Senior Research Manager - Infrastructure

We are looking to recruit a dynamic and experienced Senior Research Manager to manage a high profile National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio of clinical and applied health research infrastructure funding schemes. These schemes drive the delivery of research breakthroughs into life-saving treatments for patients, driving innovation, and enabling the UK’s international competitiveness in crucial areas of experimental medicine, applied health and care research. 

The NIHR is funded through the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and was established with the aim of creating a health and care research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals, working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public. The NIHR Research Infrastructure provides a platform to enable research by creating an environment where early stage and applied research can thrive. Our Research Infrastructure consists of research expertise, specialist facilities, a research delivery workforce and support services. The NIHR invests more than £606 million a year of infrastructure funding through a number of different five-year infrastructure funding schemes. 

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/what-we-do/infrastructure 

We are looking to recruit a dynamic and experienced Senior Research Manager to manage a high profile National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio of clinical and applied health research infrastructure funding schemes. These schemes drive the delivery of research breakthroughs into life-saving treatments for patients, driving innovation, and enabling the UK’s international competitiveness in crucial areas of experimental medicine, applied health and care research.

Job Purpose
Reporting to a Programme Lead, and working closely with the Assistant Director of Research Infrastructure, and the Department for Health and Social Care, the postholder will lead the planning and delivery of all activities for their portfolio of research infrastructure schemes. This will include the development of the strategic direction for future funding competitions; leading on the delivery of funding competitions and the management of awards; and working with internal and external stakeholders to capture impact, promote collaborative working and other priority areas relevant to your schemes portfolio. 

We are looking for someone with a broad perspective of academia, funding, project management and health related policy. You will liaise with internal and external stakeholders, and provide our community of researchers with support and advice.  You will be confident interacting with your peers and the external scientific community; able to demonstrate critical thinking, and an ability to influence and build productive relationships.  Meticulous project management skills, with the ability to deliver multiple priorities simultaneously, is essential.

Key Accountabilities:

• Developing the strategic direction for existing funding schemes:  developing, project managing and delivering reviews of current schemes (scope, process, monitoring, impact) to develop recommendations for the next funding calls. 
• Lead the process of commissioning research: Lead the delivery of new funding competitions for existing schemes. This includes meticulous project planning, the development of application guidance notes, the organisation of international panel meetings, minute taking and writing feedback to applicants.
• Development of new funding calls: Respond to ad hoc requests from DHSC/NIHR to develop and deliver new priority funding calls, developing an appropriate assessment mechanism and suitable monitoring processes through collaboration with relevant colleagues. 
• Stakeholder engagement: Provide the research community with support and advice on local management of their infrastructure award. Develop an outward facing strategy and plan to support schemes in order to raise the visibility of the awards within academic, clinical, public and government fora.  Work with the award holders (Infrastructure Directors) to develop and support the implementation of collaborative working between individual awards within a given scheme.
• Contract monitoring and annual reporting: manage any contractual requests/changes required during the lifetime of an award; requests for information (e.g. Parliamentary Questions or FOI requests), and the annual review of progress reports to assess progress and highlight concerns.
• Flexible support to team:  provide a high level of support across the team at peak work times. The schemes covered by team members will be reviewed periodically to support individual learning needs.

Line Management:

• The post will be responsible for the line management of one Research Manager.

Experience and Technical Skills

Required Criteria: 

• A PhD degree (or equivalent) in biomedical or health sciences research (or significant equivalent sector experience).
• Substantial relevant work experience, preferably including the delivery of research funding allocation processes, in one of the following environments: research funding body (either government or charitable), research management within the NHS or HEIs, industry or academia. 
• The ability to demonstrate an interest in the strategic issues in health and care research funding and policy.
• Strategic thinker able to interpret complex information while having a clear view of the “big picture”.
• Excellent project planning and management skills; able to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, working to challenging targets and deadlines.
• The ability to employ creative approaches to effectively communicate complex information to individuals and groups from a range of different backgrounds and different seniority levels.
• Committed team player with an ability to build effective working relationships.

Desirable Criteria:

• Line management and staff development experience. 

Why work for us
Join our team and you’ll be working with an exceptional organisation who manage high quality health and care research for the benefit of patients and the public. NIHR is one of the UK’s largest funders of health and care research.

Salary & Benefits  

• £47,300 - £49,900 per annum 
• Bonus - subject to company performance
• 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Life Insurance
• Benenden Healthcare
• Season Ticket Loan
• Laptop, IT equipment and remote IT support 

NB: We offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, flexible working arrangements. This is an office-based, hybrid role with an expectation for all employees to attend our offices a minimum of 4 days a month, usually worked as 1 day per week, and may increase, subject to team requirements. 

This is a Permanent Position. 

To Apply 
If you are interested in working with us and feel you have the appropriate background and skills, please apply with your CV, with the cover letter attached in the same document, outlining your suitability for the role and highlighting your experience against the required criteria. 

The closing date for applications is the 17th February 2025, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and this advert might close earlier.