AMS PSR

On behalf of UKRI, we are looking for a Senior Policy Advisor (Inside IR35) for a 4 Month Contract.

Hybrid - 1 day per week in Bristol & the rest WFH.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK.

We are recruiting for one Senior Policy Advisor within the Research Infrastructure team. This role will lead and/or support work on Research England’s broad research infrastructure funding portfolio.

The role will involve working with colleagues and independently to develop and/or implement Research England policy with considerable levels of engagement with colleagues across UKRI and government, universities, and other external organisations.

You will be well-organised and self-motivated, ideally with a background in higher education, research or policy. You will have analytical experience working with data to make judgements and inform decisions. Capable of working to your own initiative, you will contribute substantially to the development and delivery of projects. You will have an analytical approach and be a confident communicator with people at all levels.

As a Senior Policy Advisor, your main responsibilities will be:

• Formula funding and evidence gathering.
• Progressing the Condition of Estate work to improve understanding of the condition of English HEPs research estate.
• Working with the wider Research directorate and contributing to areas within RE’s strategic institutional research funding (SIRF) review (such as engagement with the HE sector, liaison with analysis teams, and reviewing funding transparency).
• Contributing to activity to prepare for Research England’s formula capital case for funding at the Spending Review including collecting evidence leading to the drafting of papers and supporting business cases.
• Contributing to the delivery of the current round of UKRPIF (round 7).
• Contributing to comprehensive spending review commissions and the development of key evidence of the impacts and benefits UKRPIF. This includes evidence gathering for UKRPIF and leading the development of the business case.
• Contribute to the planning for future rounds of UKRPIF, including leading discussions with the programme board, analysing the evidence, writing papers, and making future recommendations.
• Supporting the wider team in the development of the UKRPIF evaluation framework to provide a programme level evaluation, engaging with stakeholders to implement a successful evaluation.
• Supporting the review of the UKRPIF Net Zero Pilot fund. Working with the other Senior Policy Advisor to make recommendations for the future of this fund.

Essential:

• Experience of policy or strategy development and delivery, or of strategic engagement for policy or strategy development.
• Experience of synthesising information from different quantitative and qualitative sources, drawing conclusions to inform policy outcomes
• Excellent communications skills, with good attention to detail and nuance, able to communicate effectively with a mixture of audiences and levels of seniority, in written and verbal formats.
• Able to think and work creatively to tackle problems and challenges, demonstrating own initiative and judgement within given constraints and asking for and giving help when needed.
• Experience of building, maintaining and influencing a strategic network of stakeholders to work collaboratively and find the best possible outcomes.
• Highly collaborative, able to take responsibility for delivery, and to trust and empower others to take ownership and deliver independently.
• Ability to appropriately tailor written and oral communications in style and content according to audience.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, UKRI guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

Armed Forces Covenant 

UKRI guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".