Policy & Impact Lead

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Job description

The Charity: Best Beginnings is a national charity established to help give every child in the UK the best start in life and reduce inequalities in outcomes. Their aim is to improve the health, wellbeing and life-chances of young children of all backgrounds, with a firm focus on tackling inequalities. They forge partnerships and collaborate with parents, local communities, front-line professionals, service providers, professional bodies, academics and policymakers to create, disseminate and evaluate innovative interventions and drive positive change.

The Role
Reporting into: Head of Evaluation, Impact and Policy
Salary: £32,000-34,000 pro rata plus pension contribution

Working with the Head of Evaluation, Impact and Policy, to further develop Best Beginnings' frameworks for monitoring and evaluating our national and international work ensuring that learning continues to be captured in ways that can be shared and used for effective advocacy and influencing. The successful candidate will also play a pivotal role influencing policy and its implementation within the maternity, early years, digital health and public health context.

Disseminate learning from conference attendance, key reports, national guidance and research papers, in order to raise awareness and embed knowledge in the Best Beginnings team around early years, digital health, public health and maternity matters.
Advise colleagues to ensure that communication, advocacy and influencing at all levels is well informed and up to date.
Support the entire Best Beginnings team, and partners, to embed relevant monitoring, evaluation and learning throughout project cycles and support organisational learning.
Carry out and/or commission research in key thematic areas across selected projects to enhance our learning and to help position us as a thought leader in our field.
Lead data analysis and reporting to establish the effectiveness of our interventions and maximise learning, internally and externally.
Support the wider team to ensure the collection, storage and use of monitoring and evaluation information is compliant with data protection requirements.
Work collaboratively and build strategic relationships with other voluntary and third sector organisations and alliances, royal colleges, public health bodies and government, representing Best Beginnings and progressing our policy priorities.
Work on policy influencing activities including writing and reviewing briefs and position statements, contacting stakeholders and supporting the Best Beginnings Communications team with messaging around our activity.
Work in partnership with colleagues across the charity to ensure Best Beginnings' publications and evaluation reports are well written and widely disseminated, so that the charity communicates its insights and shares knowledge effectively.
Missing: managing academic partnerships (e.g. MRC/UCL, Anna Freud, King's College London); line management of volunteers and staff; providing evaluation support for other teams (e.g. creating surveys, helping Engagement with case studies).

Person Specification

At least three years' experience of working in the voluntary sector in a similar position.
Knowledge of maternity, public health and early years policy.
Background in social policy, public health, psychology or any related field would be desirable.
Strong delivery and project management skills.
Track record of delivering exceptional performance and innovation in processes.
Experience in the development and management of teams of volunteers and interns.
Experience of reviewing, enhancing and developing evaluation systems and frameworks.
Experience in mixed-methods data collection, analysis and reporting.
Experience of CMS packages and analytics systems is desirable. (eg: Power BI)
Commitment to the vision, aims and principles of Best Beginnings.
Competent computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and competent in using digital technology to support delivery: Zoom, Microsoft Teams
Ability to work occasional non-standard hours if and when required (eg: conferences).
An ability to represent Best Beginnings at the highest level internally and externally.