Senior Economic Evaluation Manager

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Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Senior Economic Evaluation Manager

Salary: £43,116 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Grade: UKRI Band E

Closing date: 10th June 2024
Proposed interview date: w/c 1st July 2024

Do you pride yourself on your attention to detail and knowledge of economics? Do you have strong analytical and project management skills and can work as part of a team? The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are seeking a Senior Economic Evaluation Manager. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic performance and evaluation team (PET) at the heart of EPSRC, working closely with a team of highly skilled Economists across UKRI.

With a budget of around £8bn a year, UKRI as a whole invests in world leading science and technology, from supercomputers to robotics, and from Artificial Intelligence to biomedical research. UKRI works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and Government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. With a core budget of around £800M a year, EPSRC is the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK. Our portfolio covers a vast range of fields from healthcare technologies to structural engineering, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry.

As one of the UKRI Councils, EPSRC has a key role to play in helping to deliver UKRI objectives, primarily to drive better economic and social outcomes for the UK through research and innovation. Robust, timely and well-pitched economic analysis for EPSRC based on robust evidence is key to driving our strategy and making the case for receiving appropriate Government funding.

Purpose

The role of the Senior Economic Evaluation Manager is to work with colleagues in the Performance and Evaluation Team and across UKRI to support the development of robust socio-economic evaluations as well as support the development of robust business cases (often asking for significant funding of around £100M plus).

This role will work closely with EPSRC and UKRI Portfolio Managers and Analysts, with a strong focus on supporting project teams through the sharing of best practice in economic analysis. This supports EPSRC staff to run often complex Socio-economic Evaluations or write and produce detailed Business Cases which make the case for further funding. Both Business Cases and Evaluations have a strong focus on understanding and evidencing the benefits at a UK level of the research EPSRC fund, with impact wide ranging from scientific, to economic, social and environmental. This enables EPSRC to use evidence to improve the narrative to Government; providing economic evidence for the case for further funding and driving best practice in strategic decision making through robust data and evidence. Support for Business Cases will involve supporting the use of robust evidence to make the case for funding, supporting the development of the monitoring and evaluation plans for the proposed funding, and often supporting the development and writing of the economic case.

Although the focus of the role is economic analysis for both Evaluations and within Business Cases, there are opportunities to specialise depending on background and experience. This may include running direct analysis such as economic analysis or social science-based analysis. We are also looking for candidates with experience in evaluation or project management techniques. On the job training can be provided.

Key responsibilities of the role will include:

• Working with portfolio managers and external consultancies to ensure economic analysis within EPSRC's evaluations is robust, independently accepted and well defined; enabling our evaluations to make the strongest case possible for available Government funding. This includes providing advice to those responsible for commissioning and delivery of external evaluations/economic analyses to help ensure the most robust and credible economic analysis is carried out throughout our reporting practices.

• Working with UKRI colleagues to support when needed the economic analysis within EPSRC's business cases, ensuring that analysis is robust, independently accepted and well defined, and makes the strongest case possible for available Government funding.

• Working with colleagues to directly run economic analysis on available data to produce new insights for the benefit of the whole of UKRI where possible. This may look at our monitoring data in new ways and provide insight into the broader socio-economic impact of EPSRC research.

• Working closely with the Head of Performance and Evaluation and the wider PET team to ensure EPSRC's approach remains fit for purpose, working to adapt to and influence thinking in a changing Governmental and UKRI landscape; with new high-level monitoring and evaluation policies and recommended approaches being formed.

• Working under pressure, managing competing priorities to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Working autonomously but in close collaboration with UKRI economists to develop and deliver a high-quality work programme across priority areas.

• Maintaining awareness of current best practice and latest thinking on economic evaluation approaches and methodologies relevant to assessing benefits and impacts of research.

• Translating evidence effectively, explaining technical information clearly, and describing the implications and uncertainties of analysis.

The post holder will interact with a wide range of people internally within EPSRC and UKRI, and externally; including EPSRC Executive Leadership Team and EPSRC advisory groups, UKRI analysis and strategic centre, academic and industrial contacts at all levels and external consultants delivering economic evaluations and other studies. The postholder will report to the Head of Performance and Evaluation, but will also link directly to and work with Economists in the UKRI Business Case team, who will provide additional economic support and training and enable joint working where needed.

Shortlisting criteria

Expertise in Economic analysis - Professional Competency and Technical skills. Effectively using sound judgement, evidence and economic analysis to enable accurate and professional reports and business cases which are robust and independently accepted.

Delivering high-quality work at pace - The ability to focus on delivering robust advice and guidance to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment, taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes.

Leadership skills - including ability to work autonomously to develop and deliver high-quality work. The ability to work as part of wide remit teams; with peers, senior managers and wider stakeholders, and lead your work to set direction and deliver objectives.

Understanding of the wider strategic environment - Knowledge/experience of the academic research environment and/or relevant consultancies and/or Government/Civil service/other Government departments.

Effective stakeholder management and influence -The ability to communicate effectively with peers, senior managers and stakeholders and thereby influence policies and approaches where needed.

Qualifications

Essential:

Degree or equivalent in Economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in Economics. If it is a joint degree, a good proportion of the degree modules should be in Economics.

Desirable:

PhD or equivalent higher degree in a relevant subject or work experience in relevant role.

Interview criteria

Essential:

• Proven knowledge and experience of economic analysis

• Knowledge/experience of the academic research environment, economic consultancies and/or Government/Civil service.

• The ability to work as part of a team, communicate effectively with peers, senior managers and stakeholders, and lead your work areas to set direction and deliver objectives.

• Ability to provide evidence and analysis that takes account of the bigger picture, understanding how projects fit in with and support UK Research objectives as well as wider public needs.

• The ability to focus on delivering timely performance against competing priorities and to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment, taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes.

If applying on secondment, please note this in your application.

We'll assess you against these competencies during the selection process:

• Professional Competency
• Technical skills (economic analysis)
• Leading and influencing
• Delivering at pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application competency responses.

For further information on the roles, please contact:

Jennifer.moloney@epsrc.ukri.org

About the Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC)

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Council (EPSRC) is a partner organisation within UKRI, providing essential research and skills for all sectors of the economy, and through this aims to enhance long-term societal well-being and prosperity.

EPSRC is the main UK government agency for funding this research and training in engineering and the physical sciences. They invest over £850 million a year in a broad range of subjects from mathematics to materials science and from information technology to structural engineering.

For more information about EPSRC click here: https://www.ukri.org/councils/epsrc/

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 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 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.