Head of University Sector Insight

Research England
Salary: £58,589 | UKRI Band F | Closing date: 19th July 2026
Contract Type: Fixed-term contract (6 months)
Hours: Full-time
Location: Westward House, Lime Kiln Close, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8SR

Help shape the future of research and innovation in England.

At Research England, we work at the heart of England's research and higher education system. By funding, engaging with, and understanding higher education providers (HEPs), we create the conditions for world-class research and knowledge exchange to thrive.

Our ambition is to enable English HEPs to play a central role in driving economic growth, improving lives, and addressing society's biggest challenges. We support institutions to deliver research with transformational real-world impact, develop the highly skilled workforce needed for a modern research and development (R&D)-intensive economy, and strengthen the UK's position as a global leader in research, innovation, and international collaboration.

Purpose

This is a key role in the Research England (RE) Insight and Engagement Team (I&E) – you will have a strong understanding of the research and innovation system in the higher education sector, including university operations, governance, finances, and the political and policy environment in which they operate. You will deploy this to develop innovative approaches to the definition, measurement, and analysis of the health of the research and innovation (R&I) system in England. You will lead on the interpretation and transformation of a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative evidence into ‘insights’ for use within Research England and UKRI, but also for external partner agencies, including government.

You will engage fully in policy discussion including with internal senior management and national and HE sector policy makers to problem-solve, understand, and interpret implications in setting long-term policy. You will be expected to lead on policy and data analysis, drawing on the expertise of relevant internal and external experts.

You will also work on other projects within the scope of the Insight and Engagement team, but primarily on the analysis of data and intelligence to better understand the health of the university sector, working closely with the Director and Associate Director of I&E, the Head of Financial Sustainability, and the Head of Engagement. Specifically, this will involve the provision of evidence for Research England and senior partner organisations, including government, to understand the impact of national and international policy decisions, including understanding how our investment enables and supports a healthy, dynamic, diverse, and inclusive sector. The postholder will also have line management responsibility for one or more Policy or Senior Policy Advisors.

Main outputs and activities

• Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of, and act as an authoritative source of, advice on higher education and wider fiscal policy that affects the health of research and innovation in English higher education providers.
• Working with colleagues across the I&E team and throughout RE and UKRI, lead on identifying the information we need and the range of activities we need to undertake in order to contribute to the development of a nuanced understanding of the R&I system in the HE sector in real time, identifying evidence gaps and policy needs.
• Interpretation of analysis with the ability to distil key points for a range of audiences.
• Lead on policy on, and delivery of, methods and processes for defining, assessing, and monitoring the health of the university sector.
• Supporting senior colleagues on the development of recommendations on how Research England’s policy objectives can be addressed, taking into consideration availability of appropriate evidence and institutional burden.
• Give presentations and lead discussions at external meetings relating to HE evidences and policy.
• Make a significant contribution to effective relations with HE institutions and sector bodies, communicating policy decisions, data analysis and answering queries and liaising with the analytical services directorate over data issues.
• Contribute to briefing and advice to Government/DSIT and senior RE and UKRI staff, taking a leading role in areas of analysis and evidence.
• Act as the main point of contact for queries from the sector on matters in relation to the health of the university sector.
• Line management responsibility for one or more Policy or Senior Policy Advisors.
• Assess, use and present accurately complex quantitative evidence in policy development.
• Contribute to design and delivery of new data and evidence, including through contributing to policy work with teams within RE and UKRI, but also external partners such as DSIT, DfE, the Office for Students and the devolved funding bodies.
• Work as part of the team to assist with consideration of evidence and analysis to inform research and evaluation and monitoring of the impacts of funding policy, including assisting commissioning external work and contributing to formula funding work in spending cases. Internal project management (including managing expert researchers and working closely with statisticians).
• Manage and develop effective relations with universities and other bodies, including representing RE/UKRI at external meetings and presenting to external groups.
• Production of RE Council and relevant Committee papers and other documents.

Shortlisting criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting, (I) – Assessed at interview, (S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Essential (S&I)

• Excellent analytical skills, including across both quantitative and qualitative datasets, and in applying mixed method approaches. (S&I)
• Ability to interpret and transform a wide variety of evidence into a range of outputs for digestion for a variety of audiences. (S&I)
• Demonstrably strong understanding of the research and innovation and knowledge exchange system in the higher education sector, including university operations, governance, finances, and the political and policy environment in which they operate. (S)
• Ability to work effectively with others at all levels, including with technical analysts. (S&I)
• Ability to develop an authoritative knowledge of research and knowledge exchange evidence, identify policy solutions and share knowledge and solutions effectively with others in order to make effective recommendations about future RE policy. (S&I)
• An excellent communicator, with ability to:
  • Communicate complex subjects with people at all levels both verbally and in writing, in a clear, concise, and fluent manner. (S&I)
  • Demonstrate effective working with a range of stakeholders, including universities, government, and policy experts; represent RE and UKRI at meetings and events. (S&I)
• Ability to work flexibly to contribute fully within a team that covers a shared and complex workload. (S)
• A proactive approach to solving problems within challenging deadlines. (S&I)
• Ability to both effectively project manage and line-manage. (S&I)

Desirable

• Experience of principles of data architecture design, in order to take a systematic approach, seeking a diverse range of inputs in order to find solutions. (S)
• An understanding of economic theory, in order to apply them to research and evaluation activity and contribute to spending review case development. (S)

UKRI values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant.

As one of Europe’s largest research organisations, this is a place where there’s always something new to learn about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. Join us and be part of an organisation that is helping shape the future of research, knowledge, and opportunity for England and beyond.

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 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. 

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 UK 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 [email protected].