Senior Policy Manager - UKRI Talent and Skills

UKRI; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 46,000; Full time

Job summary

UKRI seeks a Senior Policy Manager to support the development and implementation of talent and skills policies. This role demands strong analytical and communication skills to engage key stakeholders and deliver impactful policy initiatives, primarily based in Swindon. The position allows for flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Excellent holiday entitlement

Employee shopping/travel discounts

Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Educated to degree-level or demonstrable equivalent experience.
• Substantive lived experience in research or funding administration.
• Experience in policy development and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement UKRI Talent and Skills Policy.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders.
• Analyze information to support decision-making.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent experience

Job description

Senior Policy Manager

The Medical Research Council (MRC)

Salary: £45,272 per annum
Band: UKRI Band E
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 30 hours per week)
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Team: UKRI Talent
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Closing date: Thursday 12th June 2025

About the role

To support the development and implementation of UKRI Talent and Skills Policy. The role will be based in the central UKRI Talent and Skills Team which leads on the development of cross UKRI talent and skills policy, and the delivery of central UKRI talent programmes. The work of the team is focused on UKRl's role as a funder in supporting talent and skills capability and capacity in the research and innovation system. This is not an HR role.

The postholder will be expected to quickly build up knowledge of relevant policy areas, develop options for agreed priorities, identify where input is required from other teams, specialists, or stakeholders, and to recommend options for decision to senior management.

The role will have a particular focus on supporting the development and implementation of UKRI’s People and Teams Action Plan, but will also be expected to support the wider policy work of the team, including the Collective Talent Funding Programme, and UKRI commitments to the New Deal for Postgraduate Research. The range of activities will support UKRI to meet its published commitments regarding the transition to greater collective working of UKRl's nine councils on talent and will facilitate the Talent and Skills Strategic Leadership team and the Investment Strategy Team in their planning.

Key responsibilities:

• Working with others to identify areas for improvement, simplify processes, develop, and analyse appropriate policy options.
• Analysing information from a variety of sources to inform effective decision-making, drawing on specialists where required.
• Supporting and managing the development and implementation of policy across a range of talent and skills areas.
• Supporting the transition from policy to delivery through helping establish project delivery teams across relevant business areas of UKRI and providing secretariat support where appropriate.
• Engaging and influencing both internal and external stakeholders; this will include colleagues within council talent teams, across UKRI more broadly, and with representatives from external organisations.
• Carrying out any other duties/projects that may be required of the post across the UKRI Talent and Skills Team.

Person Specification

The below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I)

Qualifications:

Essential:

• Educated to degree-level or demonstrable equivalent experience. (S)

Knowledge and experience:

Essential:

• Substantive lived experience working or studying in an academic environment through a research, technical, or funding administration role. (S/I)
• Experience of policy development, including creation, implementation, planning & delivery, and undertaking appraisal of options. (S/I)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills including the ability to show initiative and cope with ambiguity. (S/I)
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex issues simply, both in writing and orally, and engaging with stakeholders at a variety of levels. (S/I)
• Experience of working within a fast-paced environment, delivering against tight timescales with clear planning and prioritisation skills. (S/I)
• Effective collaborator and team member, able to build effective working relationships and networks with stakeholders at varying seniority levels to enhance work output. (S/I)

Desirable:

• An understanding of UKRl's strategic objectives for talented people and teams and how we support them. (I)
• A thorough understanding of the different roles that contribute to research and innovation (R&I) endeavours, particularly in academic environments. An existing understanding of non-academic environments as well may be an advantage as would knowledge of the career and qualification pathways that support R&I roles, organisational structures and incentives that impact career management, or other relevant areas. (I)
• Experience of managing projects effectively drawing on project management tools. (I)
• Experience of assimilating intelligence or feedback and working with stakeholders to resolve or prioritise competing issues. (I)

Additional information:

• The post holder will be based primarily in Swindon but may be required to attend meetings/workshops in other UK locations with occasional overnight stays. The post holder will be able to work remotely but will be required to work in the Swindon office in line with the Talent team's policy.

How to apply:

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.

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [e-mail]

About the Medical Research Council (MRC)

Within UKRI, the MRC seeks to improve human health through world-class research. With an annual budget of over £800 m, MRC provides support both to individuals, through fellowships and grants, and to institutions, such as the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and the Francis Crick Institute. The outcomes of our research span discovery science, improvements in public health and the development of new treatments for common diseases.

For more information about MRC, please visit https://mrc.ukri.org

About 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 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 at UK Research and Innovation (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.