Data Analyst (FTC)

The Institute of Physics (IOP) exists to help our lives, our society and our planet through promoting physics applications and supporting the people behind it. Working alongside our members and leaders from across the physics community and beyond, we’ve identified three priorities that will shape our work over the next five years: Skills, Science and Society. These priorities sit at the heart of everything we do. We’re proud of our ambitious and forward looking 2024 – 2029 strategy.

We’re currently looking for a Data Analyst on a fixed term basis until 31st December 2026, to help us deliver our mission. This is a full‑time position.

The IOP is a friendly, inclusive and ambitious organisation. Diversity and inclusion are central to how we work. We focus on supporting our people to thrive, offering competitive pay, great development opportunities and a generous benefits package. Some of our benefits include:

• An excellent pension scheme
• Private medical insurance, life assurance, dental insurance and a healthcare cash plan
• Eye care vouchers, annual flu vaccinations, long service awards and access to an employee assistance programme
• 25 days' annual leave as a standard, in addition to floating bank holidays
• Flexible working opportunities

The Role

What will I be doing? You’ll be responsible for a range of activities, including:

• Analysing data to understand the health of British and Irish physics—including student and teacher numbers, research trends, performance of physics‑powered businesses, and understanding the extent to which physics is becoming a diverse and inclusive discipline
• Presenting findings in dashboards, reports, and briefings to tell compelling stories using data from multiple internal and external data sources
• Gathering and explaining data relating to internal measures of success, such as performance of our awards programmes, membership numbers, and public engagement activities
• Writing and collaborating on code to get data analysis‑ready efficiently and reliably

Projects you may work on include:

• Performance Measures Framework – keeping the IOP up to date on measures of success within the IOP’s activities and in UK & Irish Physics
• Impact projects involving deep‑dives into areas of special interest, such as Medical Physics and the role of physics in the Green Economy.
• Other ad hoc projects as required – the team seeks to build a strong evidence base relating to physics; we look to apply meaningful definitions appropriate to the domain and create datasets that allow us to discover new insights on what is happening in physics in the UK and Ireland. This typically involves collaboration with subject matter experts, creating repeatable data workflows, and analysing outputs, which may be used for IOP reports, programmes, and influencing activities.

Who will I work with?

You’ll work closely with a range of colleagues and stakeholders, including:

• Colleagues in the Science, Business, and Data Insights department, including a small unit focused on data work
• Colleagues in the IOP and IOP Publishing, including senior leadership
• Members of the IOP and the broader physics community

Essential:

• Demonstrable aptitude for working with data, including understanding of data structures and principles, through educational programmes or equivalent experience
• Ability to convert messy information into usable data
• Ability to present information to expert and non‑expert audiences
• Ability to work simultaneously across multiple projects and prioritise tasks

Nice to have:

• Experience in python coding, GitHub, and creating compelling data visualisations
• Understanding of the physics landscape in the UK & Ireland

At the IOP, we know that great candidates don’t always tick every box. If your experience looks a little different, but you bring enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to learn, we’d love to hear from you.

How to apply

Alongside your CV, please include a cover letter explaining how you meet the person specification.

How will I be working?

We operate a flexible, trust‑based working model that gives colleagues autonomy over how, when and where they work, while recognising the value of in‑person collaboration. You will be assigned a base office, with hybrid working offered as standard. You will engage in regular in‑person collaboration with your team (as operationally appropriate), as well as with colleagues across the wider organisation, to ensure effective operational alignment and to support our inclusive approach to working. As an organization we meet in person once a quarter at our Head Office in Kings Cross, London.

Why join the IOP?

The IOP is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. As a charity, we’re passionate about increasing public understanding of physics and supporting a diverse and inclusive physics community. There’s never been a better time to join us, watch our film to find out more about the difference we make. We’re committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive culture for everyone. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the application or recruitment process, please let us know we’re always happy to help.

Please note whilst we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role, we warmly encourage applications from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK and Ireland.