Policy Adviser

Full-time, 12-month FTC

The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Policy Adviser to join our growing and high-performing Higher Education & Research Policy team.

The role

The Policy Adviser position is an integral part of our Higher Education & Research Policy team (currently 11 people). We are a close, collaborative and high-performing team of policy experts, sitting within the British Academy’s Policy Directorate. We work to position the Academy as a thought leader on higher education and research policy through reactive responses to policy developments and proactive planned projects designed to strengthen our evidence base, support the SHAPE discipline community and advocate for their societal, cultural and economic importance.

The core duties of a Policy Adviser are to support the development and delivery of a range of policy projects within our team workplan. Working with a Senior Policy Adviser, the role holder will work across our teaching and education programmes, monitoring and evaluating data on disciplines through our SHAPE Observatory, and using evidence to advocate for our disciplines. Key programmes of work will include monitoring the changing landscape of SHAPE provision in UK universities; evaluating patterns in post-16 subject choice and pathways into SHAPE degrees; researching student access to higher education across the UK, and our flagship languages programme, which mobilises our expertise to inform debate about language-learning in education and society.

The Policy Adviser will need to take a proactive and collaborative approach in reacting to policy change and delivering new policy projects within the Academy. Policy Advisers are expected to work with other teams across the Academy and will also have the opportunity to get involved in various Academy initiatives, from exciting public events, staff affinity groups and EDI planning.

About the Academy

The British Academy is the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, established by Royal Charter in 1902. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. Today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, culture, and societies. With a Fellowship of around 1,700 leading national and international academics, the Academy invests in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engages the public with fresh thinking and debates, and brings together scholars, government, business, and civil society to influence policy.

The Academy currently has five directorates: Communications & Marketing, Development, Policy, Research, and Resources, plus a small Governance & Fellowship Team. We have increased staffing in the last 12 months and expect to continue to grow this year.

Working at the Academy

Our senior management team has worked with staff to foster a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy, in which all contributions are recognised as we work towards our common goals. Our people strategy and working practices focus on building strengths and sharing insights, with learning and development, wellbeing, and equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of how we operate as an organisation. Investing in our staff and encouraging a healthy work/life balance is central to our success as we move forward and continue to grow.

Terms and conditions

The British Academy is based at 10–11, Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1 – a Grade 1 listed building. We offer a competitive benefits package, including a 35-hour working week, 34 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays, a subsidised canteen and an excellent occupational pension.

How to apply

We use Applied for our recruitment. Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. Instead of using CVs, candidates are asked to answer questions that test skills needed for the role. The responses are then anonymised and reviewed in a random order by members of the hiring panel.

For further information and to apply, please visit the Applied recruitment platform via the Apply button.

Closing date: 12:00 noon, Monday 28 April 2025.