Portfolio Analyst

Salary: £36,350 Per Annum

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Open Ended

Location: Polaris House, Swindon

Grade: UKRI Band D

Closing Date: Sunday 12 October 2025

Job Overview:

Project Delivery & Improvement provides programme, project, change management and Continuous Improvement together with business analysis support, leading the design, implementation and embedding of change across UKRI to deliver its vision and realise its strategic objectives. We are a team of around 60 working on a range of assignments, some of our projects support research initiatives and activities, but the primary focus of our work is to lead and deliver business change, including the implementation of new corporate systems, operating environment and organisational structures and the development of strategies and processes.

 The Organisational Change Portfolio has been put in place as the main delivery engine that will deliver change and efficiencies across UKRI.

The Portfolio Analyst will be responsible for the oversight of a collection of programmes or projects that contribute to the delivery of departmental or business area objectives. They will focus primarily on providing insight, information and support that strengthens portfolio governance and enables prioritisation decisions and effective allocation of resources across the portfolio. Ultimately, analysts help ensure optimal delivery of departmental/business strategic objectives in line with government priorities through the analysis of a range of information sources and engagement with programme and project stakeholders and converting this into informed insights using appropriate reporting and visualisation methods.

Key Responsibilities:

This will include but not limited to;

• Governance & Reporting – Co-ordinate reporting from projects and provide analysis of performance. Provide secretariat for governance boards.
• People & Leadership – Support the Portfolio Manager to communicate and build commitment to a shared vision and sense of purpose.
• Planning, Scheduling & Resourcing – Maintain portfolio delivery map and critical path to monitor project progress. Recognise and track interdependencies across change projects.
• Secretariat Support and Meeting Coordination – effective coordination and communication across a range of meetings at all business levels, to include scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, accurately capturing and producing minutes including actions and decisions and supporting stakeholder engagement through structured follow-up and action tracking.
• Risk & Opportunity Management – Identify and monitor portfolio risks (threats and opportunities) and escalate as appropriate.
• Stakeholder Management – Manage and engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Draft and sign-off correspondence.
• Benefits Management – Help develop mechanisms for measuring benefits.

Key Information:

This role will be a full-time allocation to the Organisational Change Portfolio and reporting to the Senior Portfolio Analyst.  The above responsibilities will be associated to programmes within the portfolio.

Person Specification:

(S) – Shortlisting Criteria (I) – Interview Criteria (S & I) - Shortlisting Criteria & Interview Criteria

Essential

• Excellent written communication and documentation skills - Ability to produce reports, minutes and correspondence with clarity and accuracy and have a good working knowledge of MS Office packages for reporting and analysis (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) (S)
• Scheduling – Experience of arranging meetings, taking and producing notes, minutes, tracking actions and decisions, with the ability to accurately capture and distil key points, including technical discussions. (S) 
• Governance – Ability to understand roles, responsibilities and accountabilities including controls and approval routes appropriate to each stage of a project to be able to report on portfolio progress and compliance. (S) 
• Experience in project or programme support - A prior role in a project or programme management office with experience of planning, governance, and risk. (S)
• Relevant qualification or equivalent experience - PRINCE2 Foundation Level/APM PFQ, or relevant experience in project environments. (S)
• Collaboration - Work towards establishing and developing productive relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, bringing people together to benefit the portfolio. (I) 
• Stakeholder Engagement - Ability to systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure all those impacted by the change are engaged, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests. (I)
• Resilience - The ability to work in an environment of uncertainty and continual change. Able to feel comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture and re-focus as details emerge. Can apply knowledge and techniques to reduce ambiguity. (I)

Application Guidance:

How To Evidence The Criteria:

You are encouraged to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in the cover letter to evidence your ability to meet the ‘person specification’ criteria in the job description. Cover letters should be no more than two sides of A4 (minimum font size 11). For examples of the STAR method, please visit: The STAR method | National Careers Service’.

Benefits:

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! 

• 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) 

Other Important Information:

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 - 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 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, 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.