Freedom of Information Specialist in Swindon

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK. UKRI invests £8 billion of taxpayers’ money each year into research and innovation and the people who make it happen. They work across a huge range of fields – from biodiversity conservation to quantum computing, and from space telescopes to innovative health care.

Job Purpose

The Information Governance Optimisation project is the first phase of a multi-workstream cluster of initiatives designed to:

• Strengthen UKRI’s information governance posture across the Group.
• Reduce risk exposure associated with poor data handling, compliance breaches, and information loss.
• Deliver a unified and consistent approach to information governance across UKRI, aligning policies, processes, and controls.
• Protect UKRI from significant financial, operational, and reputational harm arising from regulatory non-compliance or data incidents.
• Achieve compliance with UK Government standards and statutory obligations, including Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR, and Freedom of Information requirements.

The Info Gov Optimisation project comprises 4 discreet workstreams:

• Privacy and consent management
• Governance Automation
• Physical records reduction
• Electronic Documents and Records Management System

As a Freedom of Information Specialist, your main responsibilities will be:

• FOI compliance framework and guidance – clear processes, standards, and templates to ensure consistent handling of FOI requests across UKRI.
• Current-state FOI process assessment – evaluation of existing FOI handling practices, identifying gaps, risks, and inefficiencies.
• Optimised FOI workflows – redesigned, standardised processes aligned to governance automation and records management improvements.
• Training and awareness materials – guidance and support to improve staff understanding of FOI obligations and best practice.
• Performance and compliance reporting – dashboards or reports tracking FOI response times, volumes, and compliance with statutory deadlines.
• Integration with broader InfoGov controls – alignment of FOI processes with EDRMS, privacy, and records management to ensure consistent, auditable information governance.
• Deep FOI legislative knowledge – strong understanding of the Freedom of Information Act and its application alongside UK GDPR and Data Protection Act obligations.
• Experience of FOI request handling, including the review of information, application of exemptions and redactions, and preparing responses.
• Process analysis and Optimisation – ability to assess existing FOI handling processes and design efficient, standardised workflows aligned to governance improvements.
• Risk identification and management – capability to identify compliance risks, sensitivities, and exemptions, ensuring appropriate and defensible responses.
• Stakeholder engagement and advisory skills – confidence working with legal, policy, and operational teams to provide clear guidance on FOI handling.
• Data and records awareness – understanding of records management, EDRMS, and information lifecycle to support effective information retrieval and disclosure.
• Performance monitoring and reporting – ability to track FOI metrics (timeliness, volume, outcomes) and use insights to drive continuous improvement.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, UKRI guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

UKRI guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.