The Youth Endowment Fund

Research Lead – Local Violence PreventionContract: 2 years fixed termLocation: Central London, HybridAbout the Youth Endowment FundWe exist to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence. We do this by discovering effective strategies and building a movement to implement this knowledge.Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being assaulted with a knife, including 32 children. Every individual in these statistics is a vital part of our community, and society has a duty to protect them. Even when violence doesn’t directly affect someone, the fear it creates impacts children’s lives.At the Youth Endowment Fund, we aim to create lasting change by building a leading body of knowledge on youth violence and prevention. We produce rigorous, relevant evidence through synthesis, data analysis, and in-depth research, making this knowledge accessible and actionable. We also partner with policymakers, practitioners, and local systems to translate evidence into impact.The Research Lead will spearhead YEF’s research, resources, and recommendations in our neighbourhood sector, focusing on seven key areas: education, policing, youth justice, youth sector, children’s services, health, and neighbourhoods.The primary responsibility is to develop actionable, evidence-informed guidance and tools for local violence prevention partnerships, including self-assessment and problem analysis tools, and resources for safeguarding vulnerable children. The Research Lead will support the delivery of the ‘Area Leaders Programme’ (ALP), working closely with local partners and YEF colleagues to develop and refine materials iteratively. They will also contribute to YEF’s broader research efforts by creating summaries, recommendations, and potentially leading publication of evaluation reports.Lead impactful research projects within the local neighbourhoods sector.Ensure the production of accessible, evidence-based resources for local partnerships.Set and prioritize the research agenda to fill knowledge gaps and influence policy and practice.Develop evidence-based policy recommendations and innovative support resources.Perform additional roles such as writing briefings, evaluation reports, and supporting external communications.You are committed to reducing youth violence and have relevant experience—whether through direct work, research, or policy. You believe in evidence-based approaches and have expertise in local violence prevention structures like VRUs or Community Safety Partnerships. You possess strong critical appraisal skills, are adept at translating research into plain language, and have at least three years’ experience in a related role.You excel in project management, collaboration, and communication, and are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Knowledge of youth violence from lived experience is a plus, but not essential.Hybrid working arrangements are available, with a minimum of 2 days per week in the London office or 2 days per month remotely if outside London. We offer flexible working options, which can be discussed during the interview.We do not sponsor work permits; 1,000 professional development budget annually-28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays-