Assistant Director Portfolio Analytics

Company Description

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the United Kingdom’s largest funder of health and care research.

The NIHR invests more than £ billion a year of research funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The NIHR’s research programmes, people, centres of excellence and systems together represent the most integrated health research system in the world.

Established in 2006 by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the NIHR’s mission is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. It funds, supports, and delivers high-quality research that addresses the needs of patients, the public, and the healthcare system.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research is seeking a strategic and experienced leader to head our Data and Analytics function. This role is pivotal in shaping how the NIHR harnesses data to drive insight, inform strategic decision making, and demonstrate the tangible impact of research across the UK health and care system. The successful candidate will combine deep analytical expertise with strong leadership skills to develop innovative data strategies, lead a high-performing team, and act as a senior ambassador for NIHR in both internal and external forums.

• Lead the team responsible for delivering Portfolio products (dashboards, reports, impact case studies, evaluations) that provide detailed analysis demonstrating how NIHR research aligns with current priorities, generates tangible health and care outcomes, and identifies opportunities for future investment
• Develop and implement a Data and Analytics strategy with a Continuous Improvement roadmap, leveraging improved data cleaning, new data sources, AI / ML tools, automation, and process refinement to enhance portfolio analysis
• Provide leadership in developing advanced methodologies for horizon scanning, impact assessment, economic evaluation, research classification, and efficiency in health research management
• Manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, ensuring alignment and integration with other NIHR functions
• Liaise with the NIHR Digital, Data & Technology Office (DDaT), supporting the migration of NIHR data and processes to centralized data repositories and streamlined operating procedures
• Collaborate with other teams to embed analytics into workflows, translating complex analyses into actionable insights for senior leadership and enabling operational efficiency gains
• Contribute to strategic activities across NIHR and represent the organisation at a senior level in relevant external forums
• Act as an ambassador and spokesperson for the NIHR, promoting its mission and strategic objectives

About You

• Strategic thinker with proven experience implementing Business Insight functions within complex organisations
• Demonstrated ability to engage and motivate staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and service excellence
• Experience building and developing effective teams, enabling staff to deliver complex and high impact work
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a track record of establishing productive relationships with external partners to achieve shared goals

• A science degree or equivalent expertise gained through professional experience
• Extensive experience in analytics or data science within a research or healthcare organisation , research funder, policy body, or equivalent research environment
• Strong knowledge of the UK health and care research landscape and clinical research processes
• Familiarity with databases, APIs, data cleaning, statistical analysis, dashboard design, machine learning, and AI
• Experience in budget management
• Ability to analyse complex issues and generate creative, mutually beneficial solutions for NIHR and its partners

Experience with tools such as Google Suite, Microsoft SQL Server, Global Data, Alteryx, Qlik Sense, Snowflake, AWS, and Python.

• Strategic thinking with experience delivering a clear vision for leveraging complex datasets and translating insights for diverse stakeholders
• Passion for innovation,…