Head of Research

Spider Web Recruitment Ltd; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days annual leave

Pension with employer contributions

Group income protection

Life assurance

Professional development support

Professional membership fees paid

Employee assistance program

Carers leave

Job summary

Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) is seeking a Head of Research to lead a small, integrated team combining modelling, analytical and policy research. You will report to the Deputy Director and oversee staff, workloads and project publication ensuring impartial and evidence-based outputs.

You will guide research plans, secure funding, and present findings to government and industry stakeholders, contributing to PPI’s influential policy work in pensions.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in social policy, economics, public policy or related field with strong quantitative and qualitative research skills.
• Experience managing small teams and leading research projects with competing priorities.
• Excellent report writing, communication and data presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Research Team, including line management and training.
• Coordinate capacity and priorities across analytical, modelling and policy projects.
• Oversee project delivery from conception to publication with high quality outputs.
• Develop research plans, scopes, grants proposals and secure funding.
• Present research and represent the organisation at seminars and meetings with government and stakeholders.
• Build relationships across academic and pensions communities to disseminate findings.

Skills

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Team leadership

Policy research

Education

Postgraduate degree in social policy/economics/public policy/social science

Job description

Head of Research – Spider is advertising on behalf of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), the UK’s leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy, who are looking for an experienced and highly capable Head of Research to join their team on a full-time, permanent and hybrid basis at their Central London office on the Strand.

Company benefits include:

• Competitive Salary: £65,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience
• Holiday: 25 days annual leave plus Christmas closure
• Pension: PPI Group Personal Pension with an initial 8% employer contribution, plus additional matching contributions for employee contributions up to 4%
• Additional: Group Income Protection, Life Assurance, continued professional development, payment of professional membership fees, Employee Assistance Care Programme, carers leave and leave for volunteering

About the role:

As Head of Research, you will lead a small, newly integrated research team combining modelling, analytical and policy research expertise. Reporting to the Deputy Director, you will be responsible for managing research staff, coordinating workloads and overseeing research projects from conception through to publication, ensuring consistently high-quality, impartial and evidence-based outputs.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Lead and support the Research Team, including line management, workload planning, mentoring, appraisals, development and training
• Coordinate research capacity, workloads and priorities across analytical, modelling and policy projects, fostering a collaborative and multidisciplinary team environment
• Oversee the delivery of PPI research projects, ensuring effective project management, quality standards, timely outputs and coherent integration of research findings
• Work with the Deputy Director to develop research plans, scopes, RFPs and grant proposals, supporting the identification and securing of project funding
• Present PPI research and represent the organisation at seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings with Government, the pensions industry and other stakeholders
• Develop relationships across the academic, policy and pensions communities, supporting the PPI’s profile and contributing to dissemination and stakeholder engagement

About you:

As Head of Research, you will have a postgraduate degree in social policy, economics, public policy, social science or a related field, with strong quantitative and qualitative research skills and knowledge of the UK pensions system or equivalent experience. You will have experience managing small teams, leading high-quality research projects and managing competing priorities, with excellent report writing, communication and data presentation skills.

You will be an organised, proactive and strategic leader with a collaborative approach and strong interpersonal skills. Experience presenting research, mentoring colleagues, building stakeholder relationships and securing research funding would be advantageous. Above all, you will be committed to independent, impartial and evidence-based research, with excellent attention to detail, sound judgement and a solutions-focused approach.

About Pensions Policy Institute:

The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) is the UK’s leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy. The PPI conducts rigorous, impartial research and analysis from an evidence-based, long-term perspective. Its work is used by Government and across Westminster, as well as by the pensions industry and consumer groups, helping to inform major decisions affecting millions of people in retirement.

If you require any reasonable adjustments such as access or information in an alternative format, please inform us soon as you are able so that we can make the appropriate adjustments.

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