Assistant Director of Research

Reports to: Assistant Director of Research

Contract: 2 years fixed term

Location: Central London, Hybrid

Interviews: 22 nd September 2025

About the Youth Endowment Fund

We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in

violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to

put this knowledge into practice.

Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being

assaulted with a knife. Of these, 32 were children. Every child captured in these

numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to

protect them. Even when violence doesn't strike directly, we know that the fear

of violence has a terrible effect on children's lives.

At the Youth Endowment Fund, we are working to create lasting change. To succeed, we must build a world-leading body of knowledge on the violence that affects young people and how it can be stopped. This means producing rigorous, relevant evidence - through synthesis, data analysis and in-depth research into young people's lives. But knowledge alone isn't enough. We must make it accessible and actionable: showing what works, how services need to change, and how the systems around them must adapt. And we must partner with the people who can make change happen - across policy, practice and local systems - to turn evidence into impact.

About the role

The Research Lead will lead our interpretation and communication of YEF's evaluation reports . This is at the very core of YEF's mission and strategy. The majority of YEF's £200m endowment has been spent on funding and evaluating interventions designed to protect children from involvement in violence. YEF have already published 54 independent evaluations of these interventions, and we expect to publish a further 36 over the next two years alone, the majority of which will be impact evaluations.

The Research Lead will play a crucial, and leading, role in ensuring that the findings from these evaluations make an impact on policy and practice. Specifically, the Research Lead will lead YEF's thinking on interpretating these results and will write (and support other colleagues to write) executive summaries, website commentaries, and presentations on evaluation findings. They will work through knotty interpretation challenges, consider what the results mean for our understanding of violence prevention, ensure our interpretation is accurate, robust and clear, and expertly communicate findings to internal and external audiences (including government departments). This requires in depth knowledge of research methods, high quality written work, the ability to simplify and clarify complex and challenging findings, and close collaboration with academics, front-line practitioners, YEF colleagues and government departments.

The Research Lead will also commission and manage research projects that will underpin YEF Guidance Reports . YEF plans to publish practice and systems guidance across all of our seven sectors (see, for instance our Education Practice and Education Systems Guidance ). This guidance synthesises the best available evidence on what works to advi s e practitioners and policy makers on how they can best protect children from involvement in violence. T he Research Lead will commission and manage research projects that support the production of guidance in these sectors. This is a fantastic opportunity to lead on using YEF's endowment to fund high quality, impactful research .

In addition, the Research Lead will act as the YEF Research Team's methodological lead. They will train the team to improve understanding of research methods, and on how to commission high quality quantitative and qualitative research.

The Research Lead will also respond to ad hoc internal and external requests to work on a range of projects that require an in-depth knowledge of violence reduction and research methods.

The Research Lead will be part of YEF's Research team. The Research team is at the heart of our efforts to learn what works and put it into practice. We do this by developing the YEF's funding strategy and creating free, highly accessible research summaries and actionable recommendations for policy makers, commissioners and practitioners. We're a high-performing team which values intellectual rigour and getting to the truth, compassion for children, ambition about what we can achieve and humility about what we know. We love to discuss the latest developments in research methods, but we're not just interested in research for its own sake. We want research to lead to actual changes in outcomes for children.

Key Responsibilities

The Research Lead will develop a portfolio of impactful projects. You will:

• Lead on YEF's reporting of evaluation reports. You'll ensure all our evaluation reports are clearly and accurately communicated and have the maximum possible impact. Specifically:
  
• Scope, commission, and appoint research teams to deliver YEF research projects including reviews of practice in YEF's priority sector areas. This is a fantastic opportunity to use YEF's endowment to fund high quality and impactful research.
  
  
• Act as the Research Team's Methodological Lead and lead training for the YEF Research Team on a range of topics including research methods.
  
  
• Develop great relationships with experts and represent YEF in external meetings and events. You'll promote evidence-based policy and practice by speaking at conferences and events . This will likely include close liaison with a range of government departments.
  
  
• Work with our Comms team to advise on how we can interpret YEF results, and what the key media messages may be. You ma y also speak directly to media outlets to share our findings and promote YEF results.
• Respond to ad hoc requests as and when needed to support the Research Team and YEF on a range of projects.

About You

You are this sort of person:

• You share our belief that an evidence-based approach is our best hope of preventing violence. You're fascinated by research, but you're not just interested in research for its own sake. You want to achieve actual changes in outcomes for children.
• You're a confident reader of research and have strong critical appraisal skills. You know when research can be trusted and when it can't and can confidently articulate your views on the strength of research. You might have gained this expertise through your academic studies, research or professional experience.
• You learn fast but remain humble. You like learning. You're very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know and that you can always learn more.
• You work well in a team. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You support your colleagues to produce excellent work.
• You're committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. You believe and act in a way that celebrates and encourages a range of experiences, views and values.

It's also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.

As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

The Research Lead will lead our interpretation and communication of YEF's evaluation reports. This is at the very core of YEF's mission and strategy.