from the research programme for a range of audiences.
Manage our collective impact assessment across Design Council programmes
Develop and maintain the Design Council’s ‘collective impact framework’: identifying a set of metrics and assessment methods to be used to understand the organisation’s impact across its programmes and operations.
Provide strategic advice to Programme Leads and Heads on how to measure impact on large-scale design programmes, and ensure that our design value framework and collective impact framework are used by programme managers across our work.
Lead on synthesising our collective impact data and authoring the impact sections of Design Council’s annual report.
Influence
Be actively engaged in external networks, gathering insights and best practice to contribute to our research work and apply to specific projects
Actively contribute to internal and external forums on design, research and evaluation or areas relevant to our programmes of work
Support business development and other responsibilities
Provide strategic input and advice on evaluation and impact frameworks into project bids for clients.
Act as the organisation’s subject expert on research and evaluation, contributing to learning sessions for colleagues in the organisation.
Support the Exec Team, Head and Leads to develop strategy and new opportunities
Undertake any other reasonable tasks/duties as required.
Develop our research and impact practice at Design Council, particularly around evaluating systemic design and systems-change projects, and our understanding of what works, alongside the Chief Design Officer and Head of Research and Practice.
Corporate Responsibilities
Proactively identify and manage risks and financial controls in relation to the Design Council and your specific area of responsibility
Comply with the Design Council’s operational policies and procedures including financial and risk management, project management and evaluation processes, brand guidelines, GDPR, information security and internal health and safety policy
This role will involve some evening work and travel as required in accordance with the needs of the projects and programmes.
Does this sound like you?
Expert Knowledge and Qualifications
Academic or professional qualifications in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience.
Demonstrable understanding of quantitative and qualitative research; evaluation methodologies and models; and experience of designing, implementing and delivering research projects.
Experience
Extensive experience in managing programmes of evaluation and research projects using a range of methodologies, and of working with advisory groups and peer-review processes.
Extensive experience in delivering research and evaluation projects using a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
Excellent knowledge and application of research design and of maintaining data quality standards and research ethics within a project or organisation, and adhering to best practice with regards to these.
Proven ability to develop impactful public-facing reports, creating compelling narratives which are supported by rigorous evidence for different audiences.
Experience in contributing to bids for clients and providing evaluation support on design and social innovation programmes, or similar.
Experience in managing budgets and teams, including supporting others to define robust research questions and approaches that consider both technical and practical needs.
Skills
Excellent numerical and analytical skills, with proven ability and experience of using these to analyse data.
Excellent qualitative and quantitative research skills, with demonstrable experience of using a range of methodologies and approaches to keeping on top of best practice.
Excellent communication skills both written and verbal, with a demonstrable ability at being able to present insights in an engaging, accessible and understandable way.
Confident presentation and facilitation skills including presentation skills to non-technical external audiences
Strong influencing skills and ability to raise the profile of the Design Council including through writing blogs and thought pieces
Ability to work collaboratively - building creative consensus, and consulting and involving others internally and externally
Good IT skills, an advanced user of all Microsoft Platforms and other applications used by the Design Council with the ability to train others.
Knowledge and understanding of research software such as SPSS and NVIVO or similar are preferred but not essential.
Be committed to championing our organisational values through their work: inspiring possibility, boundless curiosity, and powerful together.
Behaviours
Boundless Curiosity. Curious about relevant research and trends within the design environment.
Inspire Possibility. Passionate about creating change through research and impact that enables design to have a positive impact on people and the planet.
Powerful Together. Inclusive and collaborative and supportive of others across the organisation
How to apply
Submit your CV (at least 1 page, but no longer than 4 pages), a covering letter (at least 1 page, no longer than 2 pages), and links to at least 2 reports where you have been lead author via the link.
The Design Council is fully committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation. We welcome applications from everyone who meets the criteria. If you need any additional support, please do send an early alert to our email address below.
Further questions can be directed to Ishbel Allotey, HR Manger at the following email address: recruitment@designcouncil.org.uk but please note that submissions must be made via the link above.