Senior Strategy Adviser

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UK Research and Innovation

Salary: £43,116

Hours: Full time/Part time (Minimum 0.8 FTE)

Contract Type: Open Ended.

Location: Polaris House, Swindon

Closing date: Tuesday 2nd July 2024

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Strategy, Performance and Engagement (SPE) Group at the heart of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). 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.

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

About the role

Research and innovation (R&I) infrastructure is a key pillar of the vibrant research and innovation system UKRI supports, and we invest in a diverse range of infrastructures from supercomputers to biomedical labs to libraries.

The Senior Strategy Adviser will work in a small, high-performing team, as part of the wider R&D investment strategy team, helping drive forward our portfolio of strategy work for Infrastructure.

You will need to have good organisational skills, diplomacy and tact to build trusted relationships, and the drive to ensure work progresses at pace. You will be expected to work with a range of colleagues across SPE and the wider UKRI organisation, including Research Councils. Your motivation, proactive approach, and comfort with independent work will contribute to the overall success of the high-performing team.

Key responsibilities

This role is an opportunity to work collaboratively across UKRI to advise and lead aspects of infrastructure strategy. You will:

• Support the delivery of critical projects which emerge from our analysis and stakeholder engagement, for example acting as the lead policy official for a programme to further develop robust evidence and build the case for UKRI World Class Labs programme of funding.
• Synthesise a range of inputs and evidence to draft key internal and external strategy and policy documents, including advice reporting to UKRI CEO, UKRI Board and senior BEIS officials and ministers.
• Develop the team's stakeholder relationships, including establishing internal communities of interest across UKRI's Councils, and running meetings and workshops.
• Provide project management across the team's portfolio of activities, mapping progress against objectives and key milestones.
• Create and maintain a bank of high-quality communications materials for the team, including maintaining internal and external web presences.
• Model UKRI's values and piloting new ways of working to address complex issues that span councils, policy areas, and/or government departments.

The role is being offered as an open-ended role. Reflecting the flexible working style of the SPE directorate, individual responsibilities may evolve and change to manage the broader range of work priorities. We will hold a reserve list from this recruitment exercise who may be approached about other roles in the directorate.

About you

Key skills

We are looking for candidates who exhibit a combination of these skills and are enthusiastic to learn and contribute effectively to our dynamic environment. Your application should be shaped to correspond with the interview and shortlisting criteria, without the need to explicitly list how you possess these key skills.

• Build and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders.
• Work under pressure, against competing priorities and to tight deadlines in a fast-paced policy environment
• work independently and lead on specific pieces of work
• be able to work collaboratively across a small core team to support delivery against programme objectives.
• Deliver and influence through others, by developing collaborative and trusted working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders within UKRI, across Government, and other key stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills.

Shortlisting and interview criteria:

Essential

• Ability to absorb, evaluate and communicate complex information in language appropriate to the audience, specifically provision of high quality written and verbal communication including advice suitable for senior level decision makers.
• Demonstrable track record in influencing, persuading and negotiating effectively (both verbal and written media) across teams, wider organisation and external stakeholder communities.
• Experience of systematically and quickly building a knowledge base in a new policy area including understanding the strategic drivers.
• Experience in addressing strategic questions based on evidence and developing policy options creatively.
• Resilience, multi-tasking and ability to work to deadlines and work flexibly on own initiative.
• Experience of managing projects and people, to deliver agreed outcomes. Strong organisational skills with an ability to adapt to shifting priorities and respond at pace.
• Experience developing and managing collaborative working relationships with multiple internal and external stakeholders, including senior stakeholders.

Desirable

• Understanding of the wider political context in which UKRI operates, including the research funding landscape.
• Experience of working in a small team in a matrix environment
• Experience of partnership working for example with senior academics, policy makers, public sector bodies and/or business.

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 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.