Manager - Evidence and Evaluation Swindon, Wiltshire, South West England, England
Job description
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Grade: UKRI Band-D
The role of BBSRC Manager, Evidence and Evaluation (Analysis) enables insightful analysis to advise strategic planning and decision making. With a diverse and varied workload, this role works within the Evidence and Evaluation function, within the Strategic Planning, Evidence and Engagement Domain of BBSRC.
You will play a key role in producing analyses, working with a range of data sources, predominantly BBSRC research and training investments. Also, the associated outputs and outcomes, along with data from other funders (across UKRI, nationally and internationally), reporting on these portfolios, looking for trends and patterns in the data, and providing the evidence base to inform BBSRC. Spanning the full remit of BBSRC science, you will work collaboratively with colleagues across BBSRC and the wider UKRI.
In your analysis and with support from the wider team, you will have the flexibility to use a range of data analytics approaches, including commercial tools such as Power BI or Tableau or open-source software such as R and VOS viewer. Approaches currently used within the team span text analysis (text mining, searching, clustering), network analysis (to explore collaborations and interactions), research classification and a range of data visualisation approaches to support the dissemination of analyses to our key collaborators.
A bioscience background would be beneficial in this role. With analysis also core to this role, you will be numerate and IT literate with strong analytical and data visualisation skills, with the ability to analyse complex raw data and derive relevant information accurately and responsibly. Programming experience with R is desirable. You will be well organised and adaptable to change, with the ability to work flexibly across a range of activities and competing demands. Excellent team working and interpersonal skills are essential, together with effective communication skills.
Specific responsibilities of this role include:
- Contributing to strategic analyses of the BBSRC portfolio working with a variety of data sources, relating to BBSRC and other funders both nationally and internationally, including both grants and research outputs (e.g. publications) data.
- Working closely with BBSRC subject matter experts to define and analyse research portfolios, identifying awards by text searching, document clustering and auto-classification approaches.
- Summarising and visualising data relating to research portfolios, tailoring analyses to meet the needs of stakeholders both within BBSRC, across UKRI and externally.
- Supporting the development of various standard reports and dashboards relating to BBSRC investments and outputs data. This includes linking multiple data sources for integrated analysis, ensuring that source datasets are produced accurately and that dashboards are fit for purpose and intuitive to use.
- Contribute to responses for requests for information on BBSRC research investments, including Parliamentary questions, Ministerial briefing, and Freedom of Information requests, ensuring the data underpinning responses is robust and provided with appropriate context.
- Working independently and with other members of the team to build on existing practices for data analysis and visualisation, improving current methods or applying new approaches to discover and communicate relevant insights into our data which advise our strategic planning and decision-making. This includes: supporting work on the development of machine learning and auto-classification approaches; text mining and analytics for new knowledge discovery; and data visualisation approaches.
- Assisting in the monitoring of research investments data quality, arranging amendments as necessary and ensuring data accuracy and timeliness; this includes ensuring the research classifications are maintained.
- Participate in group and office wide activities, for example, attending BBSRC, cross UKRI and external meetings and deputising for colleagues within the Evidence and Evaluation Function as required.
The post may require some travel and/or work outside normal working hours on occasion.
Position and Person Requirements:
Shortlisting (S) and Interview (I) criteria:
Essential
- Hold a degree in a biological (or related) subject and/or equivalent relevant experience. (S)
- IT literate with extensive experience of the Microsoft Office Suite. (S)
- Excellent written communication skills. (S)
- Strong communication and presentation skills. (I)
- Experience of data analysis and visualisation with R or another programming language (S&I)
- Excellent analytical skills and highly numerate, with the ability to analyse complex raw data and derive relevant information accurately and responsibly. (S&I)
- Ability to work to a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. (S&I)
- Experience of data visualisation approaches/an interest in learning new software. (S&I)
- Ability to establish and maintain productive and professional working relationships (S&I)
- Personal initiative and judgement and ability to work independently and proactively, as well as part of a team. (S&I)
- Excellent organisation skills, ability to meet deadlines and prioritise own tasks and work of others, including adapting flexibly to changing priorities. (S&I)
- Ability to apply critical thinking skills to develop and implement creative solutions to complex problems. (I)
- Genuine interests in the aims and objectives of UKRI-BBSRC. (S&I)
Desirable
- PhD or equivalent higher degree in a biological or related subject (S)
- Experience of working with data visualisation software, such as Power BI or Tableau (S&I)
- Experience working with database software, such as Access or SQL, or Alteryx workflows for data management. (S&I)
- Experience of machine learning, statistical modelling, or text mining approaches. (S&I)
- Experience classifying research documents. (S&I)
- Appreciation of UKRI-BBSRC’s role within the UK research and innovation landscape. (S&I)
About The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
The BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. We are the UK's largest public funder of research of the non-medical biosciences. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, we support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. The research and the people that we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact, see: https://bbsrc.ukri.org/
For more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes, see https://bbsrc.ukri.org/research/institutes/strategically-funded-institutes/
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 for 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
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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.
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