Position Summary:
YJB is the only public body with oversight of the whole youth justice system. Research and evidence are key to our understanding of the youth justice landscape. This supports effective decision making, gives assurance to ministers that our advice has a solid evidence base and supports the achievement of our strategic objectives.
The Business Intelligence and Insights Directorate gathers and interprets information from a range of sources (including data, research, and wider intelligence). This information supports: the YJB’s oversight of the Youth Justice System (YJS), helps us to understand how the system is operating and whether it is achieving its aims, and helps to identify future opportunities and challenges for children and the YJS. The directorate leads the organisation in gathering, developing and using data and evidence well.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the achievement of the YJB strategic and business plan through your leadership role, both within your directorate and across the wider YJB
- Have a lead role in the delivery of the YJB transformation programme.
- Manage a multi-disciplinary team of Senior Research Officers and Business Intelligence Managers.
- Effectively present, communicate and disseminate key information for internal and external audiences on the Youth Justice System to ensure maximum impact
- Work collaboratively across the directorate, the organisation and the youth justice sector to understand our evidence and to make sure it is fit-for-purpose.
- Be required to assimilate and drive data led evidence from emerging research, statistics, and insight to drive up the quality of our understanding of the youth justice sector, advise ministers and influence the work of the sector.
- Lead on the prioritisation and commissioning of research and use of evidence by the YJB, notably providing research and evidence to support the work of the YJB
- You will make sure that examples of good or innovative practice align with the evidence.
- Encourage a culture of evidence-based decision making and innovation in the sector.
- Be proactive in promoting the appropriate use of evidence in the YJB and with the sector, particularly in your work identifying what works for achieving positive outcomes for children.
- Be responsible for the YJB’s research budget making sure you operate within financial protocols.
- Support and develop others to commission research, including ensuring grants and grant recipients are able to embed proportionate and appropriate monitoring and evaluation.
- Build and maintain relationships with other analysts and evidence/data providers both across government and beyond (e.g. academics through our Academic Liaison Network).
- Identify where our evidence needs can be supported elsewhere, including sitting on steering groups for other organisations’ research that aligns with our objectives.
- Lead, develop and manage the YJB Evidence and Insights team. Inspiring your team to achieve their potential and making sure that they engage positively with organisational policies, processes and communications. Helping them to interpret these when required.
- Making sure that the YJB has access to the evidence it needs to inform its functions and strategic objectives.
- Working in a multi-disciplinary environment and acting as a translator between technical and non-technical teams. Developing robust evidence/insight findings and clear presentations to senior audiences, including ministers.
- Interpret and report on performance data to senior audiences and Ministers to enable understanding of the effectiveness of youth offending services.
- Work closely with the Grade 6, seniors and other G7 team leaders to develop the overall strategic direction of this work. Providing evidential support for all the YJB’s functions and directorates.
- Lead YJB through its annual Research Prioritisation process, making difficult decisions where necessary.
Required Education & Experience:
- Experience of data analysis and evaluation to inform priorities and support problem solving, and evidence to deliver policy outcomes and/or strategy.
- Competent in MS Office suite, including advanced Excel skills.
- Analytical and/or research background in using complex evidence to shape, deliver or operationalise policy and/or strategy would be an advantage.