Research Portfolio Manager

Salary: £36,650 per annum

Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time (Minimum 0.8 FTE)

Contract Type: Fixed Term (Concluding 23 December 2025)

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire (Hybrid Working)

Grade: UKRI Band D

Positions Available: 1

Closing Date: 19 May 25

Proposed Interview Date: W/C 09 June 25

About Us

ESRC is a major funder of data infrastructures that enable social science research. These data infrastructures include several large, long-running data collections, and the services that researchers need to access them. The ESRC Data Strategy & Infrastructure Team is responsible for managing around 30 of these infrastructures. This involves a range of tasks across the lifecycle of each investment, including commissioning, investment management, and evaluation.

Infrastructure we manage include the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Understanding Society, the British Election Study and the UK Data Service. We also undertake strategic activity relating to data, such as developing new investments and policy.

Job Purpose

The role supports the effective development and management of a portfolio of new and existing data infrastructure investments. The role involves close working with colleagues across the ESRC Data Strategy & Infrastructure Programme, UKRI and the wider social science research community. Core activities are likely to include supporting:

• Day to day management of ESRC’s existing funding for data collections and data services, including attending investment management meetings, responding to funding policy queries, and supporting the monitoring, assurance and impact tracking of investments
• Commissioning future phases of funding for existing infrastructures and planning for evaluation of these data collections and services
• The development of policies, processes, and resources to improve cross-programme and cross-organisation ways of working
• The delivery of the ESRC Data Infrastructure Strategy, including flexibly supporting projects and activities to implement refreshed policies and processes
• Providing specialist secretariat roles at, for example, advisory boards and similar meetings of a technical nature

Assessment Criteria

We will assess applicants on the criteria stated below. We ask that applicants state how their skills and experiences meet these criteria in a covering letter (maximum 2 pages) and provide a CV (maximum 2 pages).

• (S) – ASSESSED AT SHORTLISTING
• (I) – ASSESSED AT INTERVIEW
• (S&I) – ASSESSED AT BOTH SHORTLISTING AND INTERVIEW

Strong planning and organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise and to run complex activities (S/I)

Can work independently and take ownership of tasks while maintaining attention to detail (S/I)

Can work effectively in a team (S/I)

Effective communication skills, in particular can write in a professional, concise and appealing manner. (S/I)

Experience of maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external collaborators at varying seniority levels (S/I)

Can understand, analyse and summarise complex written and numerical information. (S/I)

A degree or relevant experience related to social science and/or the use of data in research (S)

An enthusiasm for social science research (S)

HYBRID WORKING

All posts are 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. Expectations will be set out at interview and offer, and all working arrangements will be considered.

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.