Change Lead, Youth Sector

The Youth Endowment Fund

Change Lead, Youth Sector

Reports to: Head of Change for Youth Sector

Salary: £56,600

Location: Central London, Hybrid

Contract: 2 years -fixed term contract

Closing date: Thursday 23rd April 2026 at 12pm (noon)

Interviews: Week commencing 4th May 2026

About the Youth Endowment Fund

All of us will experience violence at some point in our lives. For many children, it is a daily reality. Each year, tens of children are killed, hundreds are hospitalised, 1 in 5 teenage children are victims and the majority admit to feeling afraid of violence. It scares them when they travel home from school, prevents them from going out and makes the most vulnerable feel like they don t matter. It is taking lives, traumatising families and dividing communities. It robs potential, progress and hope.

But it doesn t have to be this way.

The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it.

Key Responsibilities

We are making good progress building the evidence of what works within and around the youth sector to reduce violence. With the launch of the new Practice Guidance we are keen to translate evidence recommendations into practice. The greatest risk is that evidence stays on the shelf and doesn t help young people your role is to make sure that doesn t happen.

You ll focus on helping local authority commissioners use our tools and guidance in their everyday decisions about youth services. This will involve:

• Creating clear, practical content like guides, toolkits and workshop materials to support the use of Practice Assessment for the Youth Sector (PAYS).

• Leading our Practice Guidance programme, working closely with commissioners to help them use evidence in their work.

• Building strong, trusted relationships with senior leaders across the sector.

• Planning and tracking how we support more commissioners to adopt evidence-based approaches.

• Spotting what tools or resources are needed and helping develop them.

• Finding effective ways to share evidence, from events and workshops to online sessions and presentations.

As a senior member of staff in the organisation, you also:

• Build a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.

• Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.

About You

You are this sort of person:

• You are fascinated about change and are experienced in making it happen. You have outstanding analytical judgment alongside the emotional intelligence and experience needed to identify the right opportunities for change, then make them happen. You understand why people find change difficult. You come alive talking about how people make decisions and why they do the things they do.

• You understand Local Authority Commissioners working specifically working with the youth sector. You really understand how youth commissioners work, from Directors of Children Services, Heads of Services to senior stakeholders within the youth sector. You have experience of commissioning youth provision, working in youth sector, ideally in a role that worked with young people who are vulnerable to or involved in violence. You can demonstrate ability to reflect on and adopt evidence-based practice in relation to the youth sector.

• You write in a way that people easily understand. You have that rare skill of writing in plain English. You have experience of translating complex information into plain writing that everyone can understand.

• You have excellent project and time management skills and the ability to deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment. You can work independently and to a high standard.

• You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You have built good relationships with very senior people and with very junior people. You are good at chairing meetings, connecting people and having good introductory meetings. You are comfortable talking to a government minister, a youth worker, a company CEO, a teacher and a 15-year-old student. Listening to people from all backgrounds matters to you.

• You are an excellent strategic thinker. People say that you are good at seeing the big picture. You have experience of wrestling into place a strategy for a project or organisation. You are good at thinking logically, but you are also creative. You have ideas but are happy rejecting a lot of them. You like seeing things from different points of view.

• You learn fast but remain humble. You are very quick at getting your head around things. You like learning. You are very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know. You know that you can learn more. You know that it's easy to assume you know when you don't. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You are a great and supportive team player.

• You don't want your days to pass without making a difference. You want to play a significant part in reducing violence.

• You understand young people. You understand what the lives of vulnerable young people can be like and you understand some of the organisations that work with them, ideally through first-hand experience.

• You are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

You must have this sort of experience

• Changing frontline practice and systems:Youhave significant experience in leading behaviour, practice or policy changes within the youth work sector. You can show how these have been effective in delivering tangible change.

• Commissioning, or supporting the commissioning of, youth sector services, preferably in a role/setting specifically working with young people who are vulnerable to or involved in violence.

You might have this sort of experience:

• Crafting and delivering a strategy to get a new piece of evidence or guidance adopted within the youth sector.

• Behaviour change research experience.

• Working with other funders and commissioners of youth services, such as housing investment leads.

While it s not a criterion, we re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of youth violence.

It s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.

Hybrid Working Details

The office is based in Central London, but you don t have to be.

Those living in London and within the 32 London Boroughs are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month. As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at the interview stage.

To Apply

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter, and complete the monitoring form by click on the "Apply for this" button by Thursday 23rd April at 12pm (noon).

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter can answer, within a maximum of 1000 words, the following questions:

1. Turning evidence into practice: We are keen to ensure that our Practice Guidance and tools are actively used by commissioners. This role requires building trusted relationships with local authority commissioners and other local funders to encourage evidence-based decision-making. Describe your experience influencing senior stakeholders to change practice or adopt a new approach?

2. Influencing commissioners: This role requires building trusted relationships with local authority commissioners and other local funders to encourage evidence-based decision making. Describe your experience influencing senior stakeholders to change practice or adopt a new approach?

3. Excellent project management: Will be critical to delivering the Practice Guidance programme and supporting adoption across the sector. Tell us about a complex project you have led from planning through to delivery and share what management tools aided you.

Interview process

This will be a one stage process, with interviews taking place the week commencing 4th May 2026.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits, and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Benefits Include

• £1,000 professional development budget annually

• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

• Four half days for volunteering activities

• Employee Assistance Programme 24hr phone line for free confidential support
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