Lead Evaluation Officer

We're hiring a Lead Evaluation Officer (Culture, Heritage and Sport) to join our Evaluation Team within the Combined Authority’s Research & Intelligence Service. This role is central to delivering our Evaluation Strategy, supporting programme and fund-level evaluation across economic development initiatives. You will work closely with policy, delivery and strategy colleagues, guiding the planning, commissioning and dissemination of externally delivered evaluations. As Lead Evaluation Officer, you will focus on embedding evaluation in business case development and supporting project-level frameworks and guidance. With high-profile Combined Authority supported initiatives such as Bradford UK City of Culture 2025, the West Yorkshire Young Poets Laureate, and the Mayor’s Screen Diversity Programme, this is a unique opportunity to shape and assess cultural investment in the region. West Yorkshire is home to world-class assets in the arts, literature, sport, and screen industries, with transformative projects like the British Library North and National Poetry Centre on the horizon. This is a vibrant, collaborative role offering our Lead Evaluation Officer the chance to make a real impact on the region’s cultural future.

Our Offer

• 28 days Annual Leave (increasing upon years of service) plus Bank Holidays
• Generous Employer-Contribution Pension Scheme
• Free Travel on rail and buses across West Yorkshire with the M-Card (Zones 1-5)
• Flexible Working Practices with Health & Wellbeing initiatives, including agile working options, as well as a generous flexi-time scheme to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals.
• Bright, airy, modern office space, with all latest technology, just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station.

The Role

• Leading the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation framework for Culture, Heritage and Sport in collaboration with Policy colleagues, Local Authority Partners, and other stakeholders.
• Championing evaluation within the Combined Authority and across the wider partnership to promote good practice and ensure it is effectively embedded at design stage and capable of generating robust findings.
• Developing narratives of what works to engage a range of audiences and leading on the dissemination of these outputs.
• Developing and applying a mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of interventions on diverse groups, and capture lived-experience through qualitative data collection alongside quantitative measures.
• Relationship building and managing the (sometimes competing) priorities of stakeholders.

Please review the Role Profile on our website for more information about the responsibilities.

About You

• A degree or equivalent relevant experience in Economics, Economic Analysis, Cultural Economics, Cultural Studies, Sports Research and Evaluation, Social Research Methods or similar area of study/practice.
• Experience of effectively applying social research methods in the field of Cultural Policy to develop insights that feed back into policy and practice.
• Substantial and proven experience in the design of logic models in evaluation and the ability to apply this in policy development and formulation work.
• Significant practical and professional experience of the commissioning and procurement of consultancy research and evaluation.
• Experience of building relationships and influencing stakeholders.

To Apply

If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.

Further Information

The Combined Authority is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better outcomes. We welcome applications irrespective of people's age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro divergent. To find out more about inclusivity at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority please visit our dedicated webpage.

Under the Disability Confident Scheme, applicants with a disability are guaranteed an interview, subject to the minimum criteria being met. Please note that whilst it is our policy to recruit at SP1 for all appointments, which is the salary stated above, each role includes career salary progression, with incremental increases applicable in most cases on an annual basis.