Senior Analyst

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Economic and Social Research Council

Senior Portfolio Manager Metascience

Salary: £43,116 per annum

Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)

Contract Type: Fixed Term until 31 March 2027 (towards the end of the assignment candidates will move into the UKRI redeployment pool and be supported in finding suitable alternative work within the organisation)

Location: Swindon, Polaris House

Grade: UKRI Band E

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are creating a joint Metascience Unit to understand how to improve the way scientific research is funded and conducted, for the benefit of the UK's economy and society.

The Unit has three functions:

A) Designing and delivering a portfolio of internal studies and experiments, including large-scale randomised controlled trials, to understand 'what works' in the funding processes delivered by UKRI - the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation.

B) Coordinating a multi-million-pound grants programme to grow the UK's metascience academic community, cultivate international collaboration, and support applied research that is useful to policymakers and R&D funders.

C) Disseminating metascience insights (both generated through the unit and elsewhere) to ensure DSIT, UKRI and other UK R&D funders have access to the best available evidence.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) will host UKRI's contribution to the Unit. UKRI staff within the Metascience Unit will be responsible for the development, delivery and investment management of the grants programme. The team will also work with colleagues across UKRI to find opportunities to test and evaluate improvements to UKRI's funding processes and support the long-term monitoring of the outcome of these trials.

The three UKRI staff within the Metascience Unit will be located within ESRC's Innovation and Business Engagement group. The role is new and will report to the Strategic Lead for Metascience. There will also be two core DSIT members of the team.

The post is based in Swindon but will involve regular travel to London with occasional travel elsewhere in the UK.

Job purpose

This role will help deliver a major UKRI investment in metascience.

As a key member of the DSIT/UKRI Metascience Unit you will be responsible for the data needs of the Unit, including undertaking or sourcing the analysis of experiment or historic data. You will also lead on developing and coordinating a portfolio of metascience research that is aimed at informing the development of policy and funding practices.

Key responsibilities

Working as part of the DSIT/UKRI Metascience Unit, the role will involve:

• Leading on the delivery of data needs for the Unit (working with colleagues across UKRI).
• Responsibility for undertaking and sourcing analysis of experimental or historic data to support the Unit's work.
• Provide ad-hoc data support across UKRI using a variety of analytical and statistical methods in support of metascience projects.
• Responsibility for developing and coordinating a portfolio of metascience-related research.
• Supporting the design and delivery of a suite of applied experiments on UKRI funding processes.
• Responsibility for ensuring allocated investments are appropriately governed, monitored, evaluated, and communicated, in collaboration with others.
• Originating and developing the appropriate processes and procedures to ensure that the work of the team is successful and integrates with wider UKRI processes.

Essential Skills

• Significant experience of:
  • Data wrangling; producing analysis and communicating it to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Analysing data with SQL, R and/or Python
• Ability to build and manage relationships with internal and external collaborators at many levels of seniority (S&I)
• Ability to design, manage and interpret the results of experimental interventions in complicated, real-world situations.
• Ability to work flexibly and adapt as needs and/or priorities change (S&I)
• Strong project management skills including experience of multi-tasking, prioritising and matrix managing colleagues to optimally deliver projects (S&I)
• Excellent written communication skills (both written and oral) with the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate presentations and written documentation for a wide range of audiences (S&I)
• A good understanding of research funding and funding systems in the UK and internationally

Desirable skills

• Experience of:
  • research commissioning, investment or grant / project management, including engaging a range of collaborators to deliver effective governance and assurance of project outcomes; and/or
  • scoping new investment ideas, including engaging a range of collaborators to ensure requirements are understood and reflected in proposals (S&I)
• .

For any employees applying for a fixed-term assignment (level transfer or temporary promotion), we recommend you discuss the implications on your current role with your line manager. Fixed-term assignments of twelve months or less will normally only be backfilled temporarily, after which time the employee should expect to revert to their substantive role. For assignments longer than this, or where it is assessed as business critical to backfill the releasing role, entering a fixed-term assignment may result in you not returning to your current role or Council. Instead, you would move into the UKRI Redeployment Pool (on your substantive band if temporarily promoted) towards the end of the assignment, where you will be supported in finding a suitable alternative role within the organisation.

About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The ESRC is the UK's largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK's future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy-makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective.

For more information about ESRC, please visit

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at .

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

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As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

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