Are you looking for a meaningful leadership role? Do you want to make a positive impact on society? If so, your search ends here. Nesta is recruiting for a Mission Director, A Fairer Start. As the Mission Director, you will lead the 10-year endeavor to close the gap in school readiness between those born into disadvantage and the national average across the UK. You will manage a team of around 20 people and draw in additional cross-Nesta capabilities in data analytics, experimentation, arts & culture, design and technology, behavioral science, policy-making, communications, and venture-building. You will also report to Nesta’s Chief Programmes Officer and work closely with the AFS Deputy Directors, Chief Practices Officer, Practice Directors, and other Mission Directors.

Responsibilities:

Implementing and evolving our mission strategy
Adapting, testing, and scaling effective parenting interventions to support early learning in the home, for families experiencing disadvantage
Evaluating the impact of income support on parenting and child development outcomes, and increasing public and political acceptability for family income support
Improving early detection and signposting through technological innovation, advanced data and measurement approaches, and strengthened local services
Influencing policy across England, Scotland, and Wales, making the case for further investment in early years, and helping alleviate pressures on families and services
Building new ventures and investing in early-stage ventures that can help families and service providers support child development

Requirements:

An inclusive leadership style and a track record of managing highly engaged, high-performing teams
Experience developing and delivering team or organizational strategies, and making strategic tradeoffs in collaboration with others
A flexible and pragmatic approach to portfolio management, willing and able to change approach in response to a changing social and political context while keeping the long-term goal in sight, while bringing your team along with you
A commitment to including the voices of those affected by issues we work on – from children and families, through to practitioners
Experience working in multidisciplinary teams that draw on different disciplines to design and evaluate practical solutions to complex problems
An excellent understanding and practical experience in applied experimental research and the interpretation and use of quantitative and qualitative evidence
An appreciation for the different contributions of policy, venture-building, and applied research, and an ability to spot opportunities to drive impact at scale leveraging these different mechanisms for change
Exceptional partner and stakeholder management skills

Q1: What is the role of the Mission Director?

A: As the Mission Director, you will lead the 10-year endeavor to close the gap in school readiness between those born into disadvantage and the national average across the UK.

Q2: What are the responsibilities of a Mission Director?

A: The responsibilities include implementing and evolving the mission strategy, adapting, testing, and scaling effective parenting interventions to support early learning in the home, evaluating the impact of income support on parenting and child development outcomes, improving early detection and signposting, influencing policy across England, Scotland, and Wales, building new ventures and investing in early-stage ventures that can help families and service providers support child development.