Research Culture Manager

Job id: 074528. Salary: £51,174 – £60, 221 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 11 September 2023. Closing date: 09 October 2023.

Business unit: Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sci. Department: SSPP Faculty Office.

Contact details:Katharine Silk / Christopher Jones. [email protected] / [email protected]

Location: Strand Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job description

The Faculties of Social Science and Public Policy (SSPP) and Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Science (NMES) are looking for a solution-focused, enthusiastic and pro-active individual to work alongside functional teams to envision and embed healthy, positive and facilitative research cultures in both Faculties.  

This is an exciting opportunity to develop a new role working in partnership and at scale across two vibrant Faculties with key strategic research areas in common (e.g. work on Net Zero, Climate & Sustainability, Big Data and AI), and to work alongside academics, researchers and doctoral students as well as the wider professional services teams in each faculty and across various College central directorates. 

This role will lead on devising, developing and implementing a transformative Research Culture Action Plan with community-building at its heart and which identifies activities to be carried out in a number of areas to enhance the research environment in each Faculty, particularly supporting community-building and the personal professional development of Postgraduate Research Students (PGRs) and research staff at all career stages.  

You will contribute to strategic planning, aligned to King’s Vision 2029 , and to the design and implementation of new systems and processes and delivery; you will ensure the provision of a high level of service to both PGRs, researchers and academics.  

You will develop, systematise, monitor, report on and support the delivery of high-quality researcher experience ensuring records are kept and updated and resources are optimised. You will liaise regularly with PGR students, research staff and academics (researchers) ensuring that suggestions and issues are raised appropriately. You will be required to work closely with all relevant stakeholders and to plan, run and attend events, workshops and training sessions which may be out of standard working hours. 

This post will be line managed by the appropriate professional services lead in each respective faculty with close professional relationships to each Faculty’s research leadership team and to the College Research Culture team. 

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract until July 2026 

This is a full-time post – 100% full time equivalent

Interviews are to be held October 2023

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with the Faculty Research Leadership Teams to devise, develop and implement a Research Culture Action Plan linking to Faculty strategies and ensuring contributions from relevant stakeholder communities.  
• Liaise with University stakeholders e.g., Centre for Doctoral Studies, Centre for Research Staff Development, Faculty Research Leadership teams, PGR and researcher communities, recognising that cross-functional working with partners in HR, in Business, in Education, in Comms, is vital in this role.
• Put in place resources relating to research culture and to promote these widely, ensuring consistent access, evaluating success, learning from user interaction to steer development.
• To devise, implement and maintain systems for gathering data on key research culture activities (e.g. researcher attendance at training events including Induction, engagement with mentoring schemes or development opportunities, attendance at Careers events) for the purposes of monitoring, evaluating and formalising opportunities in the culture space some of which may require formal and reportable compliance.
• Lead on the organisation of wellbeing and engagement activities for all research staff, liaising with colleagues to optimise delivery and take up.
• Chair, or be an active member, of relevant committees and boards (e.g., Early Career Researchers’ Committees): attend Faculty Research and EDI Committees to provide a comprehensive feedback loop.
• Manage internal accounts and local budgets, including but not limited to non-pay transactions from the funds underpinning this appointment.  This may include the straightforward administration of bursaries, grants and scholarships.
• Research and investigate culture strategies in other universities, analysing and presenting comparator data, identifying and implementing best practice. 
• Work closely with the Faculty Research Teams, the Centre for Research Staff Development (CRSD) and the Research Culture team to ensure best practice and dissemination of opportunities.
• Provide excellent support to the ongoing establishment of the King’s research culture agenda, working closely with colleagues across the College.
• To ensure NMES and SSPP are working within the parameters of the ‘Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers’, improve Concordat literacy and support research staff career development initiatives and activities.
• Communicate information clearly and precisely, including clarification of non-routine matters.
• Manage and contribute to ad-hoc projects which may involve working on related research awards or on research applications in the culture space.
• Implement environmentally and socially sustainable practices. Collaborate with colleagues to share good practice and support wider sustainable initiatives and suggest new ideas where you see that improvements could be made.
• To represent the faculties on institution-wide networks, contributing to the alignment of the research function across the university.
• Demonstrate commitment to personal development through attending internal and external training opportunities.
• To undertake any other duties which may be reasonably required.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria  

1.       Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant work experience.  

2.       Experience of working in an administrative environment within the HE sector and an understanding of its challenges. 

3.       Excellent knowledge of university policies and procedures including PGR and financial regulations.  

4.       Excellent oral and written communication skills with an ability to engage effectively with a range of stakeholders, both within and outside the organisation.   

5.       Ability to work independently, proactively, solve problems and prioritise workloads in a busy environment, communicating progress appropriately.  

6.       Experience of organizing and running events, workshops and training programmes. 

7.       Interest in enhancing research culture and building research communities.  

8.       Negotiating and influencing with a diverse group of stakeholders.   

9.       Experience of building networks with colleagues and stakeholders across a complex organisation.  

10.    Understanding of HR processes including recruitment, probation and end of contract routines.  

11.    Experience of managing small/medium budgets. 

Desirable criteria

1.       Experience of developing, implementing, or supporting research culture initiatives, and of putting in place policy and resources in this area 

2.       Experience of using Higher Education-specific information management software e.g., SITS, Symplectic, Oracle Financials, Core HR 

3.       Educated to PhD level