Research Manager

Advert

Research Manager
School of Computer Science & Informatics
College of Physical Sciences and Engineering

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Research Manager to join the School of Computer Science and Informatics at Cardiff University.

The School of Computer Science & Informatics is a fast-paced and innovative School that has grown rapidly in recent years. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Research Manager to join the School to manage and support a growing pipeline of research that will contribute to the School’s realisation of long-term, strategic ambitions. The role-holder will need to be experienced in research support and will be required to manage and support a team providing proactive and professional support to a wide range of stakeholders. The remit of this role is broad and requires an excellent understanding of the research funding landscape and experience of managing a broad portfolio of research activity and a dynamic team.

The team’s responsibilities include providing support to academic staff for the preparation, costing and submission of grant bids, support for internal and external assessments of research quality, open access, research ethics, management information related to research, admission and management of postgraduate research students and other activities that support and develop the School’s research. The successful candidate will provide advice, guidance and support and lead projects within research, with a specific focus on pre-award projects, publications and REF while ensuring that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties. The post-holder will abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity and perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

This position is a full-time position, 35 hours per week, is open ended and available immediately.

Salary range: £36,333 – £43,155 per annum (Grade 6)

Informal enquiries may be made to the School Manager, Yvonne Taylor ([email protected] ) and to the Director of Research, Dr Padraig Corcoran ([email protected]).  Informal enquiries in relation to the recruitment / application process can be sent to Simon Hogg, HR Administrator – [email protected] .

Cardiff University has a successful School of Computer Science & Informatics with an international reputation for its teaching and research activities. We have seen a transformation of our research environment with the School almost doubling in size. We have moved into a new £39 million purpose-built facility shared with the School of Mathematics called Abacws , designed to facilitate interaction between disciplines and give our research groups new freedom to develop research culture and build identity. We are a research-led School with a longstanding, international reputation for applied research activities, and collaborate with more than 100 UK and international academic and industrial partners.  In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 96% of our submitted research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. The School delivers a stimulating portfolio of BSc and MSc degrees and offers research degrees leading to MPhil and PhD qualifications.

For more information on the School please visit our website:  http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/computer-science
The shortlisting process will look to see how candidates are able provide evidence of meeting the essential (and desirable) criteria in their application. As described in more detail later in this advert, please ensure you attach a supporting statement highlighting how you match the person specification, or the appropriate transferable skills for you to work within this role.

Us
We want to make Cardiff University an institution that is respected the world over. Our vision is to be a world-leading, research-excellent, educationally outstanding university, driven by creativity and curiosity, which fulfils its social, cultural and economic obligations to Cardiff, Wales, the UK and the world. We expect to improve our standing as one of the top 100 universities in the world and the top 20 in the UK.

What we offer
Cardiff University can offer many attractive benefits to its employees, including a competitive salary, 37 days annual leave per annum and a generous pension scheme.  More information on what we can offer can be found at https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/jobs/what-we-can-offer .

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 15 March 2023

Closing date: Sunday, 2 April 2023

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting all its employees in achieving the necessary balance between their work and their personal lives. As part of this commitment, the University has developed a flexible and responsive framework of support for staff in managing their work and personal commitments wherever possible. [Applications for posts on a part-time or job-share arrangement would also be considered].

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

Key Duties

Policy and Strategy

• Provide professional advice and guidance on all aspects of research activity with institution-wide impact, including research policy, processes and procedures to internal and external customers, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, and ensuring complex and conceptual issues are understood.
• Contribute to the long-term management of the School, interpreting School strategies into work priorities.
• Act as the research specialist point of contact for professional service support in the School and provide specific support to the School Manager, Director of Research, Postgraduate Research Director and Head of School.
• Investigate and analyse specific issues within the School’s research activity, creating recommendation reports to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.

Leadership and Management

• Manage the Research Support Officer and the Postgraduate Research Officers in providing support for research and PGR students.
• Manage the operation of the research and postgraduate support team, planning, organising and delegating work, monitoring progress and intervening as required.
• Manage the performance, induction and development of the team.
• Support and guide team members in welfare issues, escalating as necessary to specialist support areas.
• Undertake the training of others in relation to the team’s work.

Research Funding

• Assist and support the development of funding applications and their costings, working with colleagues within and beyond the School accordingly.
• Command a body of specialist knowledge on research-related activities including processes for preparing research funding bids.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of research specialisms of academic staff in the School, and alert individuals to research funding opportunities relevant to their work and draw attention to others within and outside the School who might collaborate with them.
• Coordinate the School’s internal peer review processes for research funding applications.
• Support regular meetings, including the School’s Research Committee, and informal meetings with the research section and group leads and the School’s Management Team to monitor the research grant pipeline.
• To work closely with the School’s Finance Manager to assist and support the post-award management of grants.

Research Excellence Framework

• Plan and deliver specific projects in the field of professional support for research, co-ordinating and supervising project teams created as needed, in particular, Research Excellence Framework and research impact case studies.
• Manage the Schools’ adherence to Open Access policies, checking publications are added to ORCA and assisting staff in applying for Gold Open Access.

…continued in additional information

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

1. Degree/NVQ 4 or equivalent Professional membership/experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

2. Substantial experience of working within research support at a senior level.
3. Able to demonstrate professional knowledge of research management and support and to give advice and guidance to a wide range of internal and external customers.
4. Proven experience in developing new processes and procedures.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working

5. Ability to communicate conceptually detailed and complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people.
6. Evidence of ability to explore customers’ needs and adapt the service accordingly to ensure a quality service is delivered.
7. Proven ability to develop networks in order to contribute to long term developments.

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving

8. Evidence of ability to solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose both practical and innovative solutions.
9. Evidence of ability to undertake and deliver specific projects and supervise short term project teams.
10. Experience of line management with evidence of ability to plan the work of a team, over extended time periods, reacting to changes in workload and priority

Desirable Criteria

1. Postgraduate/professional qualification.
2. Experience of working in a HE environment, preferably in a  computer science or other STEM discipline
3. Fluency in Welsh, written and oral
4. Interest in the digital economy and the discipline of computer science.

Additional Information

…job description continued
Research Support

• Support and develop School mechanisms for regular reporting and monitoring of research activity, including research funding applications and awards, and research student progress.
• Ensure the effective and professional servicing of School Committees and Research Groups and disseminate information and good practice in research and funding–related activities.
• Ensure and oversee the effective provision of proactive and professional administrative support to the School’s Director of Research and Research Section Heads to ensure alignment of School research strategy with College and University research strategy and KPIs.
• Manage the data relating to the administration and performance of research in the School, ensuring a good fit between the School’s research data and information systems and repositories and those of the College and University.
• Support the Ethics Committee and provide current information to help staff and PGR students comply with research ethics and governance requirements.
• Co-ordinate the management of School research information on the University’s website, ensuring accurate, engaging and relevant content is maintained.
• Liaise with College staff and Directors of Research to coordinate research training for staff in both Schools, particularly focusing on support for Early Career Researchers.
• Establish working relationships with key University research contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the research-facing and broader team of professional service staff in the College and University and outside bodies as required.
• Take responsibility for resolving issues independently within all aspects of the School’s research activity where they fall within set role objectives.

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria

It is Cardiff University’s policy to use the person specification as a key tool for shortlisting. Therefore, candidates must evidence they meet ALL the essential criteria and, where relevant, the desirable.
As part of the application process, you are asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure that the evidence you are providing corresponds with the numbered criteria outlined in the person specification. Your application will be considered based on the information you provide for each criterion.

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure you name it with the vacancy reference number: 16238BR.

Your application will be at risk of not being progressed if you do not evidence you have met all essential criteria. The school welcomes the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Job Category

Admin / Clerical