Research Manager - Crime and Justice

Job Details

Research Manager – Evaluation, Crime and Justice

Location: London, Westminster

Contract: Full/Part-time, Permanent

Hybrid working: 2 days a week in the office 3 days working from home

Closing Date: 28 February 2025 

Verian works with clients around the world, providing evidence, insights and advisory services to inspire the next generation of public policy and programmes. We work at the intersection of data, technology, and human understanding. With permanent fully staffed offices in 17 countries, our 850 specialist consultants and researchers advise government departments, regulators, charities, and other public sector bodies to make the right decisions and improve people’s lives.

Policy and programme evaluation is one of the fastest expanding areas in social research today. There is an increasing focus within the UK government on more and better evaluation. As one of the top providers of evaluations to the UK government, Verian has a wide portfolio of evaluation studies covering areas such as crime, education, housing, energy, environment and climate change.

We work on high profile projects that lead to meaningful social change, and we are looking for a Research Manager to grow and build a career in this important space. The main focus of this role will be projects relating to crime and justice. Our work in this sector includes evaluation of flagship policy and programmes aiming to tackle drugs, anti-social behaviour, and violence against women and girls. We are looking for someone who likes to ask questions, who can find the story in the data, and who wants to make a difference through their work. 

The role 

The diversity of our projects will give you a chance to develop professionally and personally. You will be supported to follow your interests and to continue developing your evaluation expertise through formal and informal learning, contributing to a culture of learning and excellence. 

We promote an atmosphere of collaboration, where cooperation, flexibility, and mobility are encouraged. As well as your experienced evaluation colleagues, you will have the chance to work with a range of other teams, including our methods specialists (covering techniques such as RCTs, quasi-experimental approaches, participatory qualitative research and deliberative approaches, and face to face, post-to-web and telephone surveys), our behavioural practice, and data solutions experts.  

You will be working on high quality, mixed-methods evaluations to deliver robust, impactful and actionable outputs to clients. As their main day-to-day contact with Verian, you will be responsible for building our brand and reputation with clients.  You will have the chance to build your networks, through work with specialist partners from academia and other research organisations. 

Key Responsibilities

As part of your role, you will be:

• Managing and delivering multiple high-quality evaluation projects
• Confidently managing client relationships
• Engaging in new businesses generation
• Developing your own individual skills and supporting your team to learn and grow
• Interpreting and synthesising evidence across multiple sources (e.g. programme documentation, literature review, administrative data, survey data, qualitative research) to tell the story of your research and deliver sound evaluative judgements and actionable policy recommendations

About You

We are looking for candidates who possess the following skills and experience:

• Experience in managing evaluation projects (process and/or impact and/or economic)
• Experience in designing and managing primary research (quantitative surveys and qualitative fieldwork with vulnerable groups)
• Interest and/or experience in criminal justice research and evaluation
• Experience/knowledge of whole systems approaches to programme delivery (desirable)
• Highly organised with strong project management skills, and proven track record of delivering projects on time, within budget, and to a high standard.
• Strong client handling skills
• Strong writing skills and PowerPoint design capabilities
•  Effective delivery and verbal presentation skills when communicating with clients.
• A collaborative team player
• A desire to support and drive forward business development

Does this sound like you? Don’t hesitate and apply online!

We will review your application as soon as possible. If your profile and experience fit our requirements, we will invite you for a first exploratory interview.

What we offer

Joining Verian means becoming part of a dynamic and collaborative community that thrives on intellectual curiosity and a shared commitment to making a difference. As a member of our team, you will work on cutting-edge projects that influence policies, drive social change, and shape the future of our society.

You will collaborate with passionate colleagues in an open and engaging environment, where people feel included, accepted, and are allowed to thrive in a space where their wellbeing is taken into consideration. We encourage applications from all sections of society and do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status or any other legally protected characteristics.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, Verian offers a stimulating and inclusive environment that fosters growth and professional development!

To learn more and apply, visit our careers page