Situational Awareness Lead

Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

• Job Category Analysis
• Apply Before 01/19/2026, 11:55 PM
• Job Identification 1757
• Posting Date 12/17/2025, 03:57 PM
• Job Shift Day
• Hours Full Time/ Part Time

Economic and Social Research Council

Situational Awareness Lead

Salary: £ 58,589
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open-Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Grade: UKRI Band F

Context:

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a new Situational Awareness Function (SAF) within the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The SAF is designed to enhance ESRC's understanding of the UK's social science research landscape, providing insight, horizon scanning, and timely intelligence to inform future strategic decision making. The SAF will deliver broad, up to date evidence and analysis across the social science ecosystem, drawing on new and existing data sources, and will communicate its outputs to a range of audiences.

Job Purpose:

As Situational Awareness Lead, you will provide leadership for the operational and strategic development of the SAF. You will set the direction of the SAF's activities, manage its priorities, oversee and produce high quality outputs which contribute towards ESRC's overall strategic decision making. You will work collaboratively across ESRC, UKRI, and with the UK Metascience Unit and external partners to build, maintain, and disseminate a comprehensive understanding of the UK's social science research landscape.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead development and delivery of ESRC's Situational Awareness Function (SAF), setting its strategic priorities, managing its core activities, and embedding the SAF as a trusted source of evidence for informed decision making.
• Lead by example on the creation of data analysis reports, disseminating information and providing strategic recommendations to the Executive Board.
• Lead the development of high quality flagship outputs tailored to diverse audiences - including senior leadership and tactical decision makers - to inform and support strategic decision making.
• Manage a small team of analysts, providing oversight, guidance, and support for their professional growth and development.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, fostering relationships that enhance ESRC's intelligence gathering capabilities and the effective communication of insights.
• Deliver joint projects with the UK Metascience Unit that enhance the impact of ESRC's and UKRI's research and innovation investment activity.
• Represent ESRC in UKRI wide groups and external forums focused on research intelligence, foresight, and strategic analysis.
• Champion data informed decision making across ESRC, helping to build organisational capability and culture in evidence based strategy.
• Maintain awareness of best practices in evidence gathering, continuously evaluating SAF's methodologies and driving ongoing improvement.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

• A relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in social research or any numerate field. (S)
• Demonstrated experience with examples of producing high quality analysis and strategic insight from complex datasets, both quantitative and qualitative and of varying quality, using modern analytical tools such as R or Python and appropriate statistical methods. (S/I)
• Proven ability to produce reliable and useful outputs at pace, while effectively prioritising tasks to meet competing deadlines and in the presence of ambiguity and uncertainty. (S/I)
• Sound understanding of best practices in evidence and data gathering, with the ability to monitor, evaluate, and adapt approaches to meet evolving business needs. (S/I)
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present evidence clearly and confidently to both internal and external stakeholders, both in writing and verbally. (S/I)
• Experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships across organisations. (S/I)
• Previous line management experience, including overseeing the work of others and supporting the professional development of team members. (S/I)

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world class research, skills and business led innovation.

More information can be found at .

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 UKRI .

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 applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. 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.

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.

The ESRC is the UK's largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK's future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective.

The ESRC is the UK's largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK's future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective.
For more information about ESRC, click here