Head of Research Systems and Impact

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Salary : £65,262

Hours : Full Time / Part Time (Min 0.8 FTE)

Contract Type: Open Ended

Location : Polaris House, Swindon

Grade: G

Closing Date: Monday 29 April 2024

Job Overview:

This is a key leadership role at the heart UKRI as part of the Research Financial Sustainability and Impact Team, in the Strategy, Performance and Engagement Group. The Group enables UKRI to lead, participate and shape discussions about the research and innovation system. We work hand in hand with our councils and government on some of the biggest issues facing UK research and innovation. Our work plays a key role in delivering UKRI's Strategy, and the government's ambition to strengthen the UK's position as a global science and technology leader.

This role oversees the development, planning and implementation of a strategic approach to evidencing and supporting UKRI's impacts as well as working with colleagues to better understand and shape our role in supporting and enabling the resilience of the research and innovation sector. This requires projecting our impact and progress in ways that work for a policy audience, collecting achievements from across the organisation to evidence UKRI impact.

This role requires an excellent understanding of the research and innovation landscape and the role of publicly funded organisations in the UK in shaping and delivering against government ambitions. This requires experience leading programmes of work through collaboration and being able to flexibly respond to emerging issues and ensuring the timely and effective delivery of strategic objectives, as well as supporting and managing teams.

As a leader within the Strategy, Performance and Engagement Group you will also work collaboratively to ensure overall group priorities are delivered. Within the flexible and agile working style of SPE, individual remits and responsibilities have the opportunity to evolve and change to manage the broader range of strategy and policy priorities.

As part of the role focus, engagement with colleagues and senior leaders across UKRI, with senior stakeholders across the sector and in close partnership with DSIT, the Office for Students and Devolved Funders is expected. This role requires some UK based travel. This role reports to the Deputy Director of Financial Sustainability and Impact.

Key Responsibilities:

As the Head of Research Systems and Impact, you will be highly visible and influential within the organisation, and responsible for forming close working relationships across UKRI. This includes senior leaders and shared capability functions, strategy teams, finance, government departments (including DSIT), external advocacy groups and stakeholders, and the wider research and innovation community.

• Provide leadership, support and guidance on UKRI impact evidence and the resilience of the research and innovation sector
• Lead strategic planning and policy, providing evidence-based advice and engaging with key sector stakeholders, including government and the higher education research and innovation community and representing UKRI at external meetings
• Influence stakeholders in the system, including research organisations, to ensure the UK is able to plan for and retain a robust R&I funding systems
• Drive collaboration across the UKRI Councils and colleagues to drive cross-cutting focussed initiatives on evidencing UKRI impacts and the resilience of the research and innovation sector
• Contribute to UKRI strategy development and supporting strategic decision making at a UKRI level, including advising Executive Committee and Strategic Committee, and Directors in UKRI
• Provide support to UKRI cross-cutting priorities as necessary, to ensure those priority areas are evidenced and deployed in the most effective way
• Oversee the development of UKRI's strategic narrative on impact and the resilience of the research and innovation sector
• Team management including building staff capability and motivating teams to be able to adapt and spot new opportunities at a time of change
• Delivery of activities against a budget, ensuring value for money at all times
• Strategic decision making regarding the deployment of resources

Person Specification:

Essential

• Excellent insight into the UK research and innovation system, including how different levers interact to drive impact and outcomes at system level and the governance of this in the UK and excellent understanding of the challenges of Research Financial Sustainability and the role of UKRI
• The ability to apply a systems approach to evidencing UKRI impacts and addressing the different issues and drivers of change to the research and innovation sector
• Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills at a senior level, including t he ability to bring diverse sources of information and insight together to support strategic decision-making
• Advanced leadership skills including a track record of well-developed influencing and interpersonal skills and ability to create, maintain and promote a strong network of relevant internal and external connections, including with DSIT and university leaders
• A track record of leading, managing and motivating a team, including to adapt and spot new opportunities at a time of change as part of a wider strategic UKRI function
• Well-developed communication skills, including the ability to write a range of documents and design and deliver presentations, suitable for a range of internal and external audiences, drawing on evidence to set out compelling arguments and justifications for recommendations
• Experience of managing budgets and the exercise of financial control

Desirable

• Excellent understanding of the dual support funding system in the UK and how they work together to achieve UK research and innovation ambitions
• Established networks with other UK funders and university bodies
• Experience of leading teams successfully through change
• An understanding of government investment planning and the interactions between UKRI, the wider R&I system and government departments.

About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and 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

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ' How we support EDI in the workforce '.

Disability Confident Employer

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.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.