Position: Research and Impact Manager (2 Years Fixed Term)

Office Base: Dublin & Hybrid

Reports To: Senior Sector Skills Policy Manager

About The Wheel 

The Wheel is Ireland’s national association of community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. As a representative voice, we provide leadership to the sector, and we advocate on behalf of our growing community of members. As a supportive resource, we offer advice, training and other opportunities to people working or volunteering in the community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises sector. Learn more about who we are and what we do https://www.wheel.ie/about-us

The Opportunity

The Wheel’s Sector Skills team delivers the most ambitious and comprehensive skills development programme to organisations and workers in the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. With the expansion of the Sector Skills team at The Wheel, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly skilled and motivated professional with strong research, measurement and evaluation and impact management experience to join the team and play an important management role in shaping evidence-based practice and demonstrating sector-wide impact.

The Purpose of the Role

This new role will support the development of an impactful research strategy across the organisation, with a particular focus on Sector Skills. This new strategy will ensure that high-quality evidence informs The Wheel’s strategic priorities, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.This role will also support the development of good practice in impact management, data collection and analysis across the organisation, with a particular focus on programmes funded through the National Training Fund.

Working Relationships

The Research and Impact Manager will be line managed by the Senior Sector Skills Policy Manager.

The post holder will be expected to develop and maintain positive professional relationships with colleagues, board and subgroup members and a range of external stakeholders, commercial and other organisations including community and voluntary organisations in pursuit of the interests of The Wheel.   

As The Wheel is a membership organisation, all post-holders are expected to provide leadership and support to members.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Main responsibilities and duties:

• Working with the Sector Skills team to devise, implement and manage a Sector Skills research strategy with a particular focus on sector workforce development and skills training impact research.   
• Working cross-team to coordinate, analyze and improve data management processes that support research and impact management  
• Coordinate monitoring and evaluation and impact assessments, with specific focus on NTF funded programmes. This includes supporting the analysis, development and use of Salesforce CRM to enable enhanced segmentation, tracking, and reporting of skills training outcomes and learner progression.   
• Develop and implement appropriate research methodologies, evaluation strategies and research tools.
• Work with colleagues in the Sector Skills team and across The Wheel to ensure our policy and practice is underpinned by robust research evidence, contributes to our sector skills development policy, and achieves measurable impact.
• Ensure research projects are effectively framed and delivered to the highest ethical and professional standards.
• Lead on the production of timely, high-quality research reports.
• Liaise with external research partners & coordinate the delivery of research projects on time and on budget 
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the senior management team from time to time.  

Person Specification 

Desirable Skills & Knowledge 

• Master’s Degree (in a relevant subject), equivalent qualifications or evidence of equivalent research and/or impact management experience.
• Track record of success with complex research projects, managing time, quality and budgets.
• Ability to develop and utilise appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods and tools to support high quality research and analysis.
• Demonstratable experience with advanced methodologies such as counterfactual impact evaluation, logic model frameworks, theory of change, Social Return on Investment evaluations, or similar.
• Experience with CRM systems, such as Salesforce, for analysis, data segmentation and impact measurement.
• Understanding of government-funded project evaluation practices an advantage, particularly in the skills area.
• A strong understanding of the importance of The Wheel’s role in workforce development in the community and voluntary sector in Ireland.
• High motivation, positive disposition and flexible attitude in response to organisational change and development.

Note: This job description is not a definitive list of tasks; rather it is designed to give an overview of the job. It is envisaged that the post-holder will use their own initiative and develop the job under guidance so that the goals of the organisation are achieved. It should be noted that it may be necessary to step beyond the areas outlined above to support its development from time to time. 

Behavioural Competencies

The Wheel uses a Behavioural Competency Framework as a key cornerstone of its performance management processes. The priority behavioural competences identified for this role are:

Quality

Strives to continuously improve and encourages others to do the same. Actively develops and improves systems and procedures to manage information and shares these with colleagues. Acting as a role model, drives commitment to high quality work and ensures this through quality review processes. Accesses external feedback and disseminates internally. Engages in root cause analysis.

Collaborative Working

Co-operates with others and participates outside of own work area, seeks to understand fully the work of the organisation, willingly offers support where needed. Leads formal and informal teams in a way which values the diversity of experience and opinions and builds a sense of ‘team’. Provides encouragement to colleagues after setbacks. Helps others to work collaboratively. Creates a friendly work environment where any conflicts can be resolved amicably, sets up opportunities to work across teams, and speaks positively about working together.

Problem Solving

Foresees need for action and goes beyond responding to requests, raises issues clearly and provides suggestions for solving the problem. Seeks solutions and builds on others’ suggestions, working in a collaborative manner. Encourages creative thinking and discussion and supports appropriate risk-taking. Brings a ‘can do’ approach to problem solving.

Successfully shortlisted applicants will be provided with the Behavioural Competency Framework prior to interview.   

Terms and Conditions

This is a fixed-term, 2-year position. Subject to funding, this role may be extended.

The annual gross salary for this role will be within the range for Manager level posts within the Wheel. The current range is €46,098 -€62,368. The amount will depend on the knowledge and experience of the person who occupies the role and will be decided accordingly.

This contract is for a 36-hour week and salary is payable monthly in arrears.

The Wheel has a salary-band framework and a detailed Remuneration Policy and every employee will be provided with a ‘Total Rewards Statement’ that outlines all of their benefits.

Other benefits include:

• A 6% employers’ contribution to a company contributory pension scheme (subject to a 4% employee contribution)
• Annual Leave of 25 days on a pro-rata basis
• Closure of the office on Good Friday, Christmas Eve and the Christmas / New Year period which comes additional to annual leave entitlement
• 36-hour working week with an early finish on Fridays (4pm)
• Death in Service benefit of four times salary
• Further Education / Training investment programme
• Travel (bike-to-work schemes/tax saver commuter tickets)

A complete list of all the terms and conditions will be made available to the candidate offered the role through The Wheel’s Staff Handbook. The Wheel is an equal opportunities employer.

Working hours:

• Full time working hours are currently 9am to 5:30pm (and 9-4pm Fridays)
• The Wheel is currently operating a Hybrid Working Pilot and hybrid working is available to all employees. With this role, there will be an opportunity to work out of the office, but attendance will be required in the office at certain key times of the week/month
• These times will be agreed between you and your manager

Application Details

Closing Date for Applications - Friday 4 July at 12pm

Interview Dates:

First Round - Thursday 10 July

Second Round- Tuesday 15 July

Applicants should submit a CV, detailing relevant experience, along with a cover letter demonstrating the following:

• Why you have applied for this position, 
• The skills you would bring, and  
• How you meet the requirements of this post.

Cover letter must be submitted with the application; incomplete applications will not be considered.

Apply here: https://the-wheel.homerun.co/research-and-impact-manager-2-years-fixed-term/en

Applicants will be short-listed on the basis of information supplied.

The interviews will take place, in person, at The Wheel Office on 48 Fleet Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

Points of note

The Wheel is an equal opportunities employer. If you require accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please contact us at magdalena@wheel.ie .

The above information serves only as a guide to the advertised position. The Wheel, at its discretion, reserves the right to change this before the appointment. 

Please note if you are invited for an interview, we will share your data with 1) Any virtual service provider we use to host the interview; and 2) the interview panel (if applicable). Your information will be stored for this purpose in line with our data retention policy. 

Should the person recommended for appointment decline, or having accepted it, relinquish it, or if an additional vacancy arises, The Wheel may, at its discretion, select and recommend another person for appointment on the results of this selection process.