Evaluation Specialist: Associate / Associate Director

Steer; Dacorum; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance and health screening

Life assurance and group income protection

Company pension scheme

25 days annual leave

Discretionary bonus scheme

Season Ticket Loan / Cycle to Work

Job summary

Steer in Dacorum is seeking an Evaluation Specialist to lead the transport evaluation portfolio. This role involves engaging with key stakeholders, ensuring high-quality evaluations, and contributing to strategic business growth.

The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in evaluation, particularly in transport sectors. The position offers competitive benefits, including private medical insurance and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• 10+ years' experience in monitoring and evaluation, focusing on transport and infrastructure.
• Proven track record of leading complex transport evaluations.
• Experience integrating climate impacts and accessibility issues into evaluations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the consultancy's transport evaluation portfolio.
• Ensure evaluations integrate sector-specific dimensions such as climate and equity.
• Build trusted long-term relationships with senior stakeholders.

Skills

Quantitative and qualitative research techniques

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication skills

Knowledge of evaluation methodologies

Education

Degree in a social science subject

Job description

Overview

Steer Economic Development is seeking an evaluation specialist to join our team of high‑performing economic development consultants. You will work on a range of different projects for national, regional and local public sector clients, including process and impact evaluations, evaluation plans and evaluation scoping studies. Your skillset will include quantitative and qualitative research techniques, as well as familiarity with a range of evaluation techniques such as theory‑based methods and counterfactual design.

Main Responsibilities And Accountabilities

Leadership of Transport Evaluation Portfolio

• Provide strategic leadership for the consultancy's transport evaluation portfolio, positioning Steer as a recognised leader in Monitoring and Evaluation for transport and mobility.
• Build on the Steer's growing credentials in the sector, identifying opportunities to expand influence and impact with key clients.
• Leverage expertise across the wider organisation to deliver integrated, cross‑cutting evaluation offers.
• Act as senior representative of the firm in the transport evaluation field, engaging with policy‑makers, academics, and professional networks.

Technical Leadership

• Lead the design and implementation of complex evaluations in the transport sector, ensuring methodological rigour and relevance.
• Provide technical direction on evaluation methodologies.
• Ensure evaluations integrate sector‑specific dimensions such as modal shift, accessibility, safety, equity, climate and environmental impacts, and cost‑benefit analysis.
• Act as a thought leader, producing and disseminating insights, learning products, and guidance on evaluation approaches in the transport domain.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as senior advisor to clients including government departments and public sector bodies.
• Build and maintain trusted long‑term relationships with senior stakeholders, providing evidence‑based advice to inform strategic decisions in transport policy and programming.
• Represent Steer at conferences, industry panels, and thought‑leadership events.

Business Development & Growth

• Drive growth of the transport evaluation portfolio through successful leadership of bids and proposals.
• Identify and pursue new opportunities, cultivating partnerships and alliances that strengthen Steer's market position.
• Contribute to Steer‑wide strategic planning, helping shape the consultancy's long‑term vision for monitoring and evaluation.

Team Leadership & Capacity Development

• Lead multidisciplinary project teams, ensuring delivery of high‑quality outputs on time and within budget.
• Mentor and coach colleagues at all levels, building in‑house expertise in monitoring and evaluation.
• Work with the senior team to promote a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and learning across the practice.

Requirements

Education & Qualifications

• Degree in a social science subject or equivalent experience in a related discipline.

Experience

• 10+ years' experience in monitoring and evaluation, with significant focus on transport and infrastructure programmes.
• Proven track record of leading the design and delivery of large, complex transport evaluations at the regional and national level covering net zero, innovation, infrastructure, or devolved funding.
• Demonstrated expertise across a range of evaluation methodologies, including theory‑based, experimental, and mixed‑methods approaches.
• Experience in integrating sector‑specific issues into evaluations, such as climate impacts, accessibility, safety, behaviour change, and equity.
• Strong portfolio of work with governments or other public sector organisations in the transport space.
• Evidence of thought leadership (e.g. publications, conference presentations, advisory roles).
• Experience winning and managing high‑value contracts, and growing sector portfolios.

Skills & Attributes

• Recognised technical authority in evaluation methods and application to transport.
• Strategic leadership skills with ability to build and grow a portfolio area.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior levels.
• Strong project and people management abilities, including mentoring and developing teams.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with ability to present complex findings clearly to diverse audiences.

Benefits

• Private medical insurance and health screening.
• Life assurance and group income protection.
• Company pension scheme.
• EAP and mental health first aiders.
• 25 days annual leave and ability to buy and sell annual leave days.
• Season Ticket Loan / Cycle to Work.
• Group Share Incentive Plan.
• Up to 5 days for volunteering activities.
• Discretionary bonus scheme based on annual compensation (dependent upon individual and company performance).

Compensation

Steer is committed to ensuring that all its employees are compensated a fair, liveable wage. All initial compensation, regardless of location, may be subject to change as skills, abilities, internal equity and geographic location are taken into account. In addition to base salary, all employees will be eligible for an annual discretionary performance bonus. Please review the benefits section for more information on total reward. Steer reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional compensation.

Work Environment

All Steer employees seeking a full‑time opportunity are encouraged to spend 60% of their time either in the office or on‑site with clients. An employee's typical work week consists of 37.5 hours (Hours, expectations, and exemption status will be adjusted for any applicant seeking a part‑time opportunity). We understand that some may be dissuaded to apply based on their compatibility with the job description. That being said, we understand that not everyone is a perfect match on paper and encourage anyone to apply regardless of how much their work experience directly relates to the job description. Part‑time and flexible working applications will be considered.

Why join us

We believe in empowering our people and giving them the opportunities to shine. As an employee‑owned company, our team is dedicated and passionate about what they do, and that's the reason why we are at the forefront of our industry. Steer has 5 offices in the UK: London, Leeds, Hemel Hempstead, Manchester and Birmingham.

Steer is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, Veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Any other human expressions and experiences not mentioned here are equally welcome. If you require an accommodation, now or throughout your employment, please let us know.