Policy Economic Analyst

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading organization as a Policy Economic Analyst, where you will provide vital analysis and insight to enhance UKRI's policy initiatives. You will engage across various sectors to champion the application of economic principles, impacting regional and national developments. Enjoy a supportive environment with excellent benefits including a defined pension scheme and flexible work options.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

30 days' annual leave plus public holidays

Employee discounts on retail and leisure

Confidential employee assistance programme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent experience), ideally in economics or related field.
• Experience managing complex economic analyses.
• Ability to communicate core economic principles to various audiences.

Responsibilities

• Deliver analysis to support UKRI cross-cutting policy areas.
• Develop evidence base on UKRI's place priorities.
• Collaborate with government departments and stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Leadership

Communication

Decision Making

Education

Degree in Economics, Mathematics, Sciences or Engineering

Tools

R

SQL

Job description

Policy Economic Analyst
Salary: £45,272
Hours: Full Time / Part Time (Min 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon (Hybrid working available)
Closing Date: Sunday 22nd June 2025

This exciting role will deliver analysis, evidence and insight to support UKRI cross-cutting policy areas across the policy lifecycle. Initially, the role holder is expected to work on commercialisation and economic impact metrics as well as on analysis to support UKRI’s place priorities, although there will be opportunities to work across a wider breadth of domain areas.

You will be developing the evidence base on UKRI’s place priorities through applying economic principles and approaches, including building the evidence base on areas for intervention, understanding the effectiveness of UKRI’s current approaches, and supporting monitoring and evaluation of existing investments.

You will work with analysis and policy colleagues in UKRI and government departments to support policy development. Work on commercialisation will include taking forward the work on key impact indicators, working with colleagues across UKRI to develop stronger evidence on how UKRI’s research leads to economic impacts through spinouts, job creation and other economic outcomes, including regional outcomes of UKRI funding.

As an economist in the Policy Analysis team, you will play a highly visible and influential role within the organisation, responsible for forming close working relationships with our Investment Strategy team, UKRI’s councils, external experts and researchers. You will be championing the use of economic principles and approaches to develop insight and evidence-based decision making.

We are committed to supporting each other’s personal and professional development and will support your learning and development ambitions in this role.

Person Specification:

• Degree (or equivalent experience), ideally in a subject such as economics, mathematics, sciences or engineering.
• Knowledge of R and/or SQL or willingness to learn
• Analytical Skills – experience managing complex economic analysis employing innovative and rigorous analytical methods. Ability to apply and communicate core economic principles/frameworks to analytical projects, meeting strategic and policy needs.
• Making effective decisions – clarifying your own understanding of partners' needs and expectations before making decisions; ensuring that decision making happens at the right level; encouraging both innovative suggestions and challenge from others. Ability to analyse and accurately summarise data from various sources to support decisions. Finding the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks and implications. Communicating reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete evidence.
• Leadership - experience of leading analytical projects including identifying relevant analytical approaches, scoping analyses, applying relevant analytical techniques, managing delivery and quality, motivating teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role. Ensure colleagues and stakeholders have a clear understanding of objectives, activities and time-frames. Consider the impacts of own and team’s activities on stakeholders and end users. Recognise and praise the achievements of others to drive positivity within the wider UKRI team. Effectively manage conflict and non-inclusive behaviour, raising with senior managers where appropriate.
• Communicating and Influencing - The ideal candidate will ability to explain sophisticated issues to technical and non-technical audiences and to consider customers’ individual needs. Ensuring clear and effective communication across the team, explaining the implications of your analysis. Communicate with clear purpose in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, being confident and persuasive when required. Ensure that important messages are communicated to colleagues and stakeholders respectfully, taking into consideration the diversity of interests. and takes into account people’s individual needs, sharing information as appropriate and check understanding. Show positivity and enthusiasm towards work.

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package! We’re committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options

Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

How to apply:

For full details, please visit our careers site. Please submit an application including your CV and a Cover Letter that showcases how your skills and experience align to the requirements of the role.

A well thought through application providing evidence and examples of how you meet the advertised essential and desirable criteria for the post will be considered far more favourably than a generic covering letter and CV.