Research Director/Research Manager G7/ G8

Further Particulars

Research Department

To be based in NFER’s Slough office.

NFER has a worldwide reputation as a leading independent provider of education research and analysis. With an income of £18 million and 220 staff, we are a registered charity that has contributed evidence, in-depth knowledge, and research expertise to support the creation of an excellent education for all children and young people for over seventy years. Our research, assessments and other services are widely known, highly respected and used by key decision makers in the UK and internationally. Improving the lives of children and young people is at the heart of everything we do.

NFER is growing in the UK and also has a rapidly expanding portfolio of international work currently focussed on East Africa and the Gulf. We are identifying an increasing number of opportunities to bring insights from independent research and evaluation to support the development of education systems in these regions, and to inform governments and donors in their policy and investment decisions. New clients and partners are attrached to NFER’s unique combination of multi-disciplinary expertise across research methodologies and in learning assessment, combined with our education specialism and longstanding reputation for rigour and independence.

With the opportunity to work with NFER’s subject and methods experts and to capitalise on our trusted relationships with clients, stakeholders and data providers, these roles give the appointee unparalleled means to make a positive difference to the education experienced by children and young people. The appointed candidates will be committed to strengthening educational decision making with data and evidence, with insatiable curiosity and the analytical and leadership skills to spot and act on opportunities.

About the National Foundation for Educational Research

NFER is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity whose purpose is to provide robust, independent research, assessment and related services which are widely known and used by key decision makers to improve education, particularly for children and young people. Our work supports effective policy and practice in education, in the UK and internationally.

Through our extensive knowledge and expertise we offer a unique perspective, and provide insights which are relevant and accessible. Our clients include government departments and agencies at international, national and local levels, which benefit from NFER’s full range of expertise and professional services.

We undertake research on all aspects of education from early years to further and higher education, and share the results with a wide range of organisations and individuals, including education policy makers and professionals. We use our expertise to identify and develop practical solutions to bring about improvements for children and young people, often working in collaboration with partners. PUBLIC 1 We strongly believe that changes to education should be informed by evidence and the impacts evaluated so that policy makers, leaders and practitioners can see whether their actions are really making a difference. We work with those who are genuinely interested in improving education, from major employers to government departments; from school leaders and teachers to parents.

Research Department The Research Department (RD) has a multidisciplinary staff of over 100 qualified professional researchers, statisticians, psychometricians, economists, assessment experts and information specialists who offer extensive expertise in a wide range of research methodologies, combined with deep subject knowledge. Working in a team-oriented environment, our experts and specialists balance analytical skills, deep knowledge about education, and independence to help our clients gain insight and make sound decisions.

RD team members are organised in five centres, led and managed by our Senior Leadership Team. The centres represent the specialist areas of knowledge and methodological expertise sought and valued by clients:

 Education policy and practice research  Statistics  Assessment  International education  Research planning and knowledge management

A strong emphasis is placed on collegiate and team working across NFER. Within the RD, we promote learning and development and the pursuit of methodological innovation in the belief that enabling our team members to excel and hone their expertise and knowledge continually adds to the value of what we can offer education.

Education policy and practice research

The Centre for Policy and Practice Research (PPR) leads the design and delivery of high quality independent research and analysis for a wide range of clients, generating valuable insights and producing tailored outputs to inform policy and practice. The research addresses questions about education system and school-level improvement, and the experience of teachers and learners, including: education structures, the workforce, accountability, transitions to, within and from school, and social mobility and disadvantage.

Statistics

The Centre for Statistics (CfS) works closely with PPR, using multi-level modelling, value-for- money and other statistical techniques to explore data, build knowledge and generate evidence about education. Recognised widely for its methodological excellence, the Trials Unit within CfS leads and manages the design and delivery of robust randomised controlled trials (RCT) and impact evaluations that comply with international standards. The unique blend of expertise in NFER allows the team to provide all aspects of RCT delivery in an education setting including: rigorous sampling and recruitment, process and impact evaluations.

Assessment

NFER is respected as an international leader in the development of high quality tests and assessments that are informed by a sound knowledge of children’s development, curricula, teacher and parent needs and underpinned by rigorous trialling and psychometrics. Our research in schools and with test users ensures our assessments are responsive to every day classroom practice and can make a positive contribution to school improvement.

PUBLIC 2 A key focus of our assessment portfolio is the development of assessments suitable for and responsive to the opportunities of online assessment. Our specialist psychometricians in CfS are at the forefront of research with multidimensional Item Response Theory (IRT) models and their application in educational testing.

International education

Aiming to provide global insights to improve UK education and to support the development of education systems worldwide, we undertake a range of international research and assessment commissions and cross-national comparative analyses.

We are the appointed national programme managers for international large scale assessments including the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) for the UK, and have worked with a range of international partners including DfID and UNESCO on topics such as girls education, out-of- school-children, and strengthening learning assessment in low-income countries.

Research planning and knowledge management

Our specialist research planning team identifies and helps our researchers and analysts take advantage of new market opportunities. The team carries out market and competitor research, analysing market requirements and the new knowledge and evidence needs of the education community. The team also supports the department in developing the services and outputs we provide e.g. through methods development.

Our professional library staff manage NFER’s specialist education and assessment collections, and are expert in systematic literature reviews, rapid evidence assessments and scoping studies. The team offers a range of services including specialist search strategy development, systematic database and online searching for evidence and policy information.

The centre hosts and manages the Eurydice National Unit on behalf of the UK government, a key source of information on education policies in Europe.

The RD is also home to the editorial team for Educational Research a peer-reviewed journal that provides an international forum for informed thinking on contemporary issues in education.

The Role – see JD

PUBLIC 3 Conditions of this Appointment Salary: on appointment will reflect qualifications and experience.

Grade 7: £40,885 to £46,016 per annum Grade 8: £48,817 to £54,948 per annum

Location NFER has offices in Slough, York and Swansea in Wales. The majority of NFER’s staff are based at our Slough office which is located in pleasant grounds next to Eton playing fields, and less than a mile from the centres of Windsor and Slough and their well connected railway stations. Communications by road are also excellent, we are close to the M4, M40 and M25, only fifteen minutes from Heathrow airport, and there is plenty of free parking.

New employee checks NFER undertakes the following checks on all staff:

 Identity

 Nationality and immigrations status to confirm entitlement to work in the UK*

 References: All appointments are subject to the receipt of satisfactory references covering the past three years’ employment history, including the current employer

 Disclosure & Barring Services (“DBS”) Check: The person appointed to this post will be required to undergo a criminal record check and to provide a satisfactory DBS Disclosure Certificate at the commencement of appointment. Candidates invited for interview are required to provide details of all unspent criminal convictions and charges and any pending prosecutions or cautions.

Deliberate failure to make such a disclosure may disqualify candidates and, if the omission is discovered after appointment, they may be dismissed.

Candidates are required to declare on application or at interview if, to their knowledge, they are related to any member of the Foundation's Board or any Foundation employee.

Deliberate failure to make such a disclosure may disqualify candidates and, if the omission is discovered after appointment, they may be dismissed.

Probationary period All new appointments are subject to a 6 month probationary period.

Employment benefits of working at NFER include: Annual leave The Foundation’s leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March; the full time annual leave entitlement is 30 days (two of which are normally required to be taken over the Christmas period). In addition there are eight Bank Holidays and four discretionary days.

Child care Parents with children are able to purchase Childcare Vouchers through payroll. Further details are available.

Occupational health Pre-employment medical checks are carried out on all new employees via a confidential, e- questionnaire which is reviewed and reported on by a qualified Occupational Health Physician on NFER’s behalf. PUBLIC 4 The Foundation provides staff with access to a free Employee Assistance Programme through an external provider and staff are also eligible for consideration for free physiotherapy support.

Health and safety policy The Foundation recognises and accepts its responsibilities as an employer to provide a safe working environment for all its employees and its Policy Statement is contained in the Staff Handbook.

Hours of work Full-time staff work 35 hours per week which are normally 9:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. with one hour for lunch.

Pension All new permanent members of staff will automatically become members of the NFER Section of the Federated Retirement Savings Plan (the NFER Pension Scheme) with effect from their first day of employment. This is a defined contribution, occupational pension scheme with a salary exchange arrangement as the mechanism for paying pension contributions.

Season ticket loans Season ticket loans are available on the following conditions:

. normally for an annual ticket, although a shorter period will be considered . the payment will be made by cheque direct to the provider . loans will be deducted monthly from salary . should a member of staff leave the Foundation, any outstanding balance will be deducted from their final salary . request for a season ticket loan must be made on the appropriate application form to Finance.

Staff council Staff Council provides a forum for staff participation in the Foundation’s decision making process to the mutual benefit of both the management and its staff.

Refreshment facilities Refreshment facilities are located in ‘The Zone’, a comfortable area where staff can meet and relax; vending machines selling a variety of snacks and drinks are available as well as a microwave facility for staff.

Learning and development The Foundation is a recognised Investor in People (IIP) and is fully committed to training and developing all its employees and as such its aim is to provide staff with support to enable them to achieve their potential.

Closing date: Friday 9 March 2018, 09.00 GMT

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