The Policy and Data Analyst will work closely with the other members of the Higher Education and Research (HE&R) Policy team (currently ten people) to conduct data sourcing, analysis and visualisation across our projects. The HE&R team is a collaborative, productive and high-performing team, which is part of the Academy’s Policy Directorate. We work to position the Academy as a thought leader on Higher Education and Research policy, engaging in evidence-based policy to influence the health and vibrancy of our disciplines throughout the education pipeline. This involves a combination of reactive responses to policy developments as they occur, and proactive planned projects designed to strengthen our evidence base, support the SHAPE discipline community and stimulate debate.

In an exciting new role, the Policy and Data Analyst will source, monitor and evaluate data and play a significant part in developing the Academy’s SHAPE Observatory. The Observatory investigates the health of the SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and the Economy) disciplines. The postholder is expected to take a proactive and collaborative approach in developing and maintaining an evidence base that will play a significant role in how the Academy promotes and makes the case for its disciplines. Programmes of work in the HE&R team cover the breadth of higher education teaching and research policy related to the SHAPE disciplines. These assessments underpin substantial policy programmes which inform ongoing policy debate about SHAPE teaching and research in the UK, including its societal and economic value (from local to international), R&D performance and role in key government agendas.

Joining an enthusiastic, close team of policy experts, the Policy & Data Analyst is expected to work with the wider policy teams and across the Academy to tailor our data analysis and monitoring to the most pressing issues in higher education and skills policy work. They will also have the opportunity to get involved in various Academy initiatives, from affinity groups and EDI planning, to monitoring and evaluating our performance.