Job description

The Department of Engineering, within the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences, is looking to recruit a Senior Research Support Officer who will play a key role in the operational delivery of the services underpinning research activity within the Department.

The Senior Research Support Officer will work as part of a team to ensure consistent delivery of research support by providing a high quality and effective administrative service, in accordance with university, Faculty and Department priorities, timelines and policies. The role holder will actively contribute to and help the delivery of the Faculty’s research function.

The ideal candidate will have experience of office administration and dealing with financial processes, ideally in a Higher Education setting, and be able to build strong working relationships with both administrative and academic colleagues to support a wide range of research activity.

This is currently a hybrid role, and the role holder will spend part of their working week on campus and part of the week working remotely.

Information on the Department of Engineering and the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences can be found at the following links:

kcl.ac.uk/engineering 

kcl.ac.uk/nmes

Benefits

​King’s provides an extensive and varied range of career-focussed training and on-the-job learning. We support staff to maintain a work/life balance, offer flexible working and parental leave opportunities, reduced membership rates for staff at gyms at three of our campuses, an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns as well as 27 days annual leave (plus Christmas closure days), an occupational pension scheme, season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme. Find out more at -   kcl.ac.uk/hr/staffbenefits/index

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract

This is a full-time  post

Key responsibilities

• To engage proactively with academic staff in relation to funding calls, working with the Research Development Manager (RDM) in assisting academic staff in identifying funding opportunities and providing expert guidance on funder regulations, terms and conditions of awards, and internal and external processes and policies.
• To act as the first point of contact for research systems, developing a high degree of expertise with systems including WorkTribe, BusinessWorld, PURE, and funder portals.
• To support the preparation of grant applications, including creating staff costings using WorkTribe, entering information in funder portals, coordinating internal peer review, checking compliance with funder and College policies, and obtaining internal approvals.
• Supporting the grant application process including assisting staff with non-scientific aspects of the proposal, maintaining accurate records of previous, current, and planned grant applications, and ensuring grant applications are progressed in a timely manner to meet internal and external deadlines.
• To support the administration of the department’s portfolio of active projects, liaising with the Research Support Manager, Business Support team and relevant PIs.
• To provide expert guidance to academics on funder regulations, terms and conditions of awards, and internal and external processes and policies.
• To support the recruitment of research staff and the administration of their contracts, working with colleagues in Department Business Support team and HR.
• To assist with the support and preparation of materials for all department-level research meetings.
• To prepare and circulate the Department Research Newsletter
• To assist the Department Research Support Manager and Head of Research in sharing and implementing best practices across the department, assisting with the review and creation of processes and procedures as required.
• To update Department research webpages, SharePoint, and information on the institutional research management system (PURE).
• To support staff in meeting the requirements of College, REF, and funder Open Access policies.
• To disseminate research news across the Department, surfacing and communicating success stories to the Faculty External Relations team.
• To maintain oversight of internal departmental funding schemes.
• To provide administrative support for preparations for submission in the REF exercise, including coordinating output reviews and entering information on PURE.
• Providing advice on REF Open Access policy to academic staff, and to monitor compliance through PURE.
• To provide support for research-related Enterprise and Engagement activity
• To participate in institution-wide networks, contributing to the alignment of the Research & Researchers function across the university.
• To build and maintain effective relationships with academic and professional services staff across Departments, Faculty, and the College.
• Collate and provide data to support the Department in planning, reporting, and decision making.

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.       Proven Professional Services skills gained within the Higher Education sector (or similar) and a knowledge of the regulatory, policy and procedural context

2.       Highly numerate with proven financial management and analytical skills

3.       Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate clearly and appropriately with a range of professional service and academic colleagues

4.       Proactive commitment to ensuring good practice and following process/procedure

5.       Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment

6.       Ability to work independently and as part of a team

7.       Ability to balance competing, shifting priorities under pressure of deadlines and workload

8.       Accuracy/ability to pay attention to detail

9.       Ability to follow guidance and instruction

Desirable criteria

1.       Knowledge of Higher Education Research practice and policy

2.       Experience of finance processes, i.e. budgeting

Further information

Interviews will be held in person (Strand campus) and will take place in week commencing 26th June 2023

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.