Manager, Evaluation and Research Projects

Inside Policy; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Inside Policy is looking for an experienced Manager to lead delivery of complex social policy and evaluation projects within our consultancy. This role will oversee multiple concurrent projects and help develop the project management capability across the advisory practice.

You will work with senior managers, consultants, subject‑matter experts, clients and external providers to plan, coordinate and deliver high‑quality outcomes, applying strong judgement and proactive risk management.

Qualifications

• Approximately five years of experience in project management or project delivery.
• Deep understanding of social policy including domestic and family violence, justice, First Nations communities, health, and/or community-led initiatives.
• Excellent organisation, planning and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Managing day-to-day project delivery with plans, timelines, milestones, dependencies, actions, budget and deliverables.
• Applying sound judgement to understand scope and outcomes, anticipate risks and dependencies, resolve delivery challenges.
• Coordinate stakeholders, project teams and external providers with effective relationships and clear progress.
• Maintain risk, issue, dependence and decision records; support governance and quality assurance processes.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Policy research

Leadership

Communication

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

Microsoft Copilot

Job description

Manager, Evaluation and Research Projects

Inside Policy is looking for an experienced and motivated Manager to support and lead delivery of Inside Policy’s complex social policy, research and evaluation projects within our small, high-performing consultancy.

This role will lead the delivery of multiple concurrent research and evaluation projects and support the development of the project management capability across the advisory practice.

This is a delivery-focused role for someone who enjoys bringing structure, clarity and momentum to complex work. You will work closely with senior managers and consultants, subject matter experts, clients and external providers to ensure projects are well planned, coordinated and delivered to an exceptional standard.

We are looking for someone with strong project management fundamentals who can also demonstrate the judgement, initiative and forward thinking needed to drive delivery in partnership with our clients in complex social policy areas.

About Inside Policy

Inside Policy is a privately-owned social and economic policy advisory firm. Established in 2014 by founder, Natalie Walker, Inside Policy is a trusted partner to governments in delivering social research, consultation, policy reform and evaluation projects in the policy areas of family/domestic violence, child and family services, justice, social impact investment and Indigenous economic development.

Managers at Inside Policy bring deep technical expertise to the projects and people they manage, which is critical for our mission for changing the world one policy at a time. The Manager – Projects brings technical expertise in project management of policy, evaluation and research projects, and has subject‑matter knowledge of social policy. The role sits within the Projects Team that is responsible for successfully delivering Inside Policy’s advisory projects on behalf of government, philanthropic and not-for-profit clients and has responsibility for managing projects through the project lifecycle, including:

Project planning and delivery:

Managing day-to-day project delivery, including plans, timelines, milestones, dependencies, actions, budget and deliverables, while coordinating teams and subcontractors to keep the work on track

Project judgement and problem solving:

Applying sound judgement to understand the scope and outcomes, anticipate risks and dependencies, resolve delivery challenges and escalat

Stakeholder and team coordination:

Coordinate stakeholders, project teams and external providers by building effective relationships, supporting productive meetings, following through on actions and decision and communicating progress clearly.

Risk, quality and governance:

Maintain risk, issue, dependence and decision records; support mitigation, governance and quality assurance processes; and contribute to consistent, high-quality project management practice, including reflective learning.

For a full overview of the Main Duties and Responsibilities of the role please read the Manager, Projects Position Description on our website.

Skills and Experience

To be successful in the role you will have:

Approximately five (5) years of experience in project management or project delivery, ideally in consulting, government, research or a related environment.

Deep understanding of social policy including in the areas of domestic and family violence, justice, First Nations communities, health, and / or community led initiatives.

Excellent organisation, planning and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, workstreams and priorities.

Confidence working with clients, senior colleagues, subject matter experts and external providers.

Sound judgement and a proactive approach to identifying issues, risks and opportunities.

A collaborative, calm and solutions-focused approach.

Experience working within an end-to-end project management platform.

Additional experience in the following areas would be highly regarded:

using AI-enabled tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, to improve project planning, coordination, reporting and delivery efficiency.

coordinating and contributing to tender and proposal responses.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Other information

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

Why work with us?

We are competitive with the best when it comes to the benefits and the employee experience. We offer:

Flexibility

– work from home, from anywhere but note some travel will be required to Inside Policy’s Sydney office when requested. We currently have team members in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and regional NSW.

9 Day Fortnight.

And more! We are a small yet growing band of committed researchers who truly want to make a difference. We are learning as we grow about how to not only change the world one policy at a time but how to create a future-focused organisation that looks after each other and those with whom we work.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Interviews will be virtual.

For further information regarding ourPrivacy Policyplease visit https://www.insidepolicy.com.au/

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