Senior Programme Analyst

As an employee of UKIFS you will benefit from:

• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
• Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies.
• Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders 
• Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days in addition to UK bank holidays.
• Wide range of career development opportunities.
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

Please note this role will close on the 25th of September.

The salary for this role is 70505 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) and onsite working is expected for 3 days each week. 

The Role:

As Senior Programme Analyst you will be at the forefront of shaping how insight foresight and evidence drive decision-making across the STEP programme - one of the UKs most complex and high-impact infrastructure endeavours. Operating at a strategic level you will lead the development of analytical frameworks guide scenario planning and horizon scanning and embed a culture of data-informed thinking across a multi-partner delivery ecosystem. 

This role demands more than technical proficiency - it requires the ability to think conceptually solve problems from first principles and integrate insight across multiple business functions. You will help the programme not only understand what is happening but why - and what to do next - by applying analytical depth creative reasoning and a systems-level perspective. 

Working closely with the Head of Integration Analysis and Insights you will partner with UKIFS UKAEA Whole Plant Partners government stakeholders and technical teams to ensure that performance data is not only accurate and timely but strategically meaningful. Your work will support long-term planning investment decisions and governance processes - helping to shape the future of energy infrastructure through insight that is both rigorous and imaginative. 

This is a high-accountability role requiring a confident blend of strategic thinking analytical leadership and communication influence. You will help define the analytical direction of the programme surface emerging risks and opportunities and embed a culture of evidence-based cross-functional decision-making across one of the UKs most ambitious infrastructure programmes. 

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Insight Leadership & Analytical Direction: 

• Set the strategic direction for programme-wide analysis and insight ensuring alignment with STEPs long-term objectives and national policy context. 
• Lead the development of analytical frameworks that support decision-making from a foundation of conceptual clarity enabling leaders to interrogate issues from first principles. 
• Shape the programmes performance narrative by translating complex data into high-impact insights for Board Ministerial and cross-government audiences. 
• Ensure analytical outputs support not only short-term delivery but also long-term strategic planning and investment prioritisation. 

Integrated Intelligence & Cross-Partner Collaboration:

• Drive the integration of insight across delivery partners ensuring that analysis reflects the interdependencies and dynamics of a multi-organisational ecosystem. 
• Collaborate across technical operational and strategic domains to build a shared understanding of performance drivers and emerging risks. 
• Promote joined-up thinking across business functions enabling insight to inform decisions that span organisational boundaries and time horizons. 
• Apply structured reasoning and conceptual analysis to reconcile diverse perspectives and surface coherent actionable intelligence. 

Evaluation Learning & Strategic Feedback Loops:

• Design and implement evaluation frameworks that enable the programme to learn from experience adapt to change and improve over time. 
• Embed feedback loops that connect insight with action ensuring that lessons learned inform future planning and delivery. 
• Encourage analytical approaches that go beyond surface-level metrics probing root causes and systemic patterns through rigorous principle-based analysis. 
• Support a culture of reflective learning where insight is used to challenge assumptions and refine strategic direction. 

Horizon Scanning Scenario Planning & Strategic Foresight:

• Lead horizon scanning and scenario planning activities that anticipate future challenges opportunities and system-level shifts. 
• Develop conceptual models and analytical tools that help the programme explore alternative futures and stress-test strategic choices. 
• Ensure foresight activities are grounded in both data and deep contextual understanding enabling robust imaginative thinking about long-term priorities. 
• Use creative and analytical approaches to surface emerging risks and guide proactive interventions. 

Governance Reporting & Strategic Influence:

• Shape the analytical content of reporting to the STEP Board Executive and government sponsors - ensuring outputs are decision-ready forward-looking and strategically aligned. 
• Partner with governance and reporting leads to embed insight into formal governance cycles and performance assurance processes. 
• Represent the analysis and insight function in senior forums contributing to strategic reviews business case development and programme-wide planning. 
• Ensure reporting frameworks support conceptual clarity and enable decision-makers to engage with complexity confidently. 

Leadership of Analytical Capability & Culture: 

• Lead the development of analytical capability across the programme mentoring colleagues and promoting best practice in data interpretation visualisation and strategic insight. 
• Shape and embed a culture of analytical excellence where insight is valued as a core enabler of confident delivery and governance. 
• Encourage teams to approach problems from first principles combining analytical rigour with creative thinking to develop innovative solutions. 
• Represent the analysis function in cross-organisational working groups strategic reviews and external engagements. 

Strategic Risk Intelligence: 

• Partner with risk and assurance teams to develop forward-looking risk intelligence tools that integrate qualitative and quantitative data. 
• Use predictive analytics and conceptual modelling to identify systemic risks delivery bottlenecks and emerging threats to programme success. 
• Provide strategic input into mitigation planning and escalation processes at Executive and Board levels. 
• Ensure risk intelligence supports long-term resilience and strategic agility. 

External Engagement & Thought Leadership: 

• Contribute to external reporting briefings and presentations to government sponsors regulators and strategic partners. 
• Represent the programmes analytical approach at conferences working groups and cross-government forums. 
• Stay connected to emerging trends in data science infrastructure analytics and public sector performance management - bringing external insight into internal practice. 
• Promote STEPs analytical leadership by sharing innovative approaches to problem-solving and strategic insight generation. 

Embody a Leadership Mindset: 

• You embody a leadership mindset and a set of leadership behaviours.  You embrace and embody our organisations culture values and mission in all aspects of your work. 
• Foster a positive and inclusive team environment that aligns with our cultural values. 
• Create and support a culture of responsible innovation. 
• Contribute to maintaining a respectful and collaborative workplace valuing diversity and promoting teamwork. 
• Act as a cultural ambassador representing our organisations values and professionalism in interactions with colleagues clients and stakeholders. 
• Lead by example demonstrating The Seven Principles of Public Life - () 
• Make informed decisions and solve problems effectively considering diverse perspectives and organisational goals. 

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of activities and you may be required to undertake other reasonable tasks or duties requested.