UKRI
Salary: £46,743 per annum
Band: UKRI Band E
Contract Type: Open-ended or fixed-term external secondment opportunity (two years)
Hours: Full-time/ Part-time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available)
Location: Swindon - Hybrid working available
Closing Date: 11th January 2026
This is an exciting opportunity to join a multi-disciplinary analytical team that works on areas at the heart of the UK research and innovation (R&I) system. Our work plays a key role in delivering the government's ambition to strengthen the UK's position as a global science and technology superpower, set out in the UK Science and Technology Framework.
The role sits within the Strategic Analysis team (within a wider Analysis team and the Investment Planning and Strategy directorate), which has a wide remit including analysis of the R&I system, Economic Appraisal, Data Science, and analysis for Investment Strategy.
The successful candidate will report to the Lead Analyst for Economic Appraisal and Business Cases. The successful applicant will work across directorate and organisational priorities, pivoting to new work areas as business needs evolve.
We are a team committed to diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from anyone with the skills needed. The team works across the London and Swindon offices. A good proportion of the work can be done from home and there will be opportunities to visit colleagues in London and Swindon offices and other UKRI sites.
We are committed to supporting each other's personal and professional development and will support your learning and development ambitions in this role.
About the role
We aim to recruit an economist that would support our strategic economic appraisal work.
There are two key parts to this role, concerning both ex-ante and ex-post economic appraisal.
Ex-post economic appraisal: the successful candidate would have a leading role in the management of ex-post economic appraisal work within the team. This includes supporting evaluation teams, as well as science and policy teams, by reviewing and advising on the economic components of their evaluations. This role requires close collaboration with the UKRI Analysis Evaluation team.
Ex-ante economic appraisal: The successful candidate will support the Lead Analyst for Economic Appraisal in various ex-ante economic appraisal projects. A significant portion of this work involves supporting business case development, leading the economic component of economic cases, and reviewing the work of other analysts.
Although the role does not currently entail line management responsibilities, this may be subject to change in the future. In the meantime, the job holder will be expected to mentor and provide guidance to junior analysts and economists across the organisation.
Key responsibilities of the role will include, but are not limited to:
* Leading on business case analysis, with a focus on economic cases. This would usually require ex-ante value for money analysis with a quantitative component developed in Excel.
* Mentoring junior analysts to deliver economic appraisal projects.
* Supporting evaluation, policy, and science teams in the delivery of the economic component of their evaluation projects. This includes reviewing invitation to tender documents, bids, and early drafts.
* Supporting analysis for fiscal events and spending reviews.
* Engaging with internal and external analysts to develop robust methodologies and analysis for evaluation of UKRI investments.
* Developing guidance and training for both analytical and non-analytical audiences.
* Supporting the Lead Analyst on the conception and development of key ex-ante and ex-post economic appraisal projects. This would typically require modelling in Excel or R.
* Running literature and evidence reviews assessing their robustness and relevance. This would require finding and analysing relevant sources and data sets to fill knowledge gaps, summarising the key findings for users.
Personal Specification
The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
Essential skills and experience:
* Degree in Economics (with at least 50% of course modules in Economics) or equivalent work experience. (S)
* Analytical skills and experience: Knowledge of and experience in Applied Econometrics. (S&I)
* Analytical skills and experience: Highly proficient in Excel. (S)
* Working together: experience in building strong relationships with technical and non-technical users of analysis at varying seniority levels. (S&I)
* Communicating and influencing: the ability to communicate your analysis to non-technical audiences. (S&I)
Other desirable experience:
* Experience carrying out public sector Green Book compliant value for money analysis. (S&I)
* Familiarity with the Magenta Book and experience in monitoring and evaluation, including identifying the strategic objectives and benefits of a project, and constructing a theory of change or logic model to link inputs to impacts. (S)
* Familiarity with the Aqua Book and knowledge of quality assurance best practices. (S)
* Experience coding in R, Python, and SQL. (S)
* Experience applying economics to science, research and innovation would be desirable, but it is not a requirement. (S&I)
This role is open to all analysts with the relevant skills and experience. Applicants do not need to be badged to a Government Analytical Profession such as the GES, GSR, GORS or GSS to apply for this role. However, badged analysts are welcome to apply.
Application Process and Shortlisting Criteria (how to apply)
Applicants are invited to submit a CV and a statement of experience (no longer than 1,000 words), covering the following three areas:
1. Analytical skills and experience: examples from previous experience that provide evidence to support your application for an analytical role as specified above. Please refer to the "Key responsibilities" and "Personal Specification" sections above. You might also like to refer to the GES Technical Framework.
Examples from previous experience that demonstrate your aptitude in the following two behaviours:
2. Working together.
3. Communicating and influencing.
For guidance on Civil Service Behaviours, please see Success Profiles: Civil Service Behaviours (SEO grade)
In the event that we receive a high number of applications, we will shortlist based on the lead competency - analytical skills. You should consider using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for each of the skills and behaviours, including analytical skills.
We will hold a reserve list for 12 months of candidates who meet the criteria but who were unsuccessful at interview, from which further appointments may be made.
For more information, please contact the hiring manager: Patrick Rigby, Head of Strategic Analysis (patrick.rigby@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)
Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org .
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 .
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 applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. 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.