Senior Programme Manager

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF); Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 51,750; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary of £51,750 per annum

Flexible working opportunities

27 days’ holiday a year

6% employer pension contributions

Life insurance cover

Interest‑free season ticket loan

Enhanced parental leave

Confidential Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

A leading educational charity in Central London is seeking an experienced Senior Programme Manager to direct significant research programs and influence educational practices across the UK. You will manage grants, mentor team members, and ensure best practices in project delivery. This full-time role offers a salary of £51,750 per annum, hybrid working, and extensive benefits including 27 days of holiday and a robust pension scheme. Applications close on 22/02/2026.

Qualifications

• Strong track record of delivery and achievement.
• Understanding of grant‑making relating to research generation.
• Knowledge of the education system in England.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership across key research programmes.
• Translate evidence into clear guidance for education.
• Lead written and spoken guidance outputs.

Skills

Strong track record of delivery and achievement

Excellent relationship management skills

Practical understanding of grant‑making

Knowledge of the education system in England

Ability to analyze and interpret education research

Capacity to design robust evaluations

Ability to analyze project success prospects

Job description

Central London (with hybrid working - a minimum of one full day per week in the office)

The Organisation

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.

We do this by supporting schools, colleges, and nurseries to improve teaching and learning through better use of evidence. We generate research evidence on effective practice in supporting learning outcomes and narrowing the socioeconomic attainment gap, and we work with education professionals to ensure this evidence is applied to achieve the maximum possible benefit for children and young people.

The EEF’s reach and impact have been tremendous: the English education system is now one of the most evidence‑informed in the world. Over half of state primary and secondary schools have taken part in an EEF‑funded trial, and 70% of all school leaders use the Teaching and Learning Toolkit to inform their decision‑making.

We are now looking for a Senior Programme Manager to join us on a full‑time, permanent basis, working 40 hours per week.

The Benefits

• Salary of £51,750 per annum
• Flexible working opportunities
• 27 days’ holiday a year (plus 8 bank holidays, including 3 which can be taken flexibly)
• 6% employer pension contributions, minimum 3% employee contribution
• Life insurance cover
• Interest‑free season ticket loan and cycle scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay (conditions apply)
• Confidential Employee Assistance Programme to help you deal with any personal and professional problems

This is a high‑impact opportunity for an experienced education research and grant‑making professional to join our mission‑driven organisation.

You’ll be enabled to lead nationally significant programmes, influencing what research is commissioned, how it is delivered, and how evidence is translated into guidance that shapes practice across early years, schools and post‑16 education.

In return, you’ll benefit from a position that offers intellectual challenge, strategic influence and collaborative working at the heart of the education evidence ecosystem, alongside the flexibility and trust needed to do deep, thoughtful work.

The Role

As our Senior Programme Manager, you will provide leadership across key research programmes, shaping high‑quality grant‑making and evidence generation.

Working within the Research Directorate, you will lead priority programme areas, building deep subject expertise and acting as an authority on the design, delivery and evaluation of complex research projects.

You’ll collaborate closely with colleagues across EEF, co‑funders and delivery partners to develop a strong pipeline of grants, support funded organisations, and embed best practice across programme delivery.

Additionally, you will:

• Line manage and develop Programme Managers
• Translate evidence into clear, usable guidance for the education sector
• Lead written and spoken guidance outputs
• Maintain and develop relationships with funders and external stakeholders
• Lead one or more EEF research themes and support thematic coherence across projects

About You

To be considered as our Senior Programme Manager, you will need:

• A strong track record of delivery and achievement
• A detailed, practical understanding of grant‑making relating to research generation
• Strong knowledge of the education system in England in at least one of the early years, school and 16-19 stages
• The ability to analyse and interpret education research, including knowledge of diverse research methods
• The ability to analyse a project’s prospects of success and anticipate problems it might face when delivering at scale in England
• The ability to contribute to the design of robust evaluations, including randomised controlled trials
• Excellent relationship management skills
• A willingness to travel occasionally to project sites

All EEF staff are subject to a check by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The level of this check will be “Basic”.

All applicants must already have the right to work in the UK, as we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Applications close: 22/02/2026 (23:59 GMT or BST)

First stage interviews: w/c 09/03/2026

Second stage interviews: w/c 16/03/2026

Other organisations may call this role Senior Research Programme Manager, Senior Education Programme Manager, Head of Research Programmes, Senior Research Manager, Senior Grants and Programmes Manager, Evidence and Research Programme Lead, or Research Programme Lead.

Webrecruit and the Education Endowment Foundation are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work is.

So, if you’re looking for an impactful role as a Senior Programme Manager, please apply via the button shown.