Head of Strategic and Systems Analysis

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UK Research and Innovation

Salary: £65,262 per annum (dependent on skills and experience). £5,129 London allowance (if applicable.)
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8FTE) Secondments welcome.
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: London or Swindon - hybrid working available

Closing Date Sunday 29 th September

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance UKRI recruitment policy - UKRI for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

Job Summary

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation. Our vision is to foster an outstanding research and innovation system in the UK that gives everyone the opportunity to contribute and to benefit, enriching lives locally, nationally and internationally. We invest more than £8 billion annually to advance our understanding of ourselves and the world around us and deliver benefits for society, the economy and the environment.

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 www.ukri.org .

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

The Head of Strategic and Systems Analysis plays a pivotal role in developing and deploying UKRI's evidence base and producing analysis to support delivery of UKRI's Strategy . As one of the senior leaders in the UKRI Analysis team, reporting directly to the Chief Analyst, you will lead compelling analysis to advise decision makers in UKRI and government. You will be a confident analytical leader who can build strong relationships with stakeholders across the community, set direction in the face of competing demands, and empower your team to deliver analysis that adds value to real world strategic issues.

Job Description

You will lead a team of around twelve analysts to support UKRI to deliver its five-year strategy and look ahead to our next. This role works across UKRI councils and provides a unique opportunity to shape some of the most ambitious investments in the UK research and innovation landscape over the next decade.

• Delivering insights into UKRI's portfolio and the research and innovation (R&I) system, and demonstrating how UKRI delivers government priorities - by building the cross-UKRI portfolio analysis function and providing UKRI expertise to support the senior executives and Board, drawing on expertise, international and other evidence and data analysis. You will support and enhance the team's data analysis capability through data science techniques and other approaches to extract new value from our rich data sources on funding and outcomes. You will scope and deliver new insights into the system and UKRI's impact on it, ensuring a systems thinking approach to data and analytical challenges.

• Preparing evidence to support UKRI's multi-billion bid at fiscal events such as Spending Review and subsequent allocations - you will harness UKRI's best analysis to evidence and support our proposals, and advice on its allocation within UKRI, making the case for public investment in R&I and highlighting the impact of our funding in the UK and internationally and our unique role in the system to make the case that UKRI is well placed to deliver the government's ambitions for R&I.

• Improving the evidence base - you will lead analytical projects to address gaps in our evidence base and anticipate future evidence needs, working with colleagues across the group and wider UKRI, horizon scanning, scoping work programmes and identifying suitable analytical methods and requirements. You will manage the budget effectively whenever commissioning pieces of research externally. This will include building an understanding of the opportunities and limitations of data sources, measurement techniques and analytical debate relating to the R&I policy area, and synthesising the evidence.

• Responding to new strategic priorities and leading analysis to address them, and ensuring UKRI's business cases for new investment are underpinned by robust economics and demonstrate value for money - you will provide evidence to shape and support delivery of any new cross-UKRI investment programmes. You will play a key role in UKRI approvals of the economic section of all major programmes' business cases, leading a 'business case economics hub' which ensures quality in the cases submitted to government for approval.

• Leading and developing UKRI's economics and appraisal community, where you will also promote and further develop the guidance on appraisal best practice and upskill case authors across UKRI, and play a wider role as a senior analyst in the UKRI analysis function. You will need to understand and uphold the standards set out in the HM Treasury Green, Aqua and Magenta Books which will involve engaging with, and bringing in expertise from, other analytical professions as appropriate.

• Assessing the research financial sustainability of the system by looking at universities, institutes and other critical investments we and others fund - the sector faces significant pressures and you will oversee the analysis to support the Research Financial Sustainability and Impact team to understand the drivers and how these impact universities' ability to fund research and innovation and analyse options.

As the Head of UKRI Strategic and Systems Analysis, you would be highly visible and influential within the organisation, and responsible for forming close working relationships with, our strategy team, finance, analytical counterparts across UKRI councils, and government departments particularly the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

About you

Essential qualifications: A degree or equivalent work experience relating to economics.
Essential skills and experience that will be assessed through the recruitment process:

• Excellent analytical skills: experience at senior economist level with a track record of developing evidence-based proposals and delivering high quality analytical products that meet strategic needs; applying economic theory, drawing on a broad range of quantitative and qualitative analytical tools and methods, and deploying suitable evidence.
• Strong communicating and influencing skills: particularly communicating analytical findings to non-technical audiences that reflect and meet the needs of the strategic context, and generating buy-in from senior audiences in UKRI and government.
• Experience of leading analytical teams in a complex organisational environment: inspiring, motivating and empowering others to deliver, developing staff as professional analysts, and understanding high-level business strategy and needs and translating these into clear objectives.
• Track record in delivery using strategic awareness to respond flexibly and adapt the team's portfolio of work to shifting priorities and short-turnaround demands in an uncertain environment.
• Ability to build relationships and work well with others : coordinating joint working with other teams, proactively building networks with academia and wider research communities.

Highly desirable:

• Familiarity with HMT Green Book and Managing Public Money principles and an understanding of the government context and government investment planning.
• Understanding of the research and innovation system.

This role is open to all analysts with the relevant skills and experience but note the strong economics component to the role as it is responsible for overseeing business case economics and appraisal, so requires suitable qualifications and/or experience.

When describing your skills and experience it is worth reviewing the Government Economics Service (GES) technical /competency framework (see Level 3 expert / G6). As analysts in a non-departmental public body we are part of the Government Analytical Function so follow the technical (competency) frameworks in our recruitment and development as analytical professionals.

Interviews are likely to be held 9-11 October.

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 www.ukri.org .

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 UK Research and Innovation (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.