The UK's only independent think tank devoted to higher education.

Vacancies

Policy Manager

The Higher Education Policy Institute (www.hepi.ac.uk) seeks a new full-time Policy Manager to support the HEPI team. The role will initially be appointed on a two-year fixed term basis, beginning with a six-month probationary period.

The successful candidate will become a core member of the HEPI team and will report to the Director of Policy and Advocacy (Dr Alexis Brown) but will also work closely with HEPI’s other three members of staff, the Director, the Partnerships and Fundraising Manager and the Events and Publications Manager.

About us

HEPI is the UK’s only think tank devoted exclusively to higher education. Established in 2002, we aim to shape the higher education policy debate through evidence. We are UK-wide, independent and non-partisan.

Most UK universities are members of our Partnership programme and we have close relationships with a number of other organisations committed to the long-term success of UK higher education.

We have a busy events programme, which ranges from small private dinners to large conferences, and we produce around 25 diverse pieces of research each year on key issues facing the sector.

As a small but expanding organisation, it is critical that all of HEPI’s staff work co-operatively and flexibly but also that they can take full ownership of individual projects.

Key Responsibilities

  • Manage the daily blog. More than 10,000 people are signed up to HEPI’s daily policy blog. The successful applicant will be expected to commission, edit and proofread blogs, to liaise with a range of stakeholders and coordinate a varied, high-quality and informative output with the support of other HEPI team members. As a member of the policy team, it is also important that you contribute to the content of the blog.
  • Contribute to and manage your own research projects. You would be expected to support HEPI’s projects in addition to researching and writing your own high-quality, evidence-based reports. For example, the previous postholder led on essay collections on the student voice and UK universities and China, and the successful applicant will be able to lead on a portfolio of work that interests them, as agreed in advance with their manager. In addition to researching and writing on a range of topics, this will involve fostering strong working relationships with existing key partners and stakeholders as well as identifying and building new relationships where needed.
  • Support events, partnerships and the day-to-day running of HEPI. As a small team, everybody has to pitch in. As Policy Manager you will support the managing and growth of HEPI’s Partnerships, the organising and delivering of events and supporting the policy team on with their work. There will also be administrative tasks such as keeping track of endorsements, proofreading HEPI’s output, keeping our contact database up-to-date, helping prepare for in-person events and occasional minute-taking.
  • Manage HEPI’s social media presence. HEPI has a number of social media accounts, including Twitter and LinkedIn. The successful applicant will be expected to manage the output of HEPI’s social media channels and look at ways to increase HEPI’s impact via these routes.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful applicant will be a self-motivated and flexible individual with a desire to contribute original thought to the UK debate. They will have strong research and analytical skills; strong quantitative skills will be especially welcome. While prior knowledge of higher education and research policy is beneficial, it is not a requirement.

We would expect the successful candidate to have most of the following:

  • Excellent research and analysis skills, including ideally data analysis
  • Political awareness and ability to think creatively about policy issues
  • Experience working as a member of a team
  • Self-motivation, initiative and experience of working independently  
  • An ability to work flexibly
  • Strong attention to detail 
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills
  • A positive attitude to work
  • A high standard of written English
  • Experience of multi-tasking

Key Information

  • The role is a full-time one (40 hours, inclusive of a one-hour lunch break)
  • The successful applicant will need to help at HEPI events, which are generally held in London but can be anywhere in the UK and are sometimes out of regular office hours
  • We support flexible working but would expect the successful applicant to be at the HEPI office in North Oxford for a day or two most weeks
  • The appointment will initially be on a fixed-term basis for two years
  • Salary will depend on experience but is expected to be in the range of £30,000 to £35,000, with an additional 8% employer’s pension contribution (paid into NEST)
  • Shortlisted candidates will be expected to provide the names and contact details of two referees

How to apply

Please send a CV, covering letter and example of your writing to admin@hepi.ac.uk by Friday, 3 December 2021.

Interviews are expected to take place in Oxford on Thursday, 16th December 2021.