Senior Portfolio Manager

Economic and Social Research Council
Salary: £46,743 per annum.
Band: UKRI Band E.
Contract Type: Open-Ended.
Hours: Full time/ Part time (minimum 0.6 FTE).
Location: Polaris House, Swindon - Hybrid Working Available.

We support a hybrid approach, and you can expect a mix of working from home and on-site, in the office and at other UK locations. From the 1 October 2026, you can expect to spend 40 - 60% of your time on-site, including travel for stakeholder engagement. At times, this may involve overnight stays and/or occasional work outside of standard office hours.

Closing date: 24 August 2026

About UKRI  

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is an independent, non-departmental public body, which invests £8bn per annum in research and innovation. We bring together nine executive council partners (the seven Research Councils, plus Innovate UK, and Research England) with a shared vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. UKRI also provides coordinated strategic advice to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on the balance of funding between research fields.  

We employ 8,000 staff who support 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 and work collaboratively with industry, academia, and government in exciting partnerships. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through blue skies research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research and business-led innovation.  

About the role

Senior  Managers in the Advancing Knowledge in Social Science team will play a key role in delivering ESRC’s applicant‑led mode strategy.

Working directly with the Head of Economics and the Heads of Social Research and working closely with the Associate Director for Advancing Knowledge in Social Science, you will have responsibility for the effective delivery, management and monitoring of ESRC’s refreshed applicant‑led mode schemes (Types of funding we offer – ESRC – UKRI).

Key to the success of ESRC’s applicant-led mode strategy will be close and effective working with colleagues in the Grants Delivery Team and other relevant ESRC teams to launch and deliver a coordinated portfolio of funding opportunities.

You will have responsibility for a cluster of research fields within economic and social research where you will build and sustain strong relationships with the research community as well as with relevant government and industry partners. In doing so you will help drive a robust pipeline of proposals to ESRC’s applicant-led mode schemes that deliver high-quality, breakthrough social science. You will also lead the investment management and performance monitoring of a portfolio of applicant-led mode grants.

You may be asked to provide line management and professional development for staff at Grades D and C, including setting objectives, supervising workload allocation, and supporting capability building to achieve consistent, high-quality delivery of funding activities.

You will also ensure strong connectivity with relevant UKRI priority programmes and other parts of ESRC’s investment portfolio.

You will be expected to adopt innovation in funding processes, working to continually identify improved ways of funding and supporting applicant-led research.  

We are particularly interested in how you work, not just what you have done. We are looking for applicants who demonstrate curiosity, creativity and a strong innovation mentality and who apply what they know in a way that fully aligns with UKRI values.  

About the Team

Advancing Knowledge is a new team in ESRC which will actively shape and deliver our applicant-led portfolio. Initial goals for the team include:

• Lead ESRC’s refreshed applicant-led mode (ALM) strategy and oversee the transition to new schemes.
• Actively shape ESRC's ALM portfolio:
  • Build a strong pipeline of innovative proposals through proactive engagement with the research community.
  • Shape the strategic allocation of funding to ensure ESRC delivers maximum value and impact.
• Manage and improve the ALM portfolio:
  • Actively manage the ALM portfolio, including supervising performance and supporting grant holders to enhance the impact of their projects.
  • Drive continuous improvement in funding practices, embracing experimentation and the use of emerging evidence on improved ways of delivering research and innovation.
• Drive integration across ESRC and UKRI:
  • Gather and share insight on fields, methods, and partner relationships.
  • Ensure strong collaboration with existing teams to ensure ESRC’s ALM schemes support the delivery of the organisation’s wider vision and objectives.

Your Responsibilities 

• Work at the interface between strategic leadership and delivery with effective communication skills to develop and implement key priorities, policies, and strategies.
• Lead the scoping and development, commissioning, and management of high-quality innovation and research investments in applicant-led mode.
• Coordinate and manage a portfolio of activities to maximise impact and knowledge exchange across a portfolio of investments.
• Build and develop strong relationships working across the ESRC, UKRI and external partners to ensure that investments are robust, informed, and impactful.
• Work with others to ensure investments are appropriately managed, monitored, evaluated and their impact communicated.
• Support and deputise for senior staff as required and undertake periodic work on areas outside of the team as needed, supporting the wider work of UKRI.
• Provide inclusive and effective line management, where relevant, developing individuals to reach their full potential while proactively addressing any complex people and performance issues and supporting people through change, and modelling UKRI People Standards and Values.

This is not a comprehensive list, and we may require you to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post.

Personal Specification

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

Essential

• Relevant degree or equivalent knowledge and skills (S).
• Experience of managing complex funding or programme portfolios, including strategic prioritisation, investment oversight, and performance monitoring (S&I).
• Experience of design and delivery of competitive funding schemes, with a strong understanding of peer review and research funding processes (S).
• Strong understanding of the social science research and innovation landscape (S&I).
• Ability to build and influence senior stakeholder relationships across academia, government, and industry to shape funding proposal pipelines and partnerships (S&I).
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to build trusted, productive relationships both within UKRI and across academia and other relevant sectors, and the communications skills required to do this well (S&I).
• Demonstrable people management experience, including resource planning, performance management, coaching, and conflict resolution, to be able to lead delivery through matrix teams, coordinate across functions and achieve high-quality, timely outcomes (I).
• Ability to use data, evidence, and insight to inform decision-making, evaluate impact, and drive continuous improvement (S&I).
• Willingness to drive innovation in ESRC funding processes, including designing and participating in controlled experiments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ESRC’s investment in curiosity-driven research, and ways of working to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, with a genuine desire to learn, explore new ideas, and question existing approaches (S&I).

Benefits

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

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 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:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)  

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

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 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 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, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. 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.

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.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.