Data Analyst

Job summary

Data Analyst
Salary: £37,841 per annum.
Grade: UKRI Band D.
Hours: Full Time.
Contract Type: Fixed Term until 15th August 2027.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.

Job description

Organisational Position

The role sits within the Portfolio Management and Insights team, which provides a range of key portfolio, governance, and assurance functions across the AHRC. The Analyst will work alongside colleagues specialising in data, reporting, and planning, working with the Senior Data Strategy Manager.

The team is overseen by the Head of Portfolio Management and Insights, with the role requiring extensive collaboration across AHRC directorates, project leads, and the wider UKRI community.

Team Purpose

The Portfolio Management and Insights team has a wide range or responsibilities within AHRC. The team provides a crucial support role to the organisation, managing and improving reporting processes as well as providing support to assurances and risk processes. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion along with policy also sits within the team and it helps to drive continuous improvement. The management of data and analysis also sits within the team and they are responsible for ensuring data is effectively and consistently used across the organisation.

Job Purpose

This role will support AHRC’s portfolio, project, and programme management processes, ensuring consistent, accurate, and timely information flows across the organisation.

The Analyst will:

• Maintain and develop AHRC’s portfolio reporting dashboards.
• Support governance and assurance activities.
• Facilitate project planning, risk management, and monitoring processes.
• Provide guidance to teams on project management standards, templates, and reporting expectations.
• Help embed standard methodology in delivery approaches, enabling more consistent and effective project execution.
• Produce high‑quality portfolio insights to support strategic decision making.
• The postholder will also work closely with other UKRI PMO and portfolio teams to share good practice and support harmonisation.

Main Outputs & Activities

• Maintain AHRC’s portfolio, project, and programme reporting tools and dashboards.
• Coordinate and quality‑assure project status reports, risk logs, benefit tracking, and delivery plans.
• Support governance meetings by preparing papers, performance summaries, and portfolio insights.
• Facilitate the development, rollout, and continuous improvement of project and programme management standards, templates, and guidance.
• Provide guidance and training to project leads on reporting requirements, planning expectations, and governance processes.
• Support on portfolio‑level analysis for strategic planning and decision making.
• Record and track delivery achievements across AHRC projects, raising risks where required.
• Support evaluation and lessons‑learned activities to drive continuous improvement.
• Engage with other Research Councils to align processes and share best practice.

Equality and Diversity

• The Research Council values the diverse skills and experience of its employee and is committed to achieving equality of treatment for all.
• Job descriptions should be reviewed annually. Any changes should be made and agreed between the post holder and the line manager.

The above lists are not exhaustive, and the job holder is required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be requested within the scope of the post. All employees are required to act professionally, co-operatively and flexibly in line with the requirements of the Research Council.

Person specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines (S).
• Ability to collect and interpret reporting requirements and translate these into clear PMO outputs (S).
• Experience working with project or portfolio reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) (S).
• Solid attention to detail with the ability to produce consistent, high‑quality reports (S).
• Ability to support and maintain repeatable PMO processes (S).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with colleagues at all levels (I).
• Ability to think creatively, propose solutions, and support decision making (I).
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, enabling productive relationships across teams (I).
• Ability to work independently and within a multidisciplinary team (I).
• Confidence in explaining PMO processes to non‑technical colleagues and supporting their adoption (I).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,841, UK Research and Innovation contributes £10,962 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. 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)

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [email removed]

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who