Job Description

Job id: 074085. Salary: Grade 6: \xc2\xa342,405 - \xc2\xa349,785 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 06 September 2023. Closing date: 20 September 2023.

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: Cancer & Pharma Sciences School Office.

Contact details: Steve Bunting. stephen.bunting@kcl.ac.uk

Location: Guy\'s Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job description

This post is essential to the smooth running of the highly research-active School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, supporting all research grants held by the School, and assisting academic staff to effectively manage research awards through the full life cycle. This role involves working collaboratively with the Faculty Research Manager, the School Lead (Research & Impact) and colleagues working in King\'s Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID).

The successful candidate will:

• Coordinate and oversee the research administrative support to academic and research staff, working closely with the central university teams from application stage, grant set up and final reconciliation and reporting
• Work with colleagues to identify and promote funding opportunities and enhance application quality through peer review and mock interviews
• Improve financial sustainability through maximising cost recovery and overhead contributions
• Forge relationships with key partners and stakeholders including funding bodies
• Line manage and develop operational staff to support the delivery of research administrative support across the School
• Train and develop academic, research and professional services staff on systems and processes required throughout the life cycle of research grants including PURE, Business World, Worktribe, ResearchFish, ORCID and other platforms
• Work with colleagues across the Faculty and King\'s to develop and implement policies and processes that improve our research administration
• Provide and analyse management information on the research portfolio and application rates within the School and identify areas requiring improvement
• Assist the School Lead (Research & Impact), School Manager and Faculty Research Manager in coordinating the School\'s response and contribution to the Research Excellence Framework and other formal assessments/reports
• Foster a stimulating, innovative and inclusive cultural environment across the School enabling students and staff to thrive and develop, actively supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives that promote equality in research and aim to address key points of attrition, particularly for staff and students with protected characteristics

Information about the School

We have over 400 members of staff (including 80 Principal Investigators) and 200 PhD students located across King\'s Guy\'s, Denmark Hill and Waterloo campuses. Our academic excellence is widely recognised: we are ranked 14th in the world for Pharmacy and Pharmacology (2019 QS subject rankings) and first in the UK for Clinical Medicine in terms of the proportion of King\'s overall submission that was ranked 4* or 3* (REF2020). Through our partnership with King\'s Health Partners, our scientists are joining up with world-class clinical services for the benefit of cancer patients in south east London and beyond.

This is a secondment cover post which will be offered on an a fixed-term contract until 10 October 2024 or until return of the substantive post holder.

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

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate and oversee the School\'s research grant applications, ensuring compliance with funders\' terms and conditions, interpreting and explaining these to staff, maximising cost recovery and overhead returns
• Coordinate and oversee Award management, liaising with Academics regarding virements, extensions and exceptions to Terms & Conditions in collaboration with King\'s Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID); ensure compliance with funders\' definition of eligible costs
• Oversee and manage the School\'s research support, working in collaboration with the School HR & Finance Manager
• Act as the School\'s Expert on research funding, keeping up-to-date with future funding calls that are suitable for School staff seeking to engage in international quality research
• Flag risks to the continued success of research in the School to the School Executive, identifying ways to mitigate these wherever possible
• Work with colleagues to enhance and streamline administrative processes, providing support and advice to research and academic staff in the use of King\'s systems
• Support an environment of best practice in research, ensure the School is compliant with relevant regulations and policies - including ethical approval
• Generate and analyse management information summarising current research performance and future projections
• Forge relationships with key partners and stakeholders internally and externally, including funding bodies and acting as the primary School contact in relation to research grants and resources
• Work with the School Executive, primarily the Head of School, School Lead (Research & Impact) and School Manager, to develop and help deliver the School\'s Research Strategy
• Facilitate an inclusive culture and ethos across the School teams, notably the posts line managed by the role holder, to ensure that Professional Services staff work in partnership with Academic and Research staff, and Professional Services Colleagues in the wider University
• Actively support and coordinate the School\'s response and contribution to the Research Excellence Framework and other formal assessments/reports as required, working closely with the School Lead (Research & Impact), the School Manager and Faculty Research Manager
• Deputise for the School Manager as appropriate, and represent the School, Faculty and university at meetings and events
• Lead or contribute to cross-Faculty/University initiatives
• Undertake any other reasonable duties and projects as requested by the School Manager or Academic lead, including School-specific duties, for example supporting specialist Centres, liaising with external bodies etc. to underpin the School\'s core activity
• Expected to manage their own workload and be flexible in anticipating and responding to shifting and competing demands on their and the wider team\'s time
• Working with minimum regular supervision but will refer to their line managers for advice on issues which fall outside existing regulatory or policy framework

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 * Educated to degree level or relevant experience

• Good understanding of the UK and EU funding environment
• Highly numerate with proven financial management and analytical skills to underpin strategic financial strategic decisions and procedure
• Proven Professional Services skills gained within the Higher Education sector
• Experience of staff management
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills at all levels
• Experience of building an effective network across a complex organisation and with external stakeholders
• Experience of using complex databases and management information systems
• Experience of Research Grants; from Application through to Award Management and closure
• Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment
• Excellent task management skills both for self and others, meeting tight deadlines
• Organising & Planning - Multi Tasking, ability to work on several tasks simultaneously; use systems and processes to best effect; understand how to arrange information in an efficient, effective way; develop schedules and task/people assignments; identify risks and mechanisms to mitigate these and monitor progress

Desirable criteria * Relevant postgraduate or professional qualification

• Knowledge of research practice and policy in health (bioscience/medicine)
• Experience of Research Management tools and systems

King\'s College London