Researcher: Monitoring and Evaluation in the area of Language Assessment and Education

Contract Type – Indefinite Contract 

Location –  UK Flexible London / Manchester / Edinburgh / Cardiff / Belfast

Requirements –Candidates must have the pre-existing (permanent) right to work in location.  Mobility / relocation / visa sponsoring support will not be provided. If you are currently sponsored by the British Council, in a country or regional role, please check with your local/regional HR colleagues if you are able to remain in your current location for this global role.

Closing Date – 15th January 2024 11.59 UK time

This is an opportunity to join a thriving research group in the area of language learning and assessment. We are seeking a motivated individual to contribute to the team through effective monitoring, measurement and reporting of our research work in language assessment as well as English teaching and learning more broadly. The successful candidate will have a background in the measurement of impact in education, including both theoretical knowledge and practical implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks. The role will be involved in the dissemination of our work through conferences and publications and proactively drive the measurement of the impact of these activities. Responsibilities include oversight of research grant programmes, management and strategic planning, and working across diverse teams around the world, including people management. The successful candidate will have a solid research background and be prepared to present and publish at a high level on their specific area of expertise.

Role Purpose

The Assessment Research Group (ARG) sits within the wider English and Exams Strategic Business Unit (E&E SBU). This position will contribute to ARG work in support of teams working language assessment across the British Council. The ARG leads on research in key language assessment areas including innovative language test design and development, Language Assessment Literacy engagement aimed at teachers, policy makers, and other stakeholders, and research and expert advisory work supporting assessment and language education reform projects in education systems. ARG works with teams across the British Council, including the E&E SBU and English for Education Systems teams situated in the Cultural Engagement SBU. ARG coordinates and oversees an active thought-leadership agenda, including publishing and presenting as experts in the field, providing editorial direction on specialised publications and research reports, and convening conferences and events that bring together international experts on language assessment, learning and policy.

To provide strategic and academic oversight, direction and implementation of monitoring and evaluation for reporting and the measurement of impact of the British Council Assessment Research Group’s work and expertise. To strengthen the ARG’s test research and development capability by providing expert academic support and leadership in the areas of assessment theory and practice, especially in the area of research grants strategy to support the overall goals of the ARG and the wider organisation, including dissemination of the findings.

To strengthen the British Council’s position as a world leading language assessment provider by providing expert technical expertise in the area of monitoring and evaluation, as applied to language testing and assessment.

The role will have a particular focus on impact monitoring and evaluation, contributing to the ARG’s broader research strategy through the research grants programme, and disseminating outputs from both these areas.

Main opportunities and challenges for this role:

Sector/subject expertise 

• Maintains an authoritative and up-to-date knowledge of monitoring and evaluation theory and practice to enable the ARG to demonstrate the impact of their work in language assessment, learning and educational reform.
• In collaboration with other English Research & Development leads to develop and implement monitoring and evaluation plans and interventions to ensure strong impact reporting.
• Oversees the planning and implementation of an external research programme to ensure the delivery and quality of British Council language assessment research grants.
• Oversees the dissemination of the research grant programme findings to support the ARG and wider British Council’s thought leadership strategy, including to different audiences and at British Council conferences and events.
• Develops a body of work through research, publication and dissemination which builds the British Council’s position of international leadership and authority in monitoring and evaluation of language assessment and learning.
• Represents the British Council externally to enhance its reputation as a leading authority in the field of monitoring and evaluation of language assessment, learning and educational reform, promoting and supporting new collaborative opportunities in the area.

Relationship and Stakeholder management

• Leads on engagement internally and externally to help set and oversee the external academic research agenda for the Assessment Research Group and the wider global exams team.
• Through active engagement with the international language assessment research community builds the reputation of the British Council for world leading monitoring and evaluation research in language assessment and educational reform.
• Plans how to establish and maintain key stakeholder and partner relationships to support the achievement of research and impact in language assessment, including through building and participating in specialist academic and professional communities of practice.
• Participates with other SBUs, product owners and regional colleagues in working groups and other collaborative forums to develop coordinated, corporate strategies for cultivating, managing and leveraging strategically important relationships to enable the monitoring and evaluation of cutting-edge expertise in the implementation of British Council assessment products and education reform projects, the effective delivery of the research grants, as well as dissemination of this work.

Product or programme/management or development

• Proactively participates in internal working group/peer networks to maintain a detailed understanding of both current and prospective products/programmes/services and uses these insights to inform effective delivery of the ARG’s activities.
• Provides formal quality assurance and specialised monitoring and evaluation insight to proposed global and local programmes or products, to ensure these are appropriate, high quality and aligned to the British Council’s strategic priorities and international best practice in language assessment, learning and educational reform for the ARG.
• Oversees the strategy and implementation of monitoring and evaluation strategy and interventions to demonstrate the impact of the ARG and British Council’s work in language assessment, learning and educational reform, with a particular focus on collaboration with key colleagues to report the impact.
• Oversees the strategy and implementation of British Council international research grants designed to contribute to the body of knowledge in the fields of language assessment, learning and educational reform and build strong relationships with an international network of emerging and established researchers.

Consultancy, analysis and problem solving

• Contributes to ARG consultancy to provide expert advice and analysis to support the planning and delivery of British Council educational reform and assessment development initiatives from a monitoring and evaluation perspective.

Leadership & management

• May set and oversee delivery of a workplan for specialised areas of activities within the ARG strategic portfolio.
• May provide formal line management to individuals or small groups within the ARG, which might consist of geographically-dispersed staff.
• Identifies requirements and recommends training and development provision to build improved expert knowledge and capability within the ARG.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

• Experience of developing and implementing M&E frameworks.
• Experience of communicating research and/or theory in international forums with external
  specialist audiences in both written and spoken modes
• Experience using qualitative and/or quantitative research methods
• PhD in programme evaluation or closely related field completed (or in-progress)

To apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above