Senior Analyst The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) - Head Office Salary: £45,272 per annum Band: UKRI E Team: NERC Business Insight Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 30 hours per week) Contract Type: Open Ended Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available Closing Date: Tuesday 8th July 2025 Purpose The Senior Analyst plays a key role in providing robust quantitative analysis to enhance NERC's strategic and future focused understanding of the environmental science community and landscape. This will include leveraging insight from data sources both internal and external to NERC/UKRI to provide quantitative insight to support the implementation of the NERC Forward Look, shape our approach to funding and inform future strategy. You will work within a diverse team bringing together different skillsets across qualitative and quantitative approaches, exploring new and innovative methodologies to support NERC's aims. The successful applicant will work across directorate and organisational priorities. As business needs evolve, the role holder will need to be flexible in pivoting to new work areas, including supporting the Head of Business Insight - Analysis to engage on business priorities and develop an annual workplan that speaks to NERC's long-term insight needs. You will provide analytical thought leadership, working closely with strategy and research colleagues to enable decisions that are underpinned and influenced by the best available evidence. You will lead on developing analyses and communicating analytical outputs clearly and to a range of audiences, interpreting evidence to support progress across NERC, including to colleagues without specialist technical or analytical expertise. Key responsibilities: Lead on the design and delivery of robust quantitative analysis to support the implementation of the NERC Forward Look, looking across a range of data sources, including bibliometric analysis. These analyses will respond to challenging strategic questions around understanding community capacity and talent pipeline, identifying the cutting-edge research and trends. Lead on analysis of our community diversity, including students and peer review college, and monitor trends using UKRI and HESA data sources. Develop and deliver approaches to modelling and monitoring the impact of interventions or changes to how we fund. Provide evidence of NERC and UK environmental science strengths and breakthroughs. Work with data and analysis colleagues across UKRI to leverage the most value from UKRI data and respond constructively to ongoing change in this space. Engage with internal stakeholders to understand analytical requirements and work with Head of Team to prioritise work against NERC's broad and long-term needs. Present and communicate insight in an accessible way that facilitates its use in decision-making and strategy, including presenting to and working with senior leaders within NERC. Respond to analytical requirements driven by Spending Reviews. The role reports to NERC Head of Business Insight - Analysis, within the Strategy & Analysis directorate. Person Specification: The below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I) Essential Exceptional quantitative analytical and technical skills,e.g. experience of analysing data with SQL, R, Python or equivalent, and familiarity with statistical methods. (S&I) Demonstrable experience of shaping and leading analysis that provides business insight to support decision-making and strategy. (S&I) Experience and knowledge of a range of data sources including bibliometric analysis and the ability to quickly gain familiarity with and understand the potential of new systems and large datasets. (S&I) The ability to translate challenging strategic questions into analytical requirements, including engaging with and understanding requirements from senior and non-analyst colleagues. (S&I) Effective communication skills with the ability to produce clear and well-structured documents or presentations, and ability to communicate analysis effectively to non-analysts. (S&I) An ability to plan and prioritise your own work and the work of others to deliver successful outcomes, as well as respond flexibly to changing requirements as required. (S&I) Desirable Interest or background in environmental science. (S&I) An understanding of research funding and systems, including funding policy, gained from experience of working with a research funder or HEI. (S&I) Experience of coding, text mining or machine learning techniques. (S&I) Experience of using data analytics and visualisation software such as Alteryx, Tableau or Power BI. (S&I) Degree in a relevant field. (S) Visa Sponsorship Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org. Benefits We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package! We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning! A list of benefits below: 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! For further information on our benefits please see: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer. Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org UKRI - UK Research and Innovation 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 for UKRI. 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. 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. NERC is a partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI brings together nine organisations to create one single, independent entity with a strong voice, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. NERC is the UK's leading funder of environmental science. Our scientists study and monitor the physical, chemical and biological processes on which our planet and life itself depends - from pole to pole, from the deep Earth and oceans to the atmosphere and space. The science we fund has impact across all sectors. It provides a platform for future UK prosperity by contributing to a safe, healthy, productive nation. Many programmes involve collaborations with national and international partners to tackle large-scale environmental science challenges, including those faced by developing countries. 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