Research jobs in United Kingdom

3 days a week, secondment model, arrangements discussed.

12 months, December 2025 – November 2026, possible extension.

2 days per week agile, Thursday (TBC) at Preston Place Partnership Office, spend time supporting stakeholders and communities across Preston.

Sunday 30 November 2025 at midnight.

Friday 12 December 2025.

Evaluation and Learning Lead working closely with the Place Partnership Team, stakeholders and community across all identified themes to gain insights and learning on barriers and enablers for change. Lead all evaluation work linked to the Place Partnership.

• Work closely with all thematic leads to support community engagement, consultation and conversations with a broad range of stakeholders, organisations and individuals across Children & Young People, Health, physical activity messaging and Community Assets – ensuring the work achieves the required insight and learnings and is appropriately recorded in order to shape future work.
• Work closely with the Place Programme Manager and Thematic Leads to capture learning and support evaluation across each thematic area, leading any baseline activity as required.
• Lead the development of a Learning and Evaluation Plan.
• Support the development of a local Theory of Change.
• Lead the use of assets such as the Sport England’s System Maturity Matrix, to reflect on progress within the place relating to conditions for change linked to supporting people to be more physically active and move more.
• Work closely with the Communications Lead to share learnings and insight in an engaging way.
• Support the Place Programme Manager and Communications Lead with reporting to Sport England.
• Work collaboratively with all members of the Place Partnership team to share all relevant insights and opportunities that contribute to the development phase and progress the application to full award.

Qualifications and skills we are looking for:

• Be currently or have previously worked in a role linked to evaluation, research or insight.
• Have the ability to take both a quantitative and qualitative approach to evaluation, learning and insight.
• Have the ability to analyse, understand and interpret qualitative data into simple and easy to understand findings and recommendations.
• Have the ability to interpret learning and insight to support the production of appropriate plans that will support people in Preston to move more.
• Be able to evaluate pieces of work and demonstrate impact and learnings in a clear and concise manner.
• Have some understanding of the development of Theories of Change and how insight and learnings can be used in their development.
• Have some understanding of the current physical activity landscape, including policies and national guidelines.
• Open minded to new ways of working, willingness to adopt alternative approaches and a desire to embed and share new learnings and approaches within their host organisation.

To apply, submit a copy of your CV with a cover letter (no more than two pages) explaining why you would be able to deliver the key elements of the role and meet the skills and capabilities we are looking for, to pblythin@activelancashire.org.uk.

Paul Blythin, Director of Health and Skills at Active Lancashire – pblythin@activelancashire.org.uk or 07549 774563.