Senior Analyst – Metascience

Job title:

Senior Analyst – Metascience

Company

STFC

Job description

Senior Analyst – Metascience· Salary: £43,116 per annum· Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)· Contract Type: Fixed Term until 31 March 2027 (towards the end of the assignment candidates will move into the UKRI redeployment pool and be supported in finding suitable alternative work within the organisation)· Location: Hybrid – Swindon, Polaris House· Grade: UKRI Band E· Closing: 19th August 2024The Metascience UnitThe Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are creating a joint Metascience Unit to understand how to improve the way scientific research is funded and conducted, for the benefit of the UK’s economy and society.The Unit has three functions:A) Designing and delivering a portfolio of internal studies and experiments, including large-scale randomised controlled trials, to understand ‘what works’ in the funding processes delivered by UKRI – the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation.B) Coordinating a multi-million-pound grants programme to grow the UK’s metascience academic community, cultivate international collaboration, and support applied research that is useful to policymakers and R&D funders.C) Disseminating metascience insights (both generated through the unit and elsewhere) to ensure DSIT, UKRI and other UK R&D funders have access to the best available evidence.The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) will host UKRI’s contribution to the Unit. UKRI staff within the Metascience Unit will be responsible for the development, delivery and investment management of the grants programme. The team will also work with colleagues across UKRI to find opportunities to test and evaluate improvements to UKRI’s funding processes and support the long-term monitoring of the outcome of these trials.The roleThis role will be critical in delivering a major UKRI investment in metascience, leading the delivery of evidence to support policy decisions.As a key member of the DSIT/UKRI Metascience Unit you will be responsible for the data needs of the Unit, including undertaking or sourcing the analysis of experiment or historic data. You will also lead on developing and coordinating a portfolio of metascience research that is aimed at informing the development of policy and funding practices.The three UKRI staff within the Metascience Unit will be located within ESRC’s Innovation and Business Engagement group. The role is new and will report to the Strategic Lead for Metascience. There will also be two core DSIT members of the team based in London.The role holder will also have direct linkages into the UKRI Analysis team; there will be opportunities for the role holder to work on projects as part of policy analysis, playing a key role in delivering .The post is hybrid with two office days a month based in Swindon and will involve regular travel to London with occasional travel elsewhere in the UK.We are committed to supporting each other’s personal and professional development and will support your learning and development ambitions in this role.Key responsibilitiesWorking as part of the DSIT/UKRI Metascience Unit, the role will involve:· Leading on the delivery of data needs for the Unit (working with colleagues across UKRI).· Responsibility for undertaking and sourcing analysis of experimental or historic data to support the Unit’s work.· Provide ad-hoc analytical support across UKRI using a variety of analytical and statistical methods in support of metascience projects.· Responsibility for developing and coordinating a portfolio of metascience-related research.· Supporting the design and delivery of a suite of applied experiments on UKRI funding processes.· Responsibility for ensuring allocated investments are appropriately governed, monitored, evaluated, and communicated, in collaboration with others.· Originating and developing the appropriate processes and procedures to ensure that the work of the team is successful and integrates with wider UKRI processesAbout youYou will have a highly numerate background. This role is open to all analysts with the relevant skills and experience.Essential skills· analytical experience of:o Data wrangling; producing analysis and communicating it to technical and non-technical stakeholders.o Analysing data with SQL, R and/or Python· A good understanding of research funding and the research policy landscape in the UK and internationally (S&I)· Ability to design, manage and interpret the results of experimental interventions in complicated, real-world situations and communicate results to decision makers.· Excellent written communication skills (both written and oral) with the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate presentations and written documentation for a wide range of audiences including a non-technical audience (S&I)· Ability to build and manage relationships with internal and external collaborators at many levels of seniority (S&I)· Ability to work flexibly and adapt as needs and/or priorities change (S&I)· Strong project management skills including experience of multi-tasking, prioritising and matrix managing colleagues to optimally deliver projects (S&I)Desirable skills· Experience in research commissioning, investment or grant / project management, including engaging a range of collaborators to deliver effective governance and assurance of project outcomes;· Experience of scoping new investment ideas, including engaging a range of collaborators to ensure requirements are understood and reflected in proposals (S&I)For any employees applying for a fixed-term assignment (level transfer or temporary promotion), we recommend you discuss the implications on your current role with your line manager. Fixed-term assignments of twelve months or less will normally only be backfilled temporarily, after which time the employee should expect to revert to their substantive role. For assignments longer than this, or where it is assessed as business critical to backfill the releasing role, entering a fixed-term assignment may result in you not returning to your current role or Council. Instead, you would move into the UKRI Redeployment Pool (on your substantive band if temporarily promoted) towards the end of the assignment, where you will be supported in finding a suitable alternative role within the organisation.Things you need to knowApplicants are invited to submit a CV and a cover letter. The cover letter should provide examples that clearly demonstrate the following four most pertinent behaviours (We use the Civil Service Behaviours and success profiles, please refer to level 3 of the Success Profiles – Civil Service Behaviours):Behaviours: Building on the essential requirements above, the following should be discussed in your cover letter and will be the basis for sifting of candidates for shortlisting.· Communicating and Influencing· Working Together· Managing a Quality Service· Delivering at PaceYour cover letter should cover each of the four elements listed above with a total word count of no more than 1000 words. We recommend that you apply the STAR approach when evidencing each behaviour – describing the (1) situation, (2) task, (3) action and (4) result. The evidence you provide will outline the situation and context, present the task you were responsible for, summarise what course of action you took to deliver the work, and finally explain the results you achieved and the impact of the work.For each behaviour you are encouraged to use one specific example which can be drawn from any part of your life or career. We recommend that you invest some time in making your covering letter as strong as possible as that is the main source of evidence for the sift; the CV will be used to supplement our understanding of your analytical skills and knowledge of the R&I sector (and only if not apparent in the covering letter).Please note that if we receive a large number of applications sifting shall be done on the lead competences – “analytical skills” and “communicating and influencing”. Candidates who pass the sifting stage will be invited to conduct a short written test and interview.For more information, please contact the hiring manager: Suzie Wallace ( )About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)The ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK’s future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy-makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective.For more information about ESRC, please visitAbout 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 atChoosing 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 .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 workforceAt 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 .Disability Confident EmployerAs 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 applyOnline 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.

Expected salary

£43116 per year

Location

Swindon

Job date

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 01:00:30 GMT

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