Mark Franks is Director of Welfare at the Nuffield Foundation. He sits on the Senior Leadership Team and leads the team responsible for Foundation’s Welfare research portfolio, which consists of research improve economic and social well-being across the life course.

The Welfare team is also responsible for several of the Foundation’s Strategic Fund grants and the Oliver Bird Fund, which aims to improve the social and economic well-being of people living with musculoskeletal conditions, as well as the Foundation’s focused interests in geographic inequalities, communities and living well later in life.

Before joining the Foundation, Mark was Chief Economist at the Office of Manpower Economics where he played a central role in supporting the UK’s independent public sector pay bodies, whose recommendations affect the pay of 2.4 million workers. 

Mark has occupied a number of economist and policy roles across Government, with a particular focus on the labour market. He has worked in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Home Office, HM Treasury and the Department for Education and Skills and in economic consultancy. 

Between 2012 and 2015, Mark was responsible for leading analysis for the government of science policy, innovation and the graduate labour market. Previously, he set up a new public sector body, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) and led its secretariat for five years. The MAC’s advice was highly influential in developing policy in areas including criteria for economic migration, family migration and permanent settlement. 

Mark is also the Chair of the Understanding Society Strategic Oversight Board.