AcademicJobs.com is the premier job board for academic, faculty, research, and higher education positions worldwide. This dedicated profile showcases The Sutton Trust as a leading employer on our platform, highlighting its commitment to excellence in teaching, innovation, and scholarly achievement. Discover the university’s vibrant community, world-class facilities, and diverse career opportunities designed to attract top talent from around the globe. Whether you are an aspiring academic or an experienced professional, explore what makes The Sutton Trust an exceptional place to advance your career.
The Sutton Trust Jobs are among the most distinctive opportunities in the UK higher education and social mobility sector. The Sutton Trust is a charity and think tank in Greater London rather than a university, but its work shapes academic access, research, and policy across the country. Academics, researchers, and policy professionals explore The Sutton Trust Jobs to find roles in social mobility research, programme management, and higher education access. AcademicJobs.com provides a dedicated Higher Ed Jobs portal and Rate My Professor to support your career and learning journey.
This guide covers research and policy roles, salary ranges, career progression, student programmes, and professor ratings for partner universities. Whether you are a PhD researcher, policy analyst, or programme professional, use this page to explore academic jobs in the United Kingdom, with a focus on Greater London and England.
Founded in 1997 by Sir Peter Lampl, The Sutton Trust is one of the United Kingdom's most influential education charities. Headquartered in Greater London, England, its mission is to improve social mobility through education. The Sutton Trust is not a degree-awarding university and does not employ professors in the traditional sense, but it commissions, publishes, and translates research that directly shapes university admissions, widening participation, and access to the professions.
The charity is best known for programmes such as the Sutton Trust Summer Schools, UK Summer Schools, Pathways to Law, Pathways to Medicine, and the Sutton Trust US Programme. These initiatives give high-achieving young people from low and moderate income backgrounds the opportunity to experience life at leading universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London. Its research reports cover university access, apprenticeships, early years education, and social mobility, often cited by government bodies and higher education institutions.
For job seekers interested in academic jobs in England or research jobs connected to social mobility, The Sutton Trust offers a unique career environment. Its offices in London place professionals at the heart of UK education policy, working alongside university partners, schools, and employers.
Although traditional professor positions at The Sutton Trust are not part of its staffing structure, the organisation hires academic-adjacent professionals whose work is central to higher education access and success. These roles are ideal for researchers, PhD graduates, and policy specialists who want to influence universities rather than teach in them. Current high-demand opportunities at The Sutton Trust include research and policy officer, senior research manager, programme manager, and data analyst roles. Use the Higher Ed Jobs board on AcademicJobs.com to search for openings linked to The Sutton Trust and similar UK higher education employers.
Typical salary: £28,000 - £35,000. This role involves analysing education data, drafting reports, and supporting policy recommendations on access and social mobility.
Typical salary: £38,000 - £50,000. Leads research projects, manages commissioned studies, and represents The Sutton Trust with policymakers and university leaders.
Typical salary: £35,000 - £45,000. Oversees flagship programmes such as summer schools and Pathways initiatives, working with universities and schools across the UK.
Typical salary: £35,000 - £45,000. Shapes public messaging, media relations, and campaign strategies to promote social mobility research and policy.
Typical salary: £30,000 - £40,000. Measures programme outcomes, builds dashboards, and provides evidence to inform The Sutton Trust's research agenda.
Typical salary: £35,000 - £45,000. Builds partnerships with donors and corporate sponsors to fund research and access programmes.
Academic careers at The Sutton Trust offer a rare combination of intellectual rigour and real-world impact. Staff members contribute directly to research that influences national policy, university admissions, and the life chances of young people. The organisation values evidence-based decision-making, and team members often have postgraduate qualifications and experience in education, sociology, economics, or public policy. This makes it a strong destination for professionals who want to move from university research into applied policy work without losing academic credibility.
Located in Greater London, The Sutton Trust offers hybrid and flexible working patterns, professional development budgets, and a collaborative culture. Employees benefit from exposure to senior leaders in higher education, government, and business. For those considering a transition from a PhD or postdoc, the organisation provides a bridge into policy and programme leadership. AcademicJobs.com's Higher Ed Career Advice hub includes tips on moving from academic research into policy and charity roles.
Working at The Sutton Trust also means joining a mission-driven employer. The charity's influence has been recognised across the political spectrum, and its research underpins many widening participation strategies at UK universities. For academics seeking to make a difference beyond the lecture hall, this is a compelling career option. Compare employer profiles and Professor Salaries to understand salary benchmarks in related higher education fields.
Because The Sutton Trust is an education charity rather than a university, it does not have faculty salary scales in the traditional sense. However, the organisation's research, policy, and programme roles offer competitive UK charity sector salaries, benchmarked against London higher education and public policy employers. The table below summarises typical salary ranges for roles at The Sutton Trust as of 2025, based on public job listings and sector data.
| Role | Typical Salary Range (GBP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Research and Policy Officer | £28,000 - £35,000 | Entry to early career; often requires a relevant degree |
| Data and Impact Analyst | £30,000 - £40,000 | Quantitative skills, impact measurement |
| Programme Manager | £35,000 - £45,000 | Oversees summer schools and pathways programmes |
| Senior Research and Policy Manager | £38,000 - £50,000 | Leads research projects and policy engagement |
| Head of Research and Policy | £55,000 - £70,000 | Senior leadership; manages research team and agenda |
| Director | £80,000 - £120,000 | Executive-level strategic leadership |
Several factors affect pay at The Sutton Trust. Experience in education policy or charity research, advanced degrees, and specialist quantitative skills can increase offers. London weighting is generally included because the office is based in Greater London. For comparison, university faculty salaries in the UK range from around £35,000 for lecturers to £60,000 or more for senior professors, depending on institution and discipline. AcademicJobs.com's Professor Salaries and University Salaries pages provide detailed faculty benchmarks for universities across the UK.
If you are weighing a policy career at The Sutton Trust against a faculty position, consider the type of impact, work-life balance, and long-term progression you want. The Sutton Trust offers strong benefits, but it sits outside the traditional academic promotion ladder. Explore faculty jobs and postdoc jobs on AcademicJobs.com to compare opportunities.
The Sutton Trust itself does not employ professors, so it does not have a dedicated Rate My Professor page for its own staff. However, students and researchers connected to Sutton Trust programmes can use AcademicJobs.com's Rate My Professor to evaluate faculty at the universities that host its summer schools and pathways initiatives. Professor ratings help students choose courses, recognise outstanding teaching, and compare departments across the UK.
Education and Social Policy, University of Leeds
★★★★★ 4.8
Known for accessible teaching on widening participation and social mobility. Sample profile for Sutton Trust partner university faculty.
Higher Education Access, University of Bristol
★★★★★ 4.9
Researches contextual admissions and student success. A representative example for exploring professor ratings at partner universities.
Quantitative Social Science, University of Manchester
★★★★★ 4.7
Focuses on education inequality and causal inference. Sample profile illustrating the value of professor ratings for prospective students.
Widening Participation, King's College London
★★★★★ 4.8
Examines access to medicine and law for under-represented groups. Representative profile for faculty at partner universities.
Using Rate My Professor can help Sutton Trust programme participants and university applicants identify inspiring educators and strong departments. For more guidance on finding the best faculty in UK higher education, visit Rate My Professor.
Career paths at The Sutton Trust typically progress from research, programme, or communications officer roles into manager, senior manager, and director positions. Entry-level roles often require strong analytical, writing, and project management skills, with many staff holding master's degrees or PhDs in education, sociology, economics, or public policy. Progression depends on impact, publication record, and ability to influence policy debates.
A common trajectory is Research and Policy Officer to Senior Research and Policy Manager, then to Head of Research and Policy, with responsibility for setting the charity's research agenda. Programme professionals can move from Coordinator to Programme Manager, then to Head of Programmes, overseeing a portfolio of access initiatives. The Sutton Trust also offers secondment and fellowship-style opportunities that allow academics to transition into policy roles.
Unlike tenure-track university roles, career progression at The Sutton Trust is less formalised but can be faster. Staff frequently move into senior policy positions in government, universities, and other charities. AcademicJobs.com's Higher Ed Career Advice provides guidance on building a CV for research and policy careers, preparing for interviews, and negotiating salary. Explore Research Jobs and Higher Ed Jobs to track current openings.
Research is the backbone of The Sutton Trust's work. The charity produces influential reports on social mobility, university access, apprenticeships, early years education, and the future of work. Major research streams include access to leading universities, the Sutton Trust 30 rankings of universities by social mobility, degree apprenticeships, and the impact of socioeconomic background on professional careers. These publications are widely cited by policymakers, universities, and the media, giving researchers at The Sutton Trust a platform to shape national debate.
Current research trends at The Sutton Trust focus on contextual admissions, the role of universities in social mobility, and whether apprenticeships can rival traditional degrees. The charity also collaborates with leading academic institutions to evaluate its programmes, creating opportunities for research professionals to engage with university faculty and contribute to peer-reviewed outputs. For academics interested in these themes, Research Jobs on AcademicJobs.com may feature roles at The Sutton Trust, partner universities, and associated research centres.
Innovation at The Sutton Trust extends to its programme design, such as online tutoring, mentoring platforms, and data-driven evaluation. The organisation invests in robust impact measurement, ensuring every programme is evidence-based. This evidence-led culture makes it a stimulating environment for researchers who want their work to have practical application.
Professionals transitioning into or working with The Sutton Trust can access a range of practical resources. AcademicJobs.com provides free templates and career guides tailored to higher education and policy pathways.
For staff at The Sutton Trust, benefits typically include pension contributions, flexible working, professional development budgets, and wellbeing support. Because the charity is based in Greater London, many roles include London weighting. The organisation encourages continuous learning, and many team members attend sector conferences and publish alongside academic partners.
For students, The Sutton Trust is not a campus, but its programmes can be life-changing. High-achieving pupils from under-represented backgrounds can attend Sutton Trust Summer Schools at leading UK universities, receive application and interview support, and join a network of more than 30,000 alumni. These experiences give students a taste of university life, help them choose courses, and connect them with mentors in professions such as law, medicine, and finance.
Choosing the right university and professors is critical for student success. AcademicJobs.com's Rate My Professor allows students to read reviews and make informed decisions about courses and lecturers at partner institutions. Students can also explore academic jobs in England to understand the higher education landscape and plan long-term careers.
Sutton Trust alumni often cite the sense of community and aspiration the charity fosters. Many go on to attend top universities and enter competitive professions, breaking cycles of disadvantage. For students considering a career in education policy or social mobility, The Sutton Trust also offers internships and work experience opportunities, giving a first-hand look at how research and programmes are designed.