Impact, Evaluation and Learning Lead

Location: Home-based anywhere in the UK with travel for meetings. Option to work from our Bristol or London offices.

Closing date: 7 September 2026, 12pm

Interview date: Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th Sept, and a second round interview (if necessary) on Monday 21st Sept 2026.

Change lives in a life-changing career. When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it's falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain. The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire families. That's why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time.

About the role: We're looking for an Impact, Evaluation & Learning Lead with experience in impact measurement, evaluation and organisational learning to join our Research, Learning & Systems Change Team within the Innovation, Policy & Systems Change Directorate. This is an exciting opportunity to shape how Young Lives vs Cancer understands, measures and improves the difference we make for children and young people with cancer and their families. You'll lead the development of evaluation and learning approaches across the charity, helping us understand what's working, what needs to change and where we can create even greater impact. Working collaboratively with colleagues across services, policy, engagement, fundraising, digital and data teams, you'll bring together evidence, data and lived experience to generate meaningful insights that improve services, inform strategic decisions and strengthen our influence beyond the organisation. You'll be equally comfortable thinking strategically and delivering hands-on evaluation activity, turning complex evidence into practical recommendations that drive change. We're looking for someone who is curious, analytical and passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with cancer. You'll enjoy working with complexity, asking challenging questions and helping build a culture where evidence and learning are used to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement. This role is subject to a Criminal Record Check. In the event of a successful application, a Basic Criminal Record Check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.

What will I be doing? No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you'll be doing:

• Leading the development and delivery of Young Lives vs Cancer's impact measurement and evaluation framework.
• Designing and delivering robust evaluations using a range of approaches to understand outcomes, impact and learning.
• Bringing together data, research, lived experience and operational insight to identify trends, opportunities and areas for improvement.
• Translating complex evidence into clear, accessible insights, reports and recommendations for colleagues, leaders, funders and partners.
• Developing approaches that strengthen organisational learning and support evidence-informed decision-making across the charity.
• Working with colleagues and partners to improve data quality, measurement systems, reporting and access to organisational insight.
• Building relationships with external partners, researchers and funders to strengthen evaluation capability and identify new opportunities for collaboration and learning.

What do I need? Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we're committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop. The key skills we're looking for in this role are:

• Experience leading or delivering impact measurement, evaluation and learning activity within the charity, public or related sectors.
• Experience designing and implementing robust evaluations using a range of methodologies, including mixed methods and theory-based approaches.
• Strong ability to analyse and synthesise qualitative and quantitative evidence, data and lived experience insights to support decision-making.
• Experience developing or applying outcomes frameworks, theories of change or impact measurement frameworks.
• Ability to communicate complex evidence clearly and influence a wide range of stakeholders through reports, presentations and discussions.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with experience working collaboratively across teams and with external partners.
• A strategic, curious and improvement-focused mindset, with a passion for using evidence to improve outcomes for children and young people.

What will I gain? For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you'll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here's how we do it:

• Flexible working: we're open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage.
• Wellbeing, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development.
• Generous annual leave allowance.
• Great family/caring leave entitlements.
• Enhanced pension.
• Access to our employee savings scheme.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don't just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it. We're on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren't there yet, and we're passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities.

Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more. To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value AI adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to tell us about your skills and experiences in your own voice.

Accessibility: We're committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we'll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.