Research Portfolio Manager (Fixed Term) in Swindon

Salary: £37,841 per annum

Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.6 FTE considered)

Contract type: Fixed term, until 31 March 2030

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire

Grade: UKRI D

Positions available: 5

Travel required

Closing date: 19/05/2026, 23.55

Proposed interview date: Interviews will be held weeks commencing 15, 22 and 29 June.

About us

Are you passionate about research? Are you keen to work with researchers, business and Government to help support excellent research that delivers real impact for the economy and society? Portfolio managers assist with the development and delivery of ideas for future activities and build relationships with stakeholders within universities and industry, to ensure we fund research of the highest quality and implement new, innovative research programmes. Portfolio managers also play a key role in managing our funding competitions.

We have fixed-term positions available. These include positions in teams delivering priorities set out in the UK government’s industrial strategy, including quantum technologies. These teams build on a strong base of EPSRC-funded research across disciplines. EPSRC is a team-based organisation, and no team or directorate works in silo. An important part of your role will be to work with others to deliver results.

We recognise and value employees as individuals and aim to provide a pay and rewards package that motivates staff to perform to the best of their ability. The reward package includes a flexible working scheme, a Career Average Revalued Earnings pension scheme, 30 days annual leave allowance and a number of other benefits.

EPSRC has a separate advert for open-ended portfolio manager posts. Candidates are welcome to apply for both the open-ended and fixed-term posts. The assessment criteria are the same. If candidates apply for and are shortlisted for both, we will only interview you once, covering both positions. If you are successful in the open-ended recruitment, you will be offered an open-ended position first, although you will be asked if you would prefer one of the fixed-term posts.

Hybrid Working

These posts are based at our Swindon office, but hybrid working is available with regular office attendance and travel across UKRI offices. This post also requires travel to attend external visits and meetings. We welcome applications from candidates with special requirements.

Purpose

As an EPSRC Portfolio Manager, you will work with the engineering and physical sciences research community to achieve our aim to put the UK at the forefront of international research. You will be given responsibility for one of EPSRC’s portfolios, with the opportunity to manage your own projects and develop new activities. Your role will be varied: building relationships with universities and industry, managing our decision-making processes and policies to ensure we fund research and training of the highest quality, and planning and implementing community events to foster new, innovative, research programmes. You will work closely across EPSRC and UKRI teams, as well as often working with UK government departments. Interaction with external stakeholders including universities and businesses is an important part of the role.

Main outputs and activities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Gathering, understanding and integrating internal and external information about the research and innovation landscape and the EPSRC portfolio
• Operation of peer review and other formal decision-making processes
• Managing strategic relationships with key stakeholders in universities, business and government, representing EPSRC and UKRI in external networks and meetings
• Working across teams within EPSRC and across UKRI to ensure cross portfolio understanding and joint initiatives as appropriate as well as implementing strategy and other programmes of work
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on activities and investments to feed into planning
• Supporting senior colleagues with development of projects and implementation of plans, coordinating and operating processes supporting delivery across EPSRC.

We will consider high-calibre individuals who can demonstrate the potential to succeed. You may be from a research or research support background, or have equivalent education, training, or professional development. You will be a creative thinker who works effectively independently and with colleagues, as well as an excellent communicator who can manage time effectively.

Criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Assessment of the following essential skills will be made via shortlisting, and an in-person interview which will include a presentation:

Essential

• Problem solving and analytical skills, including a focus on successful outcomes (S)
• Effective communication skills (verbal, presentational and written) (S, I)
• Ability to work with others as part of a team, supporting others through behaviour and empathy to deliver goals (S, I)
• Capability to demonstrate how activities contribute to the wider strategic objectives of an organisation and external stakeholders (S, I)
• Experience in leading delivery of activities to achieve wider goals, including appropriate planning, making effective decisions and influencing others (S, I)
• Creativity, adaptability and openness to change. (I)

Desirable

• Graduate (or equivalent) who can demonstrate the potential to succeed (S)

Further Information About the Process

The closing date for applications is 23.55, Tuesday 19 May 2026. Online applications only are accepted for this role. Please submit a CV and “Application Statement”. Each document should be no more than three pages. Across the two documents, you are expected to give evidenced examples that clearly explain how your abilities, experiences and skills demonstrate each of the shortlisting criteria listed above. While this is not the only approach, you are advised to familiarise yourself with the STAR methodology, which is a useful framework for providing these examples.

Please ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria, exceeding the page limit or submission of an application without an ‘application statement’ may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted ‘application statement’ and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

If successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to an in-person interview that will take place at Polaris House in Swindon, planned for the weeks commencing 15, 22 and 29 June 2026. This is the final stage of the selection process. Please note, dates are subject to change.

At interview, you will be asked to provide evidenced examples that demonstrate that you are able to cover the interview criteria which are the same as the shortlisting criteria below. You will also be asked to give a short presentation on a topic that will be provided to you in advance.

Successful candidates will be placed in a team following interviews. We will endeavour to provide information of team vacancies at interview stage should you wish to express a preference, though we will not be able to guarantee to honour all preferences. Your application and performance through this recruitment process may be used for other Portfolio Manager (Grade D) opportunities that arise within an appropriate timeframe.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness, and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

Contact:

For further information please contact Nick Cooper (EPSRC Co-Chair Assessment Centre and Joint Head of Talent and Skills) who is leading this recruitment nicholas.cooper@epsrc.ukri.org