Senior Project Officer (PROMISE Population Health Improvement Cluster)

Job id: 085711. Salary: £37,332 - £42,099 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 11 March 2024. Closing date: 25 March 2024.

Business unit: IoPPN. Department: Psychological Medicine.

Contact details:Dr Jayati Das-Munshi. [email protected]

Location: Denmark Hill Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

In April 2024, IoPPN, King’s College London will establish a national Population Health Improvement Cluster (PHIC) with a focus on mental health, funded by UKRI. This will be one of four research themes focussing on mental health, and is part of a new national research network, funded by UKRI (Population Health Improvement UK).  

This is a strategically important development for KCL and involves partnerships across King’s and with national and non-academic collaborators. Our major partner for this initiative will be with local government (Thrive LDN) and the Cluster will be a disseminated UK-wide partnership spanning 10+ universities and other organisations across the country, alongside people with lived experience. This is an exciting interdisciplinary initiative which will require all members of this emerging network to work together with an open mindset, with a view to understanding and addressing the inequities which underlie mental ill health nationally. 

Under the direction of the Cluster Manager and Cluster Director, you will be responsible for supporting the successful development and delivery of research programmes, and providing financial and operations support in line with funder policies and College processes. This will include overseeing post-award management including programme and project budgets, working closely with the communications and engagement team and staff at Thrive London and across partner organisations, to facilitate the delivery of the Cluster’s objectives and promote a positive research culture in-line with wider College initiatives. You will work closely with the Cluster Co-Directors, coordinating diary management, supporting Cluster core programme meetings, and providing support for meeting scheduling, agenda setting and minute taking as appropriate. You will also support administrative tasks related to the wider cluster, which will include organisation of annual away days, conferences, capacity building and training events.  

The post requires someone with a confidential and methodical approach and a flexible and adaptable manner. After initial direction, the post holder should be able to work with minimum supervision.  The post holder must, therefore, be able to manage their own time and workload efficiently and effectively. The post holder will be enthusiastic with previous office experience and excellent interpersonal, organisational, communication and IT skills.  They will be able to use their own initiative, as well as to work as a part of a team, enjoy a challenge and undertake a wide variety of tasks.  The postholder will also be able to flexibly work with the wider team across other organisations (eg. Thrive-LDN) to ensure successful delivery of cluster activities. 

The post-holder will be expected to travel to partner sites in London and other parts of the UK with occasional overnight stays.

The post-holder will be expected to work on campus 2 – 4 days per week (in agreement with the Line Manager)

This post will be offered on a full-time,  fixed-term contract until 31 March 2028.

• Work directly with Cluster Co-Directors and leads to support the delivery of research programmes, training and dissemination activities within the Cluster.
• Contribute to the management of research programme budgets to ensure robust administration and that all transactions comply with funder and College funder regulations.
• Provide personalized administrative support to the Cluster Director, working on a one-to-one basis on a variety of tasks related to the Director’s work in the Cluster: diary management, meeting scheduling, travel arrangement, expenses payments, including raising purchasing orders, event organisation support.
• Support recruitment processes
• Develop and maintain good understanding of university grant information and finance systems i.e., Unit 4 Business World and Worktribe.
•  Process financial paperwork including invoices and expenses and support with setting up new suppliers and processing casual worker payments and payments to people with lived experience.
• Support processes around procurement, VAT, licensing.  
• Support the Capacity building leads to support the Cluster’s Early Career Network and associated training events, (regular online and in person meetings).  
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with professional services staff across the College including School research support staff, RMID and HR.  
• Work closely with the Cluster Manager,Thrive-LDN and the other Partners to provide administrative support for all project activities
• Support Cluster data team to establish a ‘Data Communities of Practice’ with regular online and in-person meetings, as appropriate.
• Taking ownership for all aspects of the Cluster’s office management including placing orders for stationery, equipment, travel and other office expenditure; financial record-keeping and management.
•  Complete any training relevant to the role (e.g., data protection)
• Maintain detailed administrative and financial records on all Cluster activities related to KCL.
• Actively promote a positive research culture in-line with wider university initiatives.  
• Work autonomously to provide timely support and creatively to solve problems related to administrative and financial tasks.  
• Produce and analyse financial information and ensure robust record keeping to support with funder reporting requirements.  
• Contribute to maintaining strong internal and external communications and public engagement, promoting the Cluster’s profile, working closely with the Thrive-LDN comms team and including via the Cluster’s public facing website.

Essential criteria  

1.       Significant knowledge and skills of research support acquired through relevant posts, evidencing continuous professional development and the acquisition of appropriate professional or specialist knowledge.  

2.       Experienced in supporting diary management, scheduling of meetings, logistical planning, complex travel arrangements, expenses and excellent written/ communication skills to draft correspondence. 

3.       Highly proficient IT skills (including Excel and Word) and experience of using digital technology in day-to-day work.  

4.       Strong administrative, organisational and time management skills.  

5.       Strong communication and interpersonal skills with an ability to relay often complex specialist information to various groups.  

6.       Effective at working independently, and as part of a team, and able to take a proactive approach to complex problem solving.  

7.       Excellent task management skills and an ability to prioritise a varied and demanding workload.  

8.       Working knowledge of the end-to-end grant lifecycle and experience of supporting large scale and complex grants using grant management software.  

9.       Working knowledge and experience applying regulatory policies and procedures in a large organisation.  

10.   High degree of accuracy and attention to detail  

11.   Demonstrable experience of budget management and grant costings.  

Desirable criteria

1.   Keen interest in research grant management and an awareness of the wider research landscape including challenges within the sector.  

2.   Working knowledge of compliance with data collection (GDPR) and operational considerations in mental health research.   

3.   Good understanding of research management policies including cost recovery 

4.   Working knowledge of financial and HR softwares used in universities or equivalent ( e.g. PeopleXD, Unit 4 Business World, Worktribe)