Turn2us is a national charity tackling financial insecurity and its structural causes. We work with co-producers and partners to provide people in financial crisis with the means and agency to get back on their feet, build resilience, move forward with their lives and thrive.

As an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to equity, inclusion and diversity and the value people from different backgrounds bring to a team. If, like us, you believe everyone has the right to have enough to live on, and you are ambitious about eradicating financial insecurity, join us and build your career with a charity dedicated to ensuring dignity and equity for all.

The role

The Research and Learning Manager will lead Turn2us's research activity in complex and emerging areas including place-based approaches, co-production, stigma and systems change. Working within the Impact & Evaluation team, you will design and deliver high-quality research, develop learning approaches, and contribute expert input to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks across the organisation. You will work closely with colleagues across Programmes, External Affairs, Digital and Data teams to ensure robust evidence informs decision-making, programme development and strategic priorities. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape Turn2us's understanding of what works to tackle financial insecurity and to influence both organisational learning and wider sector thinking.

Skills and experience

You will bring experience leading research and/or evaluation work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and be comfortable working in areas where approaches are evolving or not fully defined. You will have strong qualitative or mixed-method research skills, excellent analytical thinking and experience turning evidence into practical recommendations, frameworks or approaches. We are particularly interested in candidates who can build strong relationships, influence thinking across teams, facilitate learning conversations and communicate complex ideas clearly. Knowledge of co-production, participatory approaches, place-based work or related fields would be particularly valuable, alongside an understanding of poverty and financial insecurity in the UK.

We offer flexible working patterns, both in terms of hours and remote working. Please note that all employees are required to work from the office a minimum of 1 day a week.

Some roles may be required to be in the office more often than others and this will be agreed with the hiring manager upon starting at Turn2us.

Please note that all job offers are subject to 2 – 3 satisfactory references and a disclosure satisfactory to Turn2us from the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS).

Please read the Research & Learning Manager job pack for further information.

Job Description

Job Title: Research & Learning Manager

Department: Impact, Digital and Data

Reports to: Head of Impact & Evaluation

Location: Hybrid: Turn2us London Hub (Farringdon) & homeworking

Type of role: Full-time, permanent

Purpose of the Role: Lead Turn2us’s research and learning activity in complex and emerging areas such as place-based approaches, co-production, and stigma. Design and deliver high-quality research, and contribute to the development of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) approaches where work is less defined or standardised. Work collaboratively across the organisation to ensure research and learning inform programme design, delivery, and strategic decision-making, and support Turn2us’s external influence and impact.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

1. Lead Turn2us’s research agenda, ensuring focus on priority, complex areas aligned to organisational goals.

2. Provide strong expertise across research design, qualitative methods, and learning approaches, particularly where work requires interpretation, synthesis, and judgement.

3. Contribute to the development and quality assurance of MEL frameworks and practices across programmes and digital tools.

4. Build strong cross-organisational relationships to ensure research and learning are embedded in decision-making, planning, and influencing activity.

5. Support the effective coordination of research and learning work within the Insight & Impact team, contributing to overall team coherence and delivery.

Duties:

1. Lead Turn2us’s research agenda, ensuring focus on priority, complex areas aligned to organisational goals.

• Lead the design and delivery of research in priority areas such as place-based approaches, co-production, stigma, and systems change, taking responsibility for developing proposed approaches and initial outputs, managing delivery, and ensuring outputs are of a high and consistent standard, ready for review and refinement.

• Contribute to and maintain the clear, prioritised research roadmap owned by the Head of Impact & Evaluation and closely aligned with the work of colleagues across Programmes and External Affairs.

• Commission and manage external research or evaluation support where required, including agreeing scope, overseeing delivery, and ensuring outputs meet Turn2us standards.

2. Provide strong expertise across research design, qualitative methods, and learning approaches, particularly where work requires interpretation, synthesis, and judgement.

• Work directly on complex research projects, including qualitative and mixed-method studies, synthesis of internal and external evidence, and interpretation of findings in areas where approaches are less standardised.

3. Contribute to the development and quality assurance of MEL frameworks and practices across programmes and digital tools.

• Provide expert input into the design and development of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning approaches, particularly where programmes involve complexity, innovation, or non-standard evaluation methods.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues responsible for programme evaluation to ensure MEL approaches are proportionate, high-quality, and aligned to organisational priorities.

• Support the ongoing development and refinement of MEL tools, frameworks, and guidance, contributing to a consistent and effective approach across Turn2us.

4. Build strong cross-organisational relationships to ensure research and learning are embedded in decision-making, planning, and influencing activity.

• Work with colleagues across the organisation to ensure research and learning inform strategy, programme development, and decision-making.

• Facilitate discussions, workshops, and reflective processes to help teams engage with and apply research findings and learning.

• Ensure learning from research and programmes is captured, synthesised, and shared effectively to support continuous improvement and Turn2us’s ambition to be a learning organisation.

• Support the translation of research and learning into outputs that inform policy, communications, and external engagement.

5. Support the effective coordination of research and learning work within the Insight & Impact team, contributing to overall team coherence and delivery.

• Support the identification and interpretation of data and evidence to inform the operational planning and reporting process, working with Planning, Insight & Impact and Data colleagues.

• Contribute to reporting processes, including content for Board and committee papers where research and learning insights are required.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure alignment between research, MEL, and organisational performance metrics.

These are the normal duties, which the Charity requires from the position. However, it is necessary for all staff to be flexible and all employees will be required from time to time to perform other duties as may be required by the Charity for the efficient running of the charity. This Job Description is non-contractual. It will be reviewed from time to time and may be subject to change.

At Turn2us, we are committed to protecting personnel, children, adults, and service users from any harm arising from each other, themselves, our activities, or organisational failings whilst in contact with us. The post holder will be required to follow the safeguarding policy and will be responsible for integrating safeguarding into all aspects of their work.

The post holder will be expected to ensure that their work complies with contractual terms and conditions, the Charity’s policies and procedures and key legislation, such as data protection and charity law.

Person Specification

This person specification lists a range of skills, knowledge, experience, and personal attributes which would be beneficial in this role. However, you do not need to possess all these skills and attributes to apply.

Skills:

• Strong influencing skills, with the ability to shape thinking and decision-making across teams and senior stakeholders.

• Excellent analytical skills, including the ability to interpret and synthesise qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method evidence; and to draw together insight from multiple sources such as research literature, programme learning, and stakeholder input.

• Ability to work autonomously, including defining approaches, proposing solutions, and taking ownership of delivery in complex or less defined areas.

• Strong project management and leadership skills across complex research and evaluation workstreams.

• Ability to design and lead research and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) approaches in areas where methods are evolving or not fully defined.

• Ability to translate insights and learning into practical frameworks, tools, or approaches that can be used across programmes (e.g. MEL frameworks, impact models, learning approaches).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and accessibly.

• Facilitation skills to support discussion, reflection, and shared learning across teams.

• Strong partnership and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions and with external partners.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of approaches to co-production, participatory practice, place-based work, or similar complex programme areas.

• Good understanding of research methodologies, including qualitative and mixed-method approaches.

• Knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) practices and how they are applied within organisational and programme contexts.

• Understanding of UK poverty and financial hardship, including structural and systemic factors.

• A clear understanding of, and commitment to, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, and the commitment to promote EDIB through their work.

Experience:

• Experience managing research and/or evaluation workstreams in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, with accountability for delivering high-quality outputs.

• Experience designing or delivering MEL frameworks or evaluation approaches, particularly in complex or evolving areas of work.

• Experience independently shaping approaches to work, including identifying methods, proposing solutions, and problem-solving in less defined contexts.

• Experience commissioning and managing external research or evaluation projects, including working with consultants, partners, or academic institutions to oversee delivery, timelines, budgets, and quality of outputs.

• Experience synthesising evidence and translating it into clear recommendations, frameworks, or approaches that inform delivery.

• Experience working collaboratively across teams to influence approaches, priorities, or ways of working.

The role will require occasional travel within the UK, including visits to place-based programme locations, workshops with partners or participants, and conferences or events relevant to the role.

Turn2us is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in our sector. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us and we are interested in applications from people from all backgrounds.

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