Lead Policy and Research Analyst

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is looking for a Lead Policy & Research Analyst to join our team based in Cheltenham or the option to work remotely is also available. This is a full-time, permanent position and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £29,370 - £40,000 dependant on skills and experience.

The Lead Policy and Research Analyst role:

We are looking for a Lead Policy & Research Analyst to join our team to lead the mobilization of a new 'College HE' project to integrate data about Higher Education taking place in FE colleges into our main statistical outputs about students.

About Us:

HESA exists to support the advancement of UK higher education by collecting, analysing, and disseminating accurate and comprehensive data and statistics about the UK HE sector. Our high-quality, timely, and independent data leads to better decisions, enhanced performance, improved outcomes, and supports public trust and confidence. Our vision is to support these aims and deliver public benefit through the exceptional data and services we provide.?

Our strategy is delivered through our people. Ensuring that our staff have the skills, capabilities, and tools to do their jobs effectively is therefore a key theme underpinning all our activities and objectives. This includes providing opportunities for development, learning, and progression.

What will you be doing as our Lead Policy and Research Analyst:

• Supporting the effective management and administration of the College HE research and development project by determining and evaluating the detailed requirements for the work and advising on the necessary programme of tasks.
• Compiling and maintaining a shared database of literature, data sources, and knowledge about higher education policy, and undertaking investigations to enhance HESA's organisational expertise on College HE and support project delivery.
• Analysing the suitability of College HE data sources (including their access arrangements) to meet data improvement objectives; and contributing to the documentation, assurance, integration, classification, re-coding, and the derivation of variables.
• Leading the application process for obtaining College HE data from its various existing collectors across the UK and ensuring all data protection and lawful processing requirements are understood and complied with.
• Writing up and/or presenting findings in a range of formats suitable for different audiences, including reports, horizon scans, and blog posts, but also face-to-face audiences of varying size (or to video) adapting tone and style to suit.

What we're looking for in our Lead Policy and Research Analyst:

• Educated to Master's degree level in a subject containing a high proportion of mixed methods social science research, or have equivalent experience and a Bachelor's degree
• A strong interest in the policy environment in higher education
• Experience of working with quantitative data and have experience of writing different types of outputs (e.g. essays, long reports, blogs etc.)
• Academic or professional backgrounds in any discipline will be considered
• We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with some familiarity with quantitative analysis and utilizing national data sources, from the social sciences, education, geography, psychology, law, or the humanities

Full details of this role are on the HESA website.

What can we offer you as our Lead Policy and Research Analyst?

The salary range for this post is £29,370k - £40,000k dependant on skills and experience. We offer an attractive package with initially 25 days leave, increasing to 30 days, plus bank holidays and extra Agency shutdown at Christmas; flexible working including remote and home working options; pension scheme and occupational health support.

If you are looking for a new challenge and are interested in this role please click 'apply' today to be forwarded to our on-line recruitment portal and become our new Lead Policy and Research Analyst.

Application forms should be completed via our recruitment portal no later than 9:00am on Monday, 25 October 2021; it is planned that interviews will be held using MS Teams, on Wednesday, 3 November 2021.

Thank you for your interest in HESA.

No Agencies please.