Economic and Social Research Council

Salary: £43,116 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Grade: UKRI Band E

Closing Date: 25 Nov 24
Proposed Interview Date: 09 Dec 24

Purpose of the role

The post holder will join the Research Commissioning and Capacity Building (RCCB) team, part of the ADR UK Strategic Hub based in ESRC and play an important role in the delivery of its Training and Capacity Building Strategy.

ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) is a partnership transforming the way researchers access the UK’s wealth of public sector data to enable better informed policy decisions that improve people’s lives. By linking together data held by different parts of government and facilitating safe and secure access for accredited researchers to these newly joined-up and de-identified data sets, ADR UK is creating a sustainable body of knowledge about how our society and economy function –tailored to give decision makers the answers they need to solve important policy questions.

ADR UK is made up of four national partnerships (ADR England, ADR Northern Ireland, ADR Scotland and ADR Wales) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Together they ensure data provided by UK government bodies is accessed by researchers in a safe and secure form with minimal risk to data owners or the public.

The partnership is coordinated by a UK-wide Strategic Hub, which also promotes the benefits of administrative data research to the public and the wider research community, engages with UK Government to secure access to data, and delivers the ADR England Strategy.

There is enormous untapped potential of linked admin data to inform better decisions about the UK’s public services and people’s lives. The RCCB team works with a wide array of collaborators and across ADR UK’s Strategic Hub to unlock the value of this data to enable more research for public good.

We have funded some foundational projects that the post holder will build on. These include linking government departments’ admin data to build a collection of ADR England Flagship data as well as supporting a growing cohort of researchers using these datasets for example via these schemes:

• ADR UK Research Fellowship scheme
• ADR UK PhD cohort
• ADR England Research Community Catalysts.

This role will work closely with other colleagues in the Strategic Hub to deliver these main objectives:

• Increase the number and diversity (academic field, career stage, institution) of researchers that have the skills and tools to conduct world-class research using admin data for public benefit;
• Develop, promote and enhance training pathways to support researchers in using the linked data assets that ADR UK makes available both directly and in partnership.
• Improve and smooth the researcher journey by providing timely and effective information and resources, including synthetic data.

Key Responsibilities

• Play an active and leading role in the delivery of ADR UK’s strategic objective to build capacity and capability of researchers trained to analyse complex linked administrative datasets.
• Lead the development and delivery of training opportunities to expand skills and develop confidence in using linked administrative data research for policy making and decision making.
• Manage the provision of clear, easy-to-find information and resources on ADR UK flagship datasets to support their use for research for public good.
• Support the success of ADR UK’s first cohort of funded PhD students and supervisors through events, community building opportunities, and grant monitoring activities.
• Maximise relationships across our partnership and the wider network to share learning opportunities, reduce duplication, and expand capacity.
• Actively help to develop plans for future commissioning and linked admin data and projects which support and enhance its use.

Essential skills, qualifications and experience

• Strong external engagement skills; for example, experience of working with academic or public policy partners, or training delivery partners. (S&I)
• Proven interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively and to form strong working relationships internally and externally at different levels of seniority (S&I)
• Sophisticated analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills and an ability to think strategically and creatively to develop and deliver programmes of work. (S&I)
• Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) with a track record of producing clear, concise and accurate presentations, written documentation and information for a wide range of audiences (S&I)
• Planning and prioritisation skills, with experience of independently balancing competing demands, delivering high quality outputs at pace, dealing with ambiguity and being flexible (S&I)
• Demonstrable experience of and enthusiasm for the application of social science with genuine curiosity about realising the potential of linked admin data for research for public good (S&I)

Desirable

• Experience of developing and running training courses or programmes
• Degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
• Leadership and engagement skills, including being able to provide clear vision and influence to negotiate and engage others to ensure objectives are met.
• Experience of working across different research areas and of interdisciplinary teamwork

ADR UK

ADR UK is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation.

To find out more, visit adruk.org or follow @ADR_UK on X (formerly Twitter) or on LinkedIn.

FIXED TERM ASSIGNMENTS

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance Recruitment at UKRI – policy and information (sharepoint.com) for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

HYBRID WORKING

This post is based at our Swindon office, but we operate a hybrid approach, and you can expect a mix of working from home, the office, and occasionally at external locations, including the potential for international travel. The ADR UK team typically work in the office a minimum of two days a month for team days. On occasions where there is a business need, you may be required to attend the office more than the minimum expectation (e.g., for training, events, or team days). Expectations will be set out at interview and offer, and all working arrangements will be considered. Please note that this role will require applicants to undertake some level of trav el to the London off ice and other UK destinations (travel expenses will be covered).

APPLICATIONS

Online applications only for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter to the attachments section (ignore free textbox for cover letter under ‘Experience’ section) which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for 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 process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DEVELOPING TALENT:

We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e-learning, classroom training and on-the-job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.

BENEFITS:

UKRI can offer the successful candidate:

- Flexible Working

- 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays

- Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme

- Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider

Visit our dedicated benefits webpage for more info: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK’s future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy-makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective.

For more information about ESRC, please visit https://esrc.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.