Research Administration Manager, CASCADE

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Research Administration Manager, CASCADE

Cardiff University School of Social Sciences is seeking to recruit an experienced Research Manager to work within the Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE). 

The role holder will play a key role in coordinating, supporting and tracking CASCADE’s wide range of research projects and programmes, including publications, funded projects and impact interventions.

This will involve close working with project partners, including the Centre for Trials Research, the School of Psychology and the SAIL Databank, in addition to working closely with the CASCADE research team and preparing regular reports for funders such as HCRW and the CASCADE management groups. As part of this work, the post holder will carry out project management and coordination, management of project finances and agreements, providing advice, guidance and support, and leading and coordinating projects within this area. The post-holder will be responsible for establishing and administering processes to enable the efficient coordination and management of projects, working closely with disparate project teams to coordinate and report on work and associated progress and will manage other PS team members

This is a fixed term, part-time post (up to 28 hours a week)  available from mid-February up until 31 March 2025. 

Salary: £35,333 - £42,155 per annum (Grade 6).

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 25 January 2023

Closing date: Sunday, 12 February 2023

Responsible to Jo Parry, Research Centre Manager

For further information contact Jo Parry [email protected] 

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

• Work in close cooperation with the CASCADE Director and the Centre Manager to ensure CASCADE delivers on existing research commitments across a wide portfolio of projects.
• To be responsible for and lead the team in streamlining the implementation and improving the effectiveness of research policies, processes and procedures, including alignment with School, College and University requirements.
• Manage members of the CASCADE Professional Services Team to ensure that all activities and tasks are delivered within deadline and budget.
• To provide mechanisms for the regular reporting and monitoring of research activity, ensuring alignment with the School’s research strategy and the College’s and University’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• To provide professional support to CASCADE staff on impact and research funding. This includes monitoring and advising on research project and general ledger expenditure.
• To provide senior assistance and advice to PIs at both pre and post award stage, advising on budgets and costings of new bids and managing the expenditure profile of existing grants, ensuring that research funds are optimised and provide value for money to the funder(s).
• Lead the professional services team in collaboration with other staff to prepare and draft documentation for grant applications.
• Working with the Research Centre Manager, develop business and financial plans including making recommendations on resource and budgetary issues.
• Provide robust budgetary governance, financial management and oversight for all of the Centre’s funding (both internal and external) ensuring appropriate controls exist to highlight potential over/underspends.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting is available to support budgetary decision making and strategy.
• Lead and facilitate the Research Support team to liaise effectively with the research-facing and broader team of professional staff in the School, College and University, including the Research Development Officers for Humanities and Social Sciences and the Communications and Marketing team.
• Lead the team to manage individual research-relevant relationships, such as those with professional services staff in collaborating universities and organisations, impact partners, potential funders and sponsors.
• To provide professional operational and management support, advice and guidance to the Director of CASCADE thereby contributing to decision-making and assisting in preparations for internal research and impact reviews.
• Working closely with the Senior Management Team, assist with the management of human resources matters, including recruitment, performance management and other such processes.
• Working with the Centre Manager, manage the recruitment, performance, induction, supervision and development of the CASCADE Professional Services Team including long term development & succession plans.
• Work with the CASCADE Management Team on appropriate approaches to the prioritisation of competitive applications.
• To investigate and analyse specific issues to support the development of CASCADE’s Research Strategy through the framing of reports and the development and provision of management information and data analysis that will inform decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Maintain an in depth knowledge of all aspects of the Professional Services Team’s responsibilities to ensure consistent leadership for the Centre acting on behalf of the Research Centre Manager as required.
• Be responsible for acting as Research Centre Manager at meetings, events or in general duties as required in the absence of the Research Centre Manager.
• Undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to the role and which will enhance performance.

Job Description continued in Additional Information

Person Specification

 Essential Criteria

Degree/NVQ 4 or equivalent Professional membership/experience or academic research experience.

Experience of working in a Higher Education environment, ideally within a research centre or institute.

Level of professional knowledge and insight consistent with giving advice and guidance (strategic and operational) on research-related matters to academic and other individuals within and beyond CASCADE.

Proven capability consistent with developing new processes and procedures.

Experience consistent with a capability to monitor and manage research budgets/funding applications/peer review mechanisms for research outputs and grant applications.

A demonstrable capacity to contribute to strategic planning.

An ability to communicate conceptually detailed and complex information effectively and professionally to a wide range of people.

A proven ability to develop networks in order to contribute to long-term developments.

Evidence of an ability to solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity and to identify and propose both practical and innovative solutions.

Evidence of an ability to undertake and deliver specific projects and the capability to supervise short-term project teams.

Desirable Criteria

• Postgraduate / Professional qualification relevant to one or more elements of the post.
• Substantial experience of supporting the management of research projects and programmes within Higher Education.
• Experience of programme and / or project management.
• Excellent IT skills, to include excellent skills in financial management software and other reporting packages.
• Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

NOTE

The Person Specification is split into 2 sections: essential and desirable.  Please demonstrate clearly how you meet all of the essential criteria.  Where possible you should give examples of how, when and where you have used your experience, knowledge, specific skills and abilities to match those required for this particular job role.

Please ensure that you communicate this fully by creating a supporting statement document, listing all of the criteria and commenting against each one as to how you meet them.  This will need to be completed before you begin making your application on line as you will be required to upload it. 

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure that you put your name and the  vacancy reference number, e.g. Supporting Statement for NAME XXXXBR.’

The desirable section contains a list of skills, qualifications and experience that it would be beneficial for the jobholder to have.

All short-listing decisions will be based initially on essential criteria, with desirable being used to further select or deselect candidates as appropriate. 

We interview those candidates who are the closest match to the identified criteria.

Additional Information

Job description continued

General Duties

• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Job Category

Management & Executive