Job Summary
Companies House is undergoing the biggest change in its history with the implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023). Whereas previously we operated a passive register we now need to proactively maintain the accuracy of the register in order to reduce economic crime and support economic growth. The extent to which we adapt to these new challenges will dictate the extent to which the reform outcomes are achieved.
We have lots of exciting opportunities available as a result including a pivotal leadership role for the Corporate Research and Evaluation function in Companies House.
As Head of Research & Evaluation, you will focus on assessing the effectiveness and value of legislative reform in the coming months and years. It aims to support internal learning and improvements as well as paving the way for effective ongoing evaluation of the reform in the future.
In addition you will lead on defining and delivering our corporate research programme working with senior stakeholders on their priorities, managing budgets and where necessary commissioning external contracts. Projects could include understanding the motivations behind customer contact to trialling nudge techniques to increase compliance and register integrity.
You will have a high degree of autonomy and independence due to your expert knowledge of research and evaluation methods and the need to recognise and mitigate risks. You will also be working closely with colleagues including Strategy, Economics, Statistics, Service Owners and our Implementation Unit as well as leaning on your own external networks.
This role forms part of the Data Directorate’s Senior Leadership Team reporting directly to the Chief Data Officer (SCS1).
If you are interested in developing your career and professional network in this field and want to work for an organisation that offers flexible working and is people centred, then come join the team!
Job Description
The Civil Service expects high quality evaluation of any major legislative reform, its associated policies and related multi-million pound transformation programme. As such Companies House sees this as a key senior leadership role.
You will contribute to making sure that registers and data inspire trust and confidence, and that we maximise the value of our registers to the UK economy. The use of research and evaluation is key to the success of understanding our customer behaviours and the success of our new legislation. This role is a fantastic opportunity to shape how Companies House responds to these changing demands.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership on Corporate Research for Companies House: Define and deliver our annual corporate research programmes to support the needs of various stakeholders such as our directors of policy and operations. This includes agreeing priorities, producing high quality evidence, ensuring best practices, managing budgets and where necessary commissioning external contracts.
2. Strategic Leadership on Evaluation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (‘ECCTA’): Define and deliver the vision, strategy and execution of high-quality robust evaluation for major legislative reforms and transformation programmes. This includes activities such as theories of change, development of metrics, process evaluations and post implementation reviews working with colleagues in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Ministers.
3. Team Leadership: lead, mentor and support a team of social researchers fostering their professional development, wellbeing and the overall team effectiveness.
4. Manage Stakeholders: Engage with internal and cross-government stakeholders, including DBT and the Home Office, to ensure effective collaboration and influence, to challenge if necessary and to effectively disseminate findings.
5. Create an Evaluation Culture: work with key stakeholders to advocate for the interests and demands of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Corporate Research at various decision-making forums within Companies House and DBT.
6. Technical Expertise and Quality Assurance: build strong networks inside Companies House as well as the wider Government Social Research community in order to support activities such as business cases, benefits measurement, knowledge sharing and learning & development.
7. Contribute to Data Directorate’s Senior Leadership Team: play an active leadership role in the Data Directorate to develop skills, capability and wellbeing as well as to represent the Directorate in various forums.
Person Specification
We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate the following experience and behaviours:
Experience
1. Professional Experience: Extensive practical experience of leading the high quality application of social research in a major policy evaluation or large-scale multi-million pound transformation programme(s). Must include the end-to-end experience from the setup phases to post implementation reviews.
2. Technical Skills and Expertise: Proficient in research methods including data collection, analysis and reporting. Ability to recommend, commission, and assure the use of evaluation methods and approaches.
3. Communication and Influencing Skills: Effective in interpreting the needs of senior stakeholders, building relationships and influencing in a matrix organisation and communicating findings to non-technical audiences.
4. Leadership Skills: Brokering strategic discussions at senior levels, setting out clear strategies, supportive team leadership as well as the ability to manage projects and budgets.
5. Professional Memberships: badged member of the Government Social Research (GSR) community or willing to work towards it.
Qualifications
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant social science discipline. That must include qualitative and quantitative social research methods and a strong evaluation component.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
1. Working Together
2. Communicating and Influencing
3. Leadership
4. Managing a Quality Service
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
1. Candidates will be assessed against the Technical skills for a Senior Principal Research Officer (SPRO) – equivalent to Grade 6 Civil Service grade.
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