Head of Data & Evaluation

The Data, Evaluation and Learning team enables Impact on Urban Health to embed learning at the heart of its work, ensuring evidence is used to drive impact in Lambeth and Southwark and to advance understanding of urban health. The Head of Data & Evaluation leads Impact on Urban Health’s approach to data, research, and evaluation, ensuring high-quality, equitable evidence informs what we fund, how we work, and how we understand impact. The role leads a specialist team, sets standards, and oversees the organisation’s core evidence base, helping ensure Impact on Urban Health is a credible and trusted source of insight on urban health. The postholder will also provide expert input to other parts of the Foundation where relevant.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on ensuring data and evaluation are embedded across our work, developing and overseeing the cycle from data and evidence inputs through to analysis and evaluation insights that inform decisions.
• Set the strategic direction for a programme of mixed-methods research, data analysis, and evaluation – that builds on existing evidence, helps us understand needs and impact, and that is equitable and proportionate.
• Design and oversee data and evaluation plans that generate insight for internal decision‑making and external influencing, working with senior leaders across Impact on Urban Health.
• Lead Impact on Urban Health’s approach to evaluation, embedding evaluation and learning into delivery alongside programme and partner teams, and shaping how the organisation understands impact across complex and place‑based work.
• Oversee the development of priority quantitative and qualitative research and data outputs, articulating Impact on Urban Health’s perspective on the state of urban health locally and beyond.
• Set and uphold standards for data and evaluation, defining expectations for how funded work is evaluated, reported, and used, and ensuring intellectual honesty about the strength and limits of evidence.
• Work closely with the Head of Learning and internal stakeholders to ensure evidence informs organisational priorities and investment decisions.
• Oversee the commissioning and delivery of priority research and evaluation, ensuring projects are tightly scoped, proportionate, and aligned with strategic decisions.
• Lead strategic partnerships, health outcomes analysis, and evidence triangulation, ensuring data, research, evaluation, and lived experience are brought together to understand progress on health equity.
• Implement the Data, Evidence & Learning strategy alongside other Heads in the team.
• Maintain and develop personal expertise in urban health evidence.
• Line management and development support of Evaluation & Learning Manager post(s) and the Data & Research Manager.
• Develop and oversee plans to deliver data, research and evaluation objectives.
• Provide thought leadership in urban health evidence, including blogs and speaking at events.
• Champion a culture of learning, reflection and evidence‑informed decision‑making.
• Provide expert support to other parts of the Foundation where appropriate.
• Deputise for the Director of Data, Evaluation and Learning where required.
• Undertake other responsibilities appropriate to the role.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Strong expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods, including adapting approaches to different contexts.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including working with senior internal leaders and external partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex findings clearly and persuasively to specialist and non‑specialist audiences.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery.
• Confidence in constructive challenge, including questioning assumptions and the status quo.
• Collaborative team‑player and leader, able to work effectively across disciplines and functions.
• Strong commitment to responsible, ethical, and equitable data and evaluation practice.

Knowledge, experience, and qualifications

• Extensive experience leading social research and evaluation in a social sector context (essential).
• Experience of turning complex evidence into clear, influential insights and recommendations (essential).
• Experience of accessing, assessing, and synthesising secondary research and evidence sources to inform strategy and decision‑making (essential).
• Experience of leading processes using evidence to inform changes to strategy, funding, or intervention delivery (essential).
• Experience of influencing policy and practice through evidence, and evaluation of influencing work (essential).
• Experience of leading and managing complex projects, including planning, prioritisation, and delivery (essential).
• Experience of commissioning and managing external research, evaluation, or analysis partners (essential).
• Experience of line management, supporting performance, development, and delivery (essential).
• Knowledge of urban health, health inequalities, or the social determinants of health (desirable).
• High levels of quantitative data literacy, including experience of quantitative analysis, knowledge and use of public health datasets, and working knowledge of complex data visualisation using tools such as Tableau or similar (desirable).
• Understanding of systems change and/or place‑based approaches to intervention and evaluation, e.g. collective impact approaches (desirable).
• Experience of community‑based or participatory research approaches (desirable).
• Evidence of thought leadership in data or evidence, such as publications, presentations, or sector engagement (desirable).

Benefits

• Contributory pension.
• Annual personal development budget.
• Annual health and wellbeing personal allowance.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and parental leave pay accessible without length of service requirements.
• Health and wellbeing programme that offers optional free yearly health check‑ups.
• Support for healthy eating via fruit bowls and onsite lunch facilities.
• Agile working, flexible hours, and supportive IT kit.
• Shower facilities and bike lock area.
• Generous annual leave (27 days + bank holidays).
• Subsidies for glasses.
• Employee Assistance Programme.