Head of Evaluation

Location: Flexible, within commuting distance of one of our campuses in London, Birmingham, Blackburn, Doncaster, Redcar and Bristol.
Contract: full-time position and will be offered on an indefinite contract

As the Head of Evaluation at the National Institute of Teaching, you will have a key role in the Research and Best Practice (RBP) team.

About Us 

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) aims to be a global leader in producing and disseminating impactful learning about teacher professional development.  

The Research and Best Practice (RBP) team has a key role in the NIoT to improve teacher professional development through meaningful, world-class, school-led, research that will feed into (and respond to) NIoT programmes as well as the wider sector.   

About the role

As the Head of Evaluation at the National Institute of Teaching, you will have a key role in the Research and Best Practice (RBP) team. The RBP team plays a crucial role in the NIoT, as it strives to improve teacher professional development through rigorous, impactful, and cutting-edge school-led research, which will feed into (and respond to) NIoT programmes as well as the wider sector. One of the unique strengths of the NIoT is its ability to integrate research quickly into delivery, test approaches to delivery in our own programmes, and discovery of the most important questions to ask by listening to our programme teams and affiliates.

You will be at the forefront of designing and implementing primary research in collaboration with the Programmes team at the NIoT. You'll work closely with the Programmes Team to identify and prioritise research questions, design appropriate research projects, oversee the delivery of the projects including the analysis, and write up the findings for dissemination to a range of audiences. This role will place you at the heart of leveraging the school-led delivery and research capabilities of the NIoT.

As a key senior member of the RBP Team, your role will have a significant impact on schools. The evidence generated in this role will have an immediate effect on programmes that the NIoT delivers across England, and your findings will be disseminated throughout the sector. As a founding member of a rapidly growing team, you'll have significant influence on our research strategy and approaches, making this an exciting and impactful opportunity to shape the future of teacher professional development.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and conduct research on professional development for teachers and school leaders.
• Create accessible, high-quality publications (such as papers, reports, blogs, slides, and training materials) that help teacher educators make informed decisions.
• Oversee quality-assurance processes to maintain high standards of rigour, relevance to schools, and cost-effectiveness in the Institute's research and best practice teams.
• Perform other tasks as requested by the Exec Director of Research and Best Practice or the Chief Executive of the Institute.

Essential Criteria

• A commitment to the aims of the NIoT;  
• A proven track record in a research related role in the education sector;   
• Excellent understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, including experimental approaches;  
• Excellent track record of delivery on collaborative projects against tight timelines;  
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills;  
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail;  
• The ability to quality-assure the consistent application of evidence standards across a range of products and publications;  
• A Masters degree or higher in a relevant field.   

Desirable criteria

• Direct experience working in an education setting, especially schools, nurseries and colleges; 
• Direct experience of delivering teacher training;  
• Relevant post-graduate degree. 

This is an exciting opportunity to have a real impact, by putting your passion for rigorous research to use. This opportunity is for those who want to manage challenging and complex projects, and to grow their skills, working with people across the education sector. 

Other things to know 

• All National Institute of Teaching staff are subject to a check by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The level of check which will apply shall be an “Enhanced” level check. 
• We regret that we are currently unable to sponsor visas. 
• We reserve the right to change the closing date depending on the number of responses received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure that it is considered in the selection. 

How to apply

Please click on the apply button where you will be redirected to our site

Contact us

• If you have any queries about this role, please contact us at info@niot.org.uk