Lead Researcher (Educational Assessment)

Location: Manchester or Guildford, UK; hybrid working with two days a week in the office, including one anchor day and one flexible day.

Salary: £45,600–£52,100 in Manchester or £47,500–£54,300 in Guildford.

Company

hirify.global is the UK’s largest provider of academic qualifications, delivering assessment and examination services for learners and educational organisations.

What you will do

• Lead research and evaluation projects within a matrix management structure, balancing project leadership with technical input.
• Design, conduct and interpret qualitative and quantitative educational research across operational, assessment design and policy areas.
• Provide assessment expertise for vocational reform and new assessment product workstreams across paper-based and digital settings.
• Line manage, coach and support junior researchers, including Research Fellows and Researchers.
• Build relationships with product management, vocational, sales, marketing, digital and edtech stakeholders.
• Communicate findings through reports, presentations, seminars, conferences and other internal and external outputs.

Requirements

• Demonstrable expertise in assessment research and knowledge of the assessment research environment, including its key debates and stakeholders.
• Master’s degree or doctoral study, equivalent professional qualification or demonstrable experience in psychology, education, social sciences or a related field.
• In-depth knowledge of research methodologies, evaluation techniques and statistical or data analysis approaches.
• Experience designing and delivering qualitative and quantitative research, managing research projects and leading work within a matrix structure.
• Experience using data analysis tools such as R, Python or NVivo.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, critical thinking, organisation and people coordination skills.

Nice to have

• Doctoral study or equivalent experience beyond a master’s degree.
• Experience in wider education research closely linked to assessment.

Culture & Benefits

• Permanent research-focused role with long-term impact across vocational and new assessment product workstreams.
• Flexible 35-hour working week with hybrid arrangements.
• 25 days of annual leave, rising to 30 days, plus Christmas closure days.
• Benefits include up to 11.5% pension contribution, BUPA healthcare support, wellbeing programmes and volunteering opportunities.
• Training, development and mentoring within a team spanning social and natural sciences.
• Inclusive, values-led culture with employee networks supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues, neurodiversity, women, wellbeing, ethnic diversity and interfaith communities.

Hiring process

• Applications are expected to close on 31 August 2026, with shortlisting and screening during the week commencing 7 September 2026.
• The process includes an initial Teams conversation followed by a face-to-face interview.
• An Enhanced DBS check is required for the successful candidate.