JOB SUMMARY

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision.
Space is a part of everyday life. Satellites underpin our national economy, from agriculture and banking to aviation and shipping, and support our national security. Space science provides critical data to understand and address global challenges such as climate change, while missions to explore our solar system unite nations and advance humanity’s horizons.
We support a thriving space sector in the UK, which generates an annual income of £18.9 billion and employs 52,028 people across the country.
Through our portfolio of programmes and projects, we encourage the development of national space capabilities and are an early-stage investor in space research and development. We also promote the UK space sector’s interests and achievements; make connections to join up industry and academia; and represent the UK in international space programmes.
We have a powerful global voice, partnering with institutions across the world, including the European Space Agency.
More information about the Agency is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency
To discover more please watch this film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbZZ-o0IkVU
Our Inclusive Environment
We have an inclusive culture to make UK Space Agency a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.
We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.
We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.
The UK Space Agency and Department of Science, Innovation and Technology Space Directorate will merge into a new single unit within DSIT from 1 April 2026. We expect the UK Space Agency brand and name to continue and to be used as we move forward as a combined organisation

JOB DESCRIPTION

The role will be managing planning, prioritisation and change control of the portfolio and closely aligns to the Portfolio Analyst 2 role at SEO level in the Project Delivery Capability Framework. However, responsibilities may overlap with other appropriate roles.

Portfolio Planning

• Maintaining, and continuously improving, the format and content of the Agency’s multiple-year portfolio roadmaps that include: achievement of outcomes aligned to the corporate plan; collective benefit realisation; forward view of funding and affordability; the business case pipeline.
• Identification and coordination of dependencies across the portfolio.
• Planning and facilitating senior management engagement in a multi-year portfolio definition schedule for the continuous development of the portfolio.
• Supporting the Delivery Board with regards to portfolio roadmaps, providing insightful reports regarding prioritisation, benefit realisation and outcome achievement.
• Managing the processes to control entry of new initiatives to the portfolio.
• Conducting analysis of portfolio alignment to strategic outcomes and balancing criteria to facilitate decisions on future portfolio composition.

• Ensuring that Verto (and other Agency tools) are up to date and correct with regards the data held about the definition of portfolio Initiatives, including their objectives.

  Portfolio Prioritisation

• Maintaining, and continuously improving, the format and content of the Agency’s Prioritised Portfolio Workbook

• Maintaining data, records and decisions regarding the scenarios used for planning portfolio composition to meet strategic goals.

• Maintaining, and continuously improving, prioritisation and balancing criteria for the portfolio, ensuring their alignment to strategic intent and good practice.

  Portfolio Change Control

• Managing the processes to facilitate priority-based decisions to ensure that the Agency optimises the allocation of resources to gain greatest value from spending its budget in delivering strategic outcomes and benefits.

• Owning the Agency’s change control processes and facilitating the resolution of all portfolio and Corporate Plan-level change requests or spending requests.
• Guiding and supporting delivery teams, Strategy, Finance and senior managers in using change control processes, carrying out impact analysis of changes (or unavoidable material variations) and reaching decisions.
• Communicating with all interested stakeholders after change decisions are reached.

Delivery Centre of Excellence

• Sharing of good practice and providing guidance to delivery teams and senior managers with regards to prioritisation, planning and change control.
• Aiding the selection, adaptation, implementation and continuous improvement of UK Space Agency approaches to portfolio prioritisation and balancing, in line with DSIT’s direction, Functional Standards and Management of Portfolios.
• Networking with external organisations to learn and share best practice on portfolio definition and change control.

Deputising for the Portfolio Definition Manager as required.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Asset Allocation
• Change Control
• Frameworks and Methodologies

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Asset Allocation

SELECTION PROCESS DETAILS

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience. The CV is for information and will not be scored
The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the person specification, detailed in the job description.
The Sift will be assessed on:
Personal statement
Behaviours - Seeing the Big picture, Communicating and Influencing and Making Effective Decision
Technical skill - Asset Allocation.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour Seeing the Big Picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift.
The Interview will be assessed on:
Behaviours - Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills - Asset Allocation, Change Control and Frameworks and Methodologies
The interview will be conducted on MS Teams
The Sift will be held the week commencing the 16th September
Interviews will be held the week commencing the 6th October
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Project Delivery