Field Performance Manager (FPM)

National Centre for Social Research; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Generous pension

Life insurance

Health cash plan

Cycle to Work scheme

Season ticket loan

Career development

Mentoring support

Job summary

National Centre for Social Research is hiring a Field Performance Manager to lead a team of field interviewers and supervisors. You will use performance data, coaching and engagement to improve response rates and ensure high-quality fieldwork delivery.

You will work across NatCen's field and operational teams to deliver surveys efficiently and ethically, upholding high standards and integrity.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or supervising people in a performance-focused environment.
• Strong coaching and development skills to motivate and support teams.
• Experience using data and management information to drive decisions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proactive problem solving and issue resolution mindset.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining high service standards.
• Collaborative working style and positive relationship building.
• Knowledge of field operations or survey delivery is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of field interviewers and supervisors with coaching and performance management.
• Use performance data to identify trends, monitor targets and improve response rates.
• Be the first point of contact for the team on operational queries and survey rules.
• Develop capability by identifying training needs and supporting development plans.
• Work with NatCen allocation and internal teams to resolve issues and manage risks.
• Lead field engagement activities including team meetings and field accompaniments.
• Support recruitment by helping identify resourcing needs and interviewing when required.
• Improve processes and service delivery across field operations.
• Ensure compliance with operational standards and survey requirements.

Skills

People leadership

Coaching & development

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

Prioritisation

Collaborative working

Job description

Home-based | Hybrid (Ashton Gate/London office)

Travel across England required

Full time | Permanent

Location: Home-based or hybrid working from the Ashton Gate/London office

Reporting to: Head of External Field

Team: Field Interviewers, Fieldworkers and Supervisors within an allocated team

Instant Impact in partnership with NatCen (The National Centre for Social Research) are hiring a Field Performance Manager to lead and support a team of field interviewers and supervisors delivering some of the UK's most important social research studies.

This role is all about helping people perform at their best. You'll use performance data, coaching and regular engagement to support fieldworkers, improve response rates and ensure high-quality fieldwork delivery. Working closely with colleagues across the wider Field and Operational teams, you'll play a key role in ensuring surveys are delivered efficiently, ethically and to the highest standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of field interviewers and supervisors - providing coaching, guidance and regular performance management to help individuals succeed.


• Use performance data to drive results - identify trends, monitor delivery against targets and take timely action to improve response rates and quality.


• Be the first point of contact for your team - supporting fieldworkers with operational queries, survey rules, processes and pay-related questions.


• Develop and grow capability - identify training needs, support development plans and help interviewers maximise their performance.


• Work collaboratively across NatCen - partnering with allocation teams and internal stakeholders to resolve issues, manage risks and support successful delivery.


• Lead field engagement activities - including team meetings, field accompaniments and in-person management meetings where required.


• Support recruitment activity - helping identify future resourcing needs and participating in interviewer recruitment when required.


• Improve ways of working - identify opportunities to improve processes, systems and service delivery across the field operation.


• Champion high standards - ensuring compliance with operational standards, survey requirements and quality expectations.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Experience leading, managing or supervising people in a performance-focused environment.


• Strong coaching and development skills with the ability to motivate, support and challenge others.


• Experience using data and management information to make decisions and improve performance.


• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.


• Strong problem-solving ability and a proactive approach to resolving issues.


• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards of service and delivery.


• Collaborative working style with a focus on building positive relationships.


• Knowledge of field operations, interviewer management or survey delivery would be advantageous.


• Previous experience as a field interviewer is beneficial but not essential.

If you're a people-focused leader who enjoys developing others, using data to drive performance and delivering high-quality operational outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.

As well as a competitive salary and excellent working environment (including a home/office hybrid working environment), you will be working for the largest independent social research organisation in the UK.

We are proud of the benefits we offer our employees which include:

• 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) and flexible working


• Generous company pension scheme


• Life insurance and healthcash plan


• Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loan


• Career development, professional subscriptions support and mentoring support from industry-leading experts

About the National Centre for Social Research

At The National Centre for Social Research, we believe that social research has the power to make life better. By really understanding the complexity of people's lives and what they think about the issues that affect them, we give the public a powerful and influential role in shaping services that can make a difference to everyone. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation we're able to focus our time and energy on meeting our clients' needs and delivering social research that works.

for society.

The role holder must:

We Are Curious

• Proactively investigates systemic issues


• Uses data and insight to challenge current practice

We Move with Purpose

• Translates diagnosis into structured, measurable improvement action


• Drives initiatives to completion with discipline

We Act with Integrity

• Balances efficiency with fairness and operational risk management

We are proud to say we are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, so if you require any reasonable adjustments during the interview process please make us aware and we will endeavour to support you to help showcase your best self during our hiring process.