Head of Research – Spider is advertising on behalf of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), the UK’s leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy, who are looking for an experienced and highly capable Head of Research to join their team on a full-time, permanent and hybrid basis at their Central London office on the Strand.

Company benefits include:

• Competitive Salary:£65,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience
• Holiday: 25 days annual leave plus Christmas closure
• Pension: PPI Group Personal Pension with an initial 8% employer contribution, plus additional matching contributions for employee contributions up to 4%
• Additional: Group Income Protection, Life Assurance, continued professional development, payment of professional membership fees, Employee Assistance Care Programme, carers leave and leave for volunteering

About the role:

As Head of Research, you will lead a small, newly integrated research team combining modelling, analytical and policy research expertise. Reporting to the Deputy Director, you will be responsible for managing research staff, coordinating workloads and overseeing research projects from conception through to publication, ensuring consistently high-quality, impartial and evidence-based outputs.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Lead and support the Research Team, including line management, workload planning, mentoring, appraisals, development and training
• Coordinate research capacity, workloads and priorities across analytical, modelling and policy projects, fostering a collaborative and multidisciplinary team environment
• Oversee the delivery of PPI research projects, ensuring effective project management, quality standards, timely outputs and coherent integration of research findings
• Work with the Deputy Director to develop research plans, scopes, RFPs and grant proposals, supporting the identification and securing of project funding
• Present PPI research and represent the organisation at seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings with Government, the pensions industry and other stakeholders
• Develop relationships across the academic, policy and pensions communities, supporting the PPI’s profile and contributing to dissemination and stakeholder engagement

About you:

As Head of Research, you will have a postgraduate degree in social policy, economics, public policy, social science or a related field, with strong quantitative and qualitative research skills and knowledge of the UK pensions system or equivalent experience. You will have experience managing small teams, leading high-quality research projects and managing competing priorities, with excellent report writing, communication and data presentation skills.

You will be an organised, proactive and strategic leader with a collaborative approach and strong interpersonal skills. Experience presenting research, mentoring colleagues, building stakeholder relationships and securing research funding would be advantageous. Above all, you will be committed to independent, impartial and evidence-based research, with excellent attention to detail, sound judgement and a solutions-focused approach.

About Pensions Policy Institute:

The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) is the UK’s leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy. The PPI conducts rigorous, impartial research and analysis from an evidence-based, long-term perspective. Its work is used by Government and across Westminster, as well as by the pensions industry and consumer groups, helping to inform major decisions affecting millions of people in retirement.

If you have the relevant skills and experience for the Head of Research position and would like to be considered, please apply through Spider by submitting an up-to-date CV with a covering letter of no more than two A4 pages as the first page of your CV, explaining how you meet the role requirements, your motivation for applying and your notice period. Please contact Spider for the full job specification. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with interviews taking place during October and the possibility of earlier interviews for applicants who meet the essential criteria. As part of the recruitment process, you will also be asked to provide two samples of written work and complete an assessment and exercise. We look forward to hearing from you. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

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Additional keywords: Head of Research, Research Manager, Policy Research, Pensions Research, Pension Policy, Retirement Policy, Research Management, Social Policy, Public Policy, Economics, Quantitative Research, Qualitative Research, Research Funding, Research Leadership, Policy Analysis, Report Writing, Stakeholder Engagement, Government Relations, Financial Services, Pensions Industry, Academic Research,

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