Senior Evaluation Officer
Fixed Term, Full Time
£42,165 to £49,606 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style: Anywhere worker
Closing Date: 26th January 2025
Please note that this is a fixed-term contract / secondment opportunity for 2 years.
Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Our vision is for a system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council’s statutory services. We have a responsibility to deliver effective services and support in the most cost effective and impactful way.
In 2023 ECC published the Essex Education Inclusion Strategy setting out our position, vision and commitments for inclusive and equitable education across the county. To support this, the Education Inclusion Strategy Programme has been established to lead on delivering the strategy over the next two years.
We need to take decisions based on high-quality insights and be disciplined in the way we track our progress. Join us as a Senior Evaluation Officer and you’ll take on a very visible role helping senior leaders to assess the effectiveness of, and learn vital lessons from, this programme. We expect the impacts to be both immediate and longer-term. We need expert support to help us identify the short-term signals that tell us the direction of travel.
Please note that the internal job title of this role is Evaluation & Impact Analyst.
About you
You’ll work to support senior leaders within Essex County Council’s Education, Transformation and Policy functions, leading the evaluation and supporting managers and to make improvements. Your findings will inform political and executive decisions by providing evidence on the effectiveness of the programme and key lessons to drive improvement. You’ll also support broader work, hand-in-glove with analysts, researchers and policy advisors across ECC, to ensure the organisation makes evidence-based changes and invests in projects that improve lives across local communities.
You’ll need a track record of delivering high-quality research and recommendations that informs strategic decision-making. If that was in a local government or public sector environment, so much the better. On a personal level, we’re also looking for the ability to work with a wide variety of stakeholders, influence thinking and secure collaboration. You’ll need a commitment to your own professional development and the drive to play a full part in the development of a new and highly influential programme.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
We are looking for experience of carrying out research and evaluation projects that have resulted in tangible improvements, as well as the ability to identify opportunities to help solve business problems and inform the council’s future strategic direction. Intellectual curiosity will be vital.
In return, you can look forward to an excellent rewards package, as well as flexible working and long-term career opportunities.
Please note that interviews are expected be held w/c 3rd February 2025.
To read more about us please visit: Chief Executives Office
Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
What you should do next
If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.
For more information or an informal conversation please contact Alastair Gordon, Head of Profession Research and Citizen Insight, via Alastair.Gordon@essex.gov.uk or 03330136125.
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community here.
If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk.
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