Deputy Director

Deputy Director, Policy and Research: Better Work and Progression

London or Leicester (with hybrid working)

About Us

We’re Learning and Work Institute, an independent policy and research organisation focused on lifelong learning and better work.

We’re now looking for a Deputy Director, Policy and Research: Better Work and Progression to join us on a full-time, permanent basis. Requests for flexible working will be considered with a minimum option of 0.8 FTE working condensed hours with flexible start and finish times.

Your Rewards

- Salary of £64,450 - £77,880 per annum, dependent on experience and location

- 31 days' holiday increasing to 33 days after 5 years’ service, of which 3 are shutdown days in addition to public holidays

- Company pension scheme with 8% employer contribution

- Group Life Assurance 3*salary

- Hybrid working (with 40%-60% of your time required in the office)

- Flexible working practices

- Employee Development Scheme

- Retailer Discounts

- Enhanced occupational maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental pay

- Enhanced occupational sick pay

- Eye care scheme

- Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programme

- Gold award in Investors in People

If you are a high-calibre policy research professional operating at programme manager level or higher, this is the ideal opportunity to drive your career forward and take your next step with our vital charity.

Your Role

As Deputy Director, Policy and Research, you will lead the Better Work pillar of our strategic plan, overseeing all projects and activities in this area and forging new areas of work and projects.

Shaping our ongoing programme of research and impact work, you will also focus on a number of key areas centred around understanding and providing support. These will include career change, a policy to increase employer investment in skills, high-quality and fair access to apprenticeships and technical education, and progression from low pay.

This is a senior leadership role in which you will play a vital part in shaping our overall strategy and plans, as well as line managing senior and mid-level staff, and supporting the wider team with intellectual leadership.

About You

To be considered as the Deputy Director, Policy and Research, you will need:

- Experience of developing, overseeing and delivering programmes of policy-relevant research at a high level

- Experience of business development in a policy/research context: developing ideas, writing bids and building relationships with funders

- Experience of building senior-level relationships with external stakeholders for impact and influence

- A track record of delivering national and/or local policy change

- Advanced research skills (qualitative or quantitative)

- Demonstrable knowledge of employment and/or skills policy in the UK

The closing date for this role is 21st February 2026.

Other organisations may call this role Deputy Research Director, Deputy Policy Director, Policy & Research Programme Manager, Head of Policy & Research, Head of Research Programmes, or Senior Research Manager.

Webrecruit and the Learning and Work Institute are equal opportunities employers, value diversity, and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all.

So, if you want to be considered as the Deputy Director, Policy and Research role, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.

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