UK Research and Innovation
Salary: £45,272 per annum.
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Closing date: 20th April 2025
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the largest public funder of research and innovation (R&I) in the UK, spanning all disciplines and all sectors. We invest in people, places, ideas, innovation and impacts, empowering researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs to turn the many challenges we face into opportunities.
We leverage our breadth and depth of knowledge of R&I to harness the full potential of the UK's talent and creativity. We collaborate with partners to transform tomorrow together, creating tangible benefits: advancing knowledge, improving lives, and creating the industries and jobs of the future.
Job Overview
The Risk & Assurance Business Partners work as part of the Risk and Assurance team, with the Head of Risk and Assurance, supporting the Director of Risk, Assurance and Counter Fraud, and other UKRI senior leaders to ensure that UKRI operates best practice throughout its risk management and integrated assurance arrangements. The postholder may support work with stakeholders in government and other funders and partners on risk, assurance, and control framework approaches.
The team is part of the new Risk & Assurance function, working closely within the directorate as well as across the organisation. A critical element of role is to support delivery of changes and new ways of working, increasing collaboration in how we manage risk across the organisation to create and protect value through risk and assurance management.
Key Skills:
1. Excellent people skills, able to influence, build and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally.
2. Enthusiastic, motivated, adaptable, and proactive with the ability to work flexibly in a changing environment and respond to shifting priorities.
3. Ability to innovate and challenge established thinking in self and others, and to offer insights and ideas with practical application coupled with the ability to drive change.
4. Insightful business awareness with the ability to understand and analyse changing business context and landscape to assess and manage risk, capitalise on emerging opportunities, make sound evidence-based judgements, promote the interests of UKRI and research and innovation.
5. Ability to instil confidence within stakeholders at a range of levels, acting as a trusted advisor.
6. Excellent communication skills including good experience of writing reports to a high standard.
7. Strong understanding of risk, assurance, and audit activities.
8. Excellent attention to detail and good system based and general administration skills.
Essential Skills/Qualifications/Experience
(S) - Assessed at shortlisting
(I) - Assessed at interview
(S&I) - Assessed at both shortlisting and interview
Experience
1. Strong risk management experience, including operating effective risk management strategies, policy, and frameworks in an organisation. (S & I)
2. Experience of writing papers and delivering agenda items in relevant forums (S & I)
3. Experience collaborating with teams at a range of levels and being a trusted advisor providing expert professional advice to management. (S & I)
4. Ability to innovate and challenge established thinking in self and others, and to offer insights and ideas with practical application coupled with the ability to effectively support change. (S & I)
5. Experience of working with internal and external Auditors (preferably National Audit Office) (S & I)
Qualifications
1. Member of the Institute of Risk Management (S)
2. Or
3. Equivalent Risk & Assurance qualification (S)
About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org .
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ' How we support EDI in the workforce '.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
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.
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. #J-18808-Ljbffr