Croydon CPP Data Officer & Story Archivist

Arts Council England; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Arts Council England in London seeks a Data Officer & Story Archivist to develop an evaluation framework for the CPP and translate activities into a compelling portfolio of reports that advocate for the programme and demonstrate impact.

You will work with residents and partners to embed learning, ensure inclusive practices, and deliver transparent reporting across workshops, exhibitions and large-scale events.

Qualifications

• Proven background in monitoring and evaluation, data analysis and community-focused research within the arts, youth engagement, or cultural sector.
• Familiar experience with Arts Council England data requirements and tools (Illuminate, Culture Counts).
• Ability to translate divergent quantitative data and narrative stories into clear, accessible insights for stakeholders, community members and the wider CPP network.
• Experience delivering inclusive, creative, innovative and participatory evaluation activity, aligning with the methodology of Creative People and Places.
• Desirable: Knowledge of Action Research and innovative story-collecting methodologies; Knowledge of Croydon communities and cultural landscape; Familiarity with national cultural policy and ACE-aligned evaluation frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Working with the Director, develop and establish an evaluation framework aligned with ACE requirements and answering the CPP Action Research Questions.
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation reporting requirements are met.
• Embed evaluation, learning and reflective practice across delivery teams and programme partners.
• Embed inclusion, access, safeguarding, and environmental responsibility across evaluation design, delivery and reporting.
• Monitor participation, reach, inclusion and impact.

Skills

Monitoring & evaluation

Data analysis

Community research

Stakeholder reporting

Tools

Illuminate

Culture Counts

Job description

Job Description

The Data Officer and Story Archivist will hold responsibility for developing a comprehensive and accessible evaluation framework for CPP. You will support the programme as it grows through its initial stages, gathering all of the required quantitative and qualitative data in an accessible and inclusive way.
You will translate data from the programme's activities into a compelling portfolio of reports which advocates widely for the programme, illustrates impact and maintains transparency
with engaged groups and residents.
You will embed evaluation and learning into every day practice, empowering others to hold a stake in how local stories are told. Your work will contribute to strengthening the connection between the CPP, residents, partners, the host organisation and
Arts Council England.

This role blends strategic development, data collection, understanding and translating data to identify areas of impact, community engagement and creative storytelling.

You will be an integral and collaborative part of a small delivery team which holds full operational responsibility for the programme. You will work closely with the Communications Officer to shape storytelling and public facing reports. You will be responsible for timely data collection from CPP activity such as workshops, exhibitions, participation projects and large scale community events to support the Consortium's oversight and reporting responsibilities to Arts Council England.

Across the life of the programme we will:
- Grow partnerships across sectors
- Support artists and residents to collaborate with Croydon's CPP
- Deliver a programme that ranges from neighbourhood based activity to large scale public moments
- Embed evaluation and learning into everyday practice
- Ensure the programme reflects Croydon's diversity, creativity and community leadership
- Act as the key connector between residents, partners, the host organisation and Arts Council England

Job Requirements

Essential
Proven background in developing monitoring and evaluation processes, data analysis, and community-focused research within the arts, youth engagement, or cultural sector.

Familiar experience with Arts Council England data requirements and tools (Illuminate, Culture Counts).

Ability to translate divergent quantitative data and narrative stories into clear, accessible insights for stakeholders, community members and the wider CPP network.

Experience delivering inclusive, creative, innovative and participatory evaluation activity, aligning with the methodology of Creative People and Places.

Demonstrated ability to engage communities through accessible evaluation practice.
Experience working in areas of low arts engagement.
Desirable
Knowledge of Action Research and innovative story-collecting methodologies is desirable.
Knowledge of Croydon, its communities and cultural landscape.
Familiarity with national cultural policy and ACE-aligned evaluation frameworks.

Job Responsibilities

Working with the Director, develop and establish an evaluation framework, aligned with ACE requirements and responding to the three key CPP Action Research Questions:
Are more people from places of least engagement experiencing and inspired by creativity and culture and what are the most effective ways to achieve this?
What approaches enable us to deliver on our aspiration for excellence, both in the process of community engagement and the creative and cultural experiences on offer?
What else are we learning that facilitates better public engagement in creativity and culture?

Ensure monitoring and evaluation reporting requirements are met.

Embed evaluation, learning and reflective practice across delivery teams and programme partners.

Embed inclusion, access, safeguarding, and environmental responsibility across evaluation design, delivery and reporting.

Monitor participation, reach, inclusion and impact.

• Job Title: Croydon CPP Data Officer & Story Archivist

A covering Letter (max 2 pages) detailing your experience relevant to the job description.

Deadline for Applications: Friday 13 November 2026, 12pm

Designed for all of Croydon by some of the borough’s historically under-represented communities, Croydon’s Creative People & Places (CPP) programme is one of 12 new place-based
initiatives supported by Arts Council England.
Croydon is a borough of extraordinary cultural energy, grassroots creativity and strong community networks, but also of uneven access to cultural opportunity. Croydon's CPP exists to change that by building cultural activity that is shaped and led by the people who live here