Lead Evaluator (Into the Light Place Partnership)

European Commission; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in the UK seeks a Lead Evaluator to assess the impact of a creative collaboration programme funded by various councils. This full-time position in the Commercialisation and Economic Development team offers opportunities for collaborative research, managing a team, and ensuring compliance with evaluation methods.

Qualifications

• Recognised Researcher (R2) and Established Researcher (R3) qualifications.
• Experience in evaluating creative collaborations and conducting impactful research.
• Ability to work collaboratively with academic and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate a major creative collaboration programme funded by Arts Council England.
• Conduct a study analyzing the economic impact of cultural activities.
• Manage a team of two postdoctoral research associates.

Job description

Organisation/Company: DURHAM UNIVERSITY

Research Field: Educational sciences

Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2), Established Researcher (R3)

Country: United Kingdom

Application Deadline: 17 Jun 2025 - 00:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract: Other

Job Status: Full-time

Funding: Not funded by a EU programme

Research Infrastructure: No

Offer Description

The Role and Department

Research and Innovation Services (RIS) offers guidance, expert advice, and hands-on support for all aspects of research and research-related activities. This includes securing funding, collaborating with partners, undertaking knowledge exchange, demonstrating impact, commercialising outputs, ensuring good research practice, and supporting professional development.

This post will sit in the Commercialisation and Economic Development team, under the management of the Senior Policy Engagement Manager.

The role involves evaluating a major place-based creative collaboration, Into the Light. This three-year programme, starting on 1 April 2024, is funded by the Arts Council England, the Shared Prosperity Fund, Durham County Council, and others. It aims to cultivate talent, widen access to creative education, enhance the skills of the cultural workforce, and break down barriers to working in the creative industries.

Durham University is leading the evaluation of the programme, conducting a study to analyse the impact of investment in cultural and creative activities in County Durham through the principles of Inclusive Economy, an economic development model adopted by Durham, Newcastle, and the North East Combined Authority (NECA).

The Lead Evaluator will be line managed by the Senior Policy Engagement Manager in RIS, with academic oversight from Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The role reports to the Into the Light Evaluation Advisory Board, chaired by Professor Stewart.

The evaluator will have access to the Durham Research Methods Centre and will be supported by two postdoctoral research associates, appointed in June 2025. The role offers opportunities for collaborative research and exploring evaluation frameworks with partners.

When appointing, the University must ensure compliance with immigration requirements, including salary thresholds for visas.