Head of Projects and Research

About Theirworld

Theirworld is a global charity aiming to end the global education crisis and unleash the potential of the next generation. We work to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn, and skills for the future. To achieve this, we are tackling the lack of political will, financial commitment and action that is currently preventing the realisation of inclusive, quality education for all children. We bring together experience and evidence from our research and projects alongside the passion and power of our campaigns and communications to unlock the big changes needed to end the global education crisis.

Over the past two years, we have been in an exciting period of growth and transformation to assemble a world-class team of campaigners, communicators, policy experts, and project managers with phenomenal skills, commitment to our mission, and strong team spirit and creative energy.

About the role

To help us deliver our 20th anniversary plan and build a strong foundation for the future, we are looking for a strong, experienced leader with a demonstrated track record to hire as our Head of Projects and Research, who will oversee:

Developing and implementing highly effective, focused, sustainable and scalable education projects which deliver impact at local levels and have the potential to unlock greater change.

Managing and executing an ambitious research agenda to fuel projects and campaigns in collaboration with top universities, academics and research institutions.

The successful candidate will have a good understanding of core education policy issues and stakeholders involved in global education.

The Head of Projects and Research will report to the President of the organisation. You will work closely with our projects team, policy and advocacy team (focused on education financing, early childhood education, education in emergencies, and skills), and our communications team, as well as collaborate closely with our Global Youth Ambassador and Global Business Coalition for Education teams. The role will be based in our London office, with occasional domestic and international travel as required. We are currently working with a hybrid schedule averaging 4-8 days per month in the office and the remainder of the time working remotely.

Main responsibilities

Research

  • Identify opportunities to harness research to drive campaigns, youth engagement and influence policy and practice at scale
  • Oversee research partnerships, report production and project management
    Manage research from conception and contracting to production and dissemination
  • Liaise with researchers, designers, internal stakeholders and communications teams
  • Ensure quality and accuracy of Theirworld research products
  • Implement a research pipeline which advances Theirworld’s core advocacy and campaign objectives, including current research initiatives underway in early childhood education, education in emergencies, progress to 2030, youth skills and finance

Projects

  • Oversee the Theirworld project portfolio, further develop Theirworld’s project strategy and set goals aligned with the organisation’s vision and mission
  • Further support and grow our innovation and pilot project portfolio
    Identify opportunities to sustainably grow and scale existing projects through greater reach and/or depth
  • Liaise with the Fundraising team to identify new funding opportunities for projects
  • Contribute to overall programme strategy and annual budget processes
    Implement best practice programme management, strategy, and processes in line with Theirworld’s strategic aims and objectives
  • Ensure the appropriate systems and procedures are followed, ensuring best practices in project management
  • Maintain and build strong partnerships with our existing partners to build greater local capacity and unlock larger system change through project work
    Monitor and implement the delivery of programmes to schedule, budget and to the highest level of quality
  • Work with the team to develop theories of change and monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks for programmes, in collaboration with Project Managers and implementers, when needed
  • Oversee project reviews to inform planning
  • Drive continued improvements in internal and external monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) capability
  • Enhance Theirword’s evaluation approaches and methodologies through innovative practices
  • Work with Project Managers to review the quality of the MEL data submitted and share knowledge gained through MEL project delivery and wider experiences with the internal team
  • Verify project close-out reports, and review other MEL-related deliverables
    Develop, implement, and manage key performance indicators (KPIs) for each area of responsibility
  • Work with the Communications team to tell stories from our projects aligned with a broader organisational narrative

Experience, skills and character

You should have:

  • 8+ years’ experience in managing projects and research – ideally with a leading consultancy/agency, academic and/or non-profit organisation
  • Exceptional track-record of developing and delivering creative, pragmatic, and effective project and research plans, with previous experience in the global education or another development sector highly desirable
  • Strong strategic thinking and planning skills
  • Ability to lead project teams under pressure and to tight deadlines, while staying organised and focused to get campaigns delivered effectively
  • Direct relevant experience in education (or international development) and a strong passion and interest in these issues
  • Excellent writing and communication skills
  • Experience with youth advocacy and engagement and engaging the business community would be a strong plus
  • A collaborative, hands-on attitude and team player approach
  • A problem-solving mindset and ability to take initiative and think outside the box
  • Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills with good attention to detail, ability to work under pressure and to deadlines, and generally to have a high bar for quality in your own work as well as your colleagues
  • A commitment to Theirworld’s aims and a clear understanding of the contribution that projects and research can make to achieve our mission and how it can best link with other parts of the organisation’s work

Salary

Salary is competitive based on candidate’s expertise and experience.

Apply for this role

Please submit your CV and a covering email to [email protected] including the name of the role of interest in the subject line of your email.

Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is successfully filled.