Policy Manager - Science Base

Salary: starting from £50,189 + Benefits (possible to increase via incremental steps in the first 12 months).

Role duration: Permanent.

Summary purpose - what you will be achieving.

People, workforce and culture are critical to the future of UK health research, which is why supporting UK biomedical and health research to strengthen its global competitiveness and reputation is one of the Academy’s five strategic priorities. The Policy Manager – Science Base will play an important role in delivering this priority and others as a key member of the Academy’s Science Base and Careers Policy team.

We are looking for somebody who is committed to improving health for all supported by the best research and evidence, has strong influencing skills, the ability to build effective networks across diverse stakeholders, and thrives on working with others to produce high quality outputs. Experience working on life sciences policy and / or knowledge of research policy issues is essential. We welcome applications from people from a variety of professional backgrounds.

The Academy’s Science Base and Careers Policy team focuses on ensuring the best environment for health research in the UK. There is consensus across the political spectrum that the UK’s future health and wealth will be underpinned by a strong research base which includes academia, NHS and industry. We work across both the Academy’s Policy team and Careers team to take a holistic approach to influencing how this can be achieved, by considering issues such as investment in research, research careers and training, and specific topic areas such as immigration. Our team seeks to engage with and influence Government and cross sector research policies and strategies, often working in partnership with other organisations within the sector. You will also be working with the Academy’s Communications and Engagement teams.

Closing date for completed applications is 4 PM on Monday, 24 March 2025. Interviews will be held w/c 31 March 2025.

Download job description.

About the role - what you will be doing.

You will be working with the Head of Science Base and Careers Policy to help deliver the Academy’s Strategic Priorities, which includes supporting UK biomedical and health research to strengthen its global competitiveness and reputation. Your role will involve delivering and coordinating the Academy’s policy work on the science base which will help to shape the UK’s future research strength. This includes:

• Ensuring that health research investment remains high on the political agenda through working with Government(s) and Parliament(s), including the role of health research as a key enabler of the Government’s growth priorities. 
• Supporting implementation of recommendations from the Academy’s reports on “Future-proofing UK Health Research: a people-centred, coordinated approach” and taking forward the Academy’s work on “Team Science”. 
• Delivering impactful policy events and written outputs which position the Academy as an influential thought-leader in the future of sustainable health research. 
• Working with other teams across the Academy, including the Communications and Engagement teams, to increase the involvement of patients in the Academy’s science base work. 
• Identifying key science base policy consultations and leading on Academy responses.  
• Maintaining an excellent understanding of the health research career landscape by monitoring developments across funders, employers and regulators.  
• Coordinating with wider Academy staff to support the Academy’s work to inform and influence parliament and the Government, including engagement at parliamentary events and multi-organisational partnerships. 
• Sustaining and harnessing an effective personal network of contacts across health research in public, private and charitable sectors, including Academy Fellows, emerging research leaders, NHS and Government Officials, National Academies and other relevant experts. 
• Identifying ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our policy work, including monitoring impact and co-developing policy briefings for the senior leadership team. 
• Line management and development of a Policy Officer and occasional line management of Policy Interns. 

The Policy Manager – Science Base may also be asked to support the Academy’s other activities across the wider Policy team, including careers, wider UK and international policy.

This role is offered as a permanent contract.

About you – what you bring to the role.

• Experience working in an organisation that seeks to influence policy
• Strong analytic skills and experience of collating evidence from different sources 
• Able to build and maintain effective relationships with key internal and external contacts 
• Able to harness the benefits of working in teams, including across different departments and organisations 
• Ability to manage multiple projects in parallel
• Experience of working with senior individuals
• Effective written and verbal communication skills 
• Running impactful events, e.g. small roundtables 
• Attention to detail 
• Good IT, literacy and numeracy skills 
• Knowledge of the UK research landscape (desirable)
• Line Management experience (desirable)
• Able to travel around the UK (desirable)

For information about the Academy and our strategy 2022-2032 click here.

You can see more information on our EDI values, principles, and behaviours here.

For information about working at the Academy and the agile and flexible working style available click here.

• Salary progression framework
• Hybrid and agile working
• 29 days annual leave including Christmas closure dates, plus bank holidays.
• Regular individual, team and organisation-wide Wellbeing Days.
• Pension (the Academy offers a flexible contribution structure with a minimum employer contribution of 8% up to a maximum of 13% of gross salary, with an employee contribution ranging from 3% to 8%)
• Life assurance
• Vitality Private Medical Insurance, on completion of probation
• SimplyHealth Cash Plans, on completion of probation
• Season ticket travel loan (interest free), on completion of probation
• Cycle to work scheme, available on completion of probation
• Family friendly benefits - enhanced maternity and paternity leave (subject to qualifying period), coaching for parents returning to work.
• Subscription to Headspace and Class pass
• Staff training to support your development including EDI training (you can see more information on our EDI values, principles, and behaviours here)