At the National Institute of Teaching, we believe that teaching is a fundamental societal good, a privilege and a responsibility. Our mission is to improve teacher and leader development across the education system by generating, interpreting and mobilising the best available evidence, ensuring that research informs practice and helps every child receive an excellent education.

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of NIoT's evidence mobilisation and engagement work. You will help bridge the gap between research and practice, transforming complex findings into accessible, practical resources and compelling stories that inspire action across the education sector.

Working with colleagues, schools, trusts, researchers and sector partners, you will build meaningful relationships, identify opportunities to amplify NIoT's voice, coordinate engagement activity and support schools to participate in research. You will help ensure that our work not only generates new knowledge, but actively shapes policy, practice and professional development across the system.

This is a newly created role, and we have two full time vacancies. The successful candidates will have the opportunity to shape how we work. You will help establish the systems, partnerships and ways of working that make our evidence mobilisation activity more connected, visible and impactful. If you enjoy creating structure, spotting opportunities and turning ideas into action, this is a role where you can make a genuine contribution and leave your mark.

No two weeks will be the same. One week you might be working alongside researchers to mobilise new findings, the next engaging with schools to support involvement in a national project, attending sector events or identifying opportunities for NIoT to influence important conversations about teacher and leader development.

We're looking for someone who is curious, collaborative and motivated by impact. You'll be confident building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and comfortable working across organisational boundaries. You will have a strong understanding of schools and the wider education landscape, enabling you to engage credibly with teachers, school leaders, trusts and partners. You will also be excited by the challenge of translating research into meaningful outputs that can influence policy and practice.

At NIoT, we value openness, curiosity, collaboration and evidence-informed thinking. We seek out expertise, learn continuously and support one another to do our best work. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to projects that have the potential to transform educational outcomes and improve the life chances of children, particularly those who stand to benefit most from high-quality teaching.

You will contribute to a range of high-profile initiatives, including the Teacher Education Dataset, the Evidence Portal and the Centre for Digital Information Literacy in Schools.

 If you enjoy building relationships, making things happen and finding innovative ways to connect people with ideas that matter, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a hybrid role; the postholders will be based a minimum of one day per fortnight at their local campus. Additional campus attendance may be required according to business need. This role is likely to require occasional travel, some overnight stays and flexibility to attend conferences, events or meetings outside standard working hours where necessary.

Closing date: 23.59 Sunday 9th August 2026

 Interview dates: Wednesday 9th and Friday 11th September

 We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Corporate responsibilities

•      To ensure that the responsibilities of the role are carried out in a way which reflects the mission and the values of the NIoT.

•      To be aware of and observe all policies, procedures, working practices and regulations, and in particular to comply with policies relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Confidentiality, Data Protection and Financial Regulations, reporting any concerns to an appropriate person.

•      To comply with all reasonable management requests.

Main duties and responsibilities

·       Manage defined evidence mobilisation workstreams or projects, developing clear plans, timelines and outputs that support agreed priorities.

·       Coordinate engagement activity with schools, trusts, partners, policymakers and sector stakeholders, ensuring activity is well organised, purposeful and aligned with project objectives.

·       Mobilise research findings, policy insight and complex information into clear, accessible and audience-appropriate resources, briefings, communications and engagement materials.

·       Work with researchers, policy colleagues, communications colleagues and external suppliers to develop high-quality sector-facing outputs.

·       Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, acting as a reliable point of contact for agreed areas of activity.

·       Apply judgement when interpreting stakeholder needs, research messages and project requirements, escalating more complex or sensitive issues where appropriate.

·       Support colleagues by advising on practical approaches to evidence mobilisation, engagement planning and audience-focused communication.

·       Plan and coordinate events, roundtables, visits, webinars, conferences or other engagement activities, including logistics, speaker liaison, materials, briefings and follow-up.

·       Identify suitable opportunities for NIoT to share evidence and insight through sector events, networks, publications or engagement channels.

·       Support recruitment-related engagement activity for specific projects, coordinating communications, timelines, stakeholder touchpoints and participation materials.

·       Monitor and evaluate engagement and mobilisation activity, using feedback and evidence to recommend practical improvements.

·       Maintain accurate records, project documentation and activity plans to support effective coordination, reporting and evaluation.

·       Work collaboratively across teams to support joined-up planning, consistent messaging and effective delivery.

·       Contribute to the delivery of wider organisational events and activities where this aligns with the role, including occasional support for graduation or assessment activity.

·       To sit on the viva assessment panels for a maximum of three days per year to support the process.

Essential criteria

We are hiring two people to deliver this work, so we do not expect you to possess all the essential experiences and skills, however, please make sure your CV clearly details your strengths.

·       Understanding and experience of research mobilisation, ideally within the context of the English school or policy system.

·       Experience developing evidence mobilisation, communications or engagement plans

·       Outstanding interpersonal and written communication skills including the ability to communicate credibly and effectively with schools, trusts and sector partners, and to translate complex ideas into clear, engaging and audience-appropriate messages

·       Experience in stakeholder engagement, communications and partnership development

·       Experience analysing or monitoring policy developments

·       Experience of planning and delivering events, conferences or sector-facing engagement activities

·       Proven experience working effectively in fast-paced, complex environments, collaborating with a diverse mix of colleagues and stakeholders. 

·       Excellent organisational skills and meticulous attention to detail. 

·       A genuine commitment to the objectives and ethos of the National Institute of Teaching. 

Desirable criteria

·       Demonstrated interest and / or experience in of teacher development and professional development

·       Experience working in or with research organisations / researchers

·       Experience supporting educational professionals to engage with and use research to inform their practice

·       Experience in public relations, media relations, or policy analysis.  

·       Experience of recruitment campaigns, programme marketing or participant engagement.

·       Experience of working across research, communications and delivery teams to turn ideas into practical outputs for external audiences.

The NIoT vision is a school system that nurtures the talents of teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers, so they can provide children with the excellent education they deserve. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to make a tangible and immediate impact to improve the quality of teacher and leader development at a system level.  

Notes

•      This post requires a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) with a Children’s Barred List Check and Occupational Health Check is required as a condition of employment.

•      This post involves occasional travel and overnight stays, which will be paid/reimbursed by the NIoT.

•      This document is an overview of the role.

•      The responsibilities will include but will not be limited to those listed above; the role may evolve over time and as such the duties may change.

•      This document does not form part of the contract of employment.