King's College London

About us

The Centre for Research Staff Development (CRSD) where this post is located is responsible for implementation of the Technician Commitment Initiative and the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and is devoted to supporting research staff (technicians, teaching fellows, research assistants and postdocs) in building a positive experience of working at King’s and future for themselves. 

We work collaboratively with the 9 faculties and professional directorates of King’s and university groups such as the Technical Representative Committee to deliver on training programmes, policy development and issues that affect our research staff generally, with the full support of the senior management of the university.

We are also connected to various national professional networks that support professional development of research staff.

About the role

The role of the Technical Development Manager is to champion and support the approximately 400-strong technical community at King’s.  The successful candidate will be responsible for implementation of the Technician Commitment Initiative at King’s, providing a professional development programme for the technical community, including apprenticeships and Professional Registration through the Science Council, and managing and maintaining the Technical Network. 

In the Centre for Research Staff Development (CRSD) the role holder will work with a small team responsible for supporting research staff generally across the university.  The CRSD sits within Research Talent, a department in the Research Management and Innovation Directorate.

The work involves liaising with our technical community and senior staff at King’s, taking into account the strategic aims of the university. 

This will lead to compiling of ambitious action plans in collaboration with the community and taking responsibility to ensure they are enacted.  This is an opportunity to develop strong leadership skills to deliver on the plan and build positive relationships with colleagues within King’s in order to lead on this important issue.

The post-holder will also be encouraged to participate in and contribute to the national networks of technical professionals and to seek out and apply for external financial support for larger projects within King’s and in collaboration with other research institutions to deliver locally and on a national stage.

Additional activities are to devise and manage professional development opportunities for our technical community, primarily through encouragement and support of applications for Professional Registration as registered/chartered scientist and also through running a programme of professional development training in collaboration with members of the technical community and the Research Staff Development Consultant.

The successful candidate will also be involved in supporting our technical apprenticeship programme across the faculties.

It would suit someone with a knowledge of technical work and careers, together with knowledge of national issues that have an impact on the profession.

The post is hybrid working with a minimum of one day per week based at our Lavington Street offices and occasional travel to other campuses and attendance at relevant national meetings.

This is a part time post (17.5 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1.      Strong advocacy, project and leadership capability to drive forward university-wide initiatives relevant to technicians and ability to persevere when faced with obstacles

2.      Ability to locate work within the broader strategy of King’s and the national initiatives for technicians.

3.      Ability to build strong and positive relationships quickly with a range of stakeholders at all levels within the university and nationally, showing emotional intelligence and the ability to negotiate when needed

4.      An appreciation of the nature of professional development and the ways in which it can be delivered, together with a commitment to and enthusiasm for continuing professional development for both self and others

5.      Knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the technical environment, including career pathways and the Technician Commitment Initiative, ideally across a wide range of academic fields and the Higher Education sector more broadly

6.      Ability to present complex information succinctly and clearly in written form and in presentations to a wide range of audiences and potential to personally facilitate professional development activities, including workshops, both online and in person

7.      Ability to think creatively with regard to converting the needs of others into actions to deliver

8.      Resilience and ability to work under pressure and without supervision, delivering projects on time

Desirable criteria

1.      Experience of the research environment for technicians and of Higher Education generally

2.      Commitment to continuous improvement

3.      Already or committed to becoming professionally registered as CSci or related professional accreditation as appropriate

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

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.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held on week commencing in December