Evaluation & Research Officer

Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport (LRS); Loughborough; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Health cash plan

Employee assistance programme

Volunteering days

Job summary

Youth Sport Trust is seeking an Evaluation & Research Officer to join the Research and Insight team in delivering high-quality research and evaluation services. The role focuses on monitoring activities, using logic models, and communicating results to stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods, manage external partners, and help drive strategic goals with robust impact data.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering research projects from design to reporting.
• Ability to design and run qualitative and quantitative studies.
• Strong analytical skills and data interpretation.
• Comfortable communicating insights to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and evaluate activities to evidence reach and impact.
• Deliver high-quality research and evaluations, including briefs and reports.
• Identify secondary data sources and conduct literature reviews.
• Coordinate with external researchers and manage partnerships.
• Present findings clearly to internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Project management

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Stakeholder communication

Job description

The Youth Sport Trust is committed to improving young people’s lives through sport. We harness the power of physical education, physical activity and sport to unlock potential, support wellbeing, and create more equitable opportunities for every young person.

Location Sportpark, 3 Oakwood Drive, Loughborough, LE11 3QF, LE11 3QF Contact Telephone [phone] Contact Email [e-mail] Organisation Youth Sport Trust

As an evidence-led charity, research is at the heart of everything we do, and our Research and Insight team are focused on positioning us as the leading authority on youth sport, PE and physical activity. The team are now looking for an Evaluation & Research Officer to join them and help deliver our insight strategy by delivering high-quality research and evaluation services.

In this role you will collaborate with colleagues to monitor and evaluate activities ensuring that we can effectively evidence our reach and impact. You will deliver high-quality research and evaluations by undertaking both qualitative and quantitative research work as well as compiling research briefs and overseeing the work of external research partners. You will ensure results are effectively communicated to internal and external stakeholders too. Important will be the ability to use logic models to ensure effective measurement approaches and the delivery of robust impact data. Your remit will include identifying and interpreting secondary research and data to improve our internal intelligence, driving learning and informing policy and advocacy work. You will also collect case studies, produce evidence papers and help deliver new research in support of strategic goals.

With strong project management skills and extensive experience of primary research techniques and methodologies, you will have experience of scoping, commissioning, conducting and managing evaluation and research projects. You also will have the ability to apply statistical analysis and interpretation to both internal and external datasets. Comfortable sourcing data on the internet and in professional and academic publications, you will be familiar with carrying out literature reviews and secondary data analysis and will be effective at presenting information in an accessible way that is appropriate to the audience. Knowledge of the principles of questionnaire design and research methodologies as well as an understanding of research ethics and data protection will be needed too.

Joining the Youth Sport Trust means becoming part of a team that values collaboration, innovation, and impact. You will have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful national work, while developing your skills in a supportive environment that offers generous annual leave, a health cash plan, an employee assistance programme, and volunteering days. This is more than a job, it's a chance to help create a more connected, inclusive system that enables all young people to thrive.

The Youth Sport Trust believes that diversity drives excellence, and that representation matters. We positively welcome applications from all backgrounds and seek to ensure that all applicants and employees receive fair and equal treatment regardless of age, race, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality.