Future Observatory Head of Research Programme

THE DESIGN MUSEUM; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Season ticket loan

Cycle to work scheme

Pension scheme

Enhanced parental leave

Free museum entry for friends and/or家族

Discounts in shops and cafes

Free entry to other galleries and musu

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

The Design Museum invites applications for the Head of Research Programme to lead Future Observatory's AHRC-funded portfolio. You will oversee budgets, timelines, reporting and stakeholder engagement while coordinating events and liaising with grantees and partners.

Reporting to the Future Observatory Director, you will drive the research strategy and help secure long-term sustainability through grant writing and fundraising, including line management of the Programme Manager, Community Manager

Qualifications

• Significant experience in research portfolio management in HEI or equivalent environment, such as museums or Independent Research Organisation institutions.
• Experience reporting on expenditure of public funds in a research-based or academic context or as part of a funded programme.
• Experience working collaboratively to report and evaluate against established KPIs.
• Excellent communication skills for liaising with principal investigators, researchers and partner organisations.
• Knowledge of methods and practical application of research activities like roundtables, forums, design crits, sprints and delivery meetings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Future Observatory AHRC-funded research portfolio and coordinate internal events such as roundtables and research forums.
• Act as the operational lead for the programme, overseeing budgets, timelines, reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Support long-term sustainability through grant writing and fundraising activities.
• Line manage the Programme Manager, Community Manager and Coordinator, ensuring coordination across the research portfolio.

Skills

Research portfolio management

Budgeting & reporting

Grant writing & fundraising

Stakeholder engagement

Line management

Job description

Overview

The Design Museum is the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form, from architecture and fashion to graphics, product design and digital innovation.

Future Observatory is the national design research programme for the green transition. Coordinated by the Design Museum in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), it is the largest publicly funded design research initiative in the UK. We are seeking an experienced and collaborative Head of Research Programme to lead Future Observatory's AHRC-funded research portfolio and support the continued growth and impact of this ambitious national programme.

About the role

Reporting to the Future Observatory Director, you will lead the research programme, liaising with grantees and organising internal events such as roundtables and research forums. You will act as the operational lead for the programme, overseeing budgets, timelines, reporting and stakeholder engagement.

Working with researchers, industry leaders, government representatives and funding partners, you will help deliver Future Observatory's research strategy while supporting its long-term sustainability through grant writing and fundraising activity.

Key areas of focus include:

• Acting as the coordinating lead for an extensive AHRC-funded research portfolio.
• Overseeing programme budgets, reporting, monitoring, evaluation and risk management.
• Managing relationships with researchers, AHRC representatives and programme stakeholders.
• Leading grant-writing and fundraising opportunities to support the programme's long-term viability.
• Line managing the Programme Manager, Community Manager and Coordinator, and ensuring operational coordination across the research portfolio.

About you

We are looking for someone who brings:

• Significant experience of research portfolio management in a higher education institution or equivalent environment, such as museums or Independent Research Organisation institutions.
• Experience reporting on the expenditure of public funds in a research-based or academic context, or as part of a funded programme.
• Experience of working collaboratively to report and evaluate against established KPIs.
• Excellent communication skills, suitable for building relationships and liaising with multiple principal investigators, researchers and members of institutional and partner organisations.
• Knowledge of the methods and practical application of research activities such as roundtables, forums, design crits, sprints and delivery meetings.

The complete job description (including the person specification) is available to download on this page.

Terms and Conditions

Salary: up to £50,000 per annum

Holidays: 25 days + Christmas Eve (museum closed)

Hours: 35 hours per week / Monday to Friday

Contract: fixed term, until 31 March 2028

Location: the Design Museum Kensington is the place of work -with a hybrid arrangement of 60% of an employee’s role to be performed at the museum and 40% remote.

Closing date:Sunday 25 October, midnight

Interviews:Wednesday 04 November

Queries

If you encounter any issues while completing your application, please email [e-mail] before the vacancy closing date. We will be in touch as soon as possible; (please note the inbox is monitored Monday-Friday).

• 25 days holiday, rising to 26 days (after two years' of service) and 27 days (after five years' of service)
• Hybrid working, 60% museum, 40% remote and annually two weeks fully remote
• Core hours and flexible working, including part-time and compressed hours
• Season ticket loan, tenancy deposit loan, cycle to work scheme
• Access to a defined contribution pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Free museum entry for friends and family
• Discounts in the museum shops and cafes
• Free entry to other galleries and museums
• Employee assistance programme

The museum pro-actively seeks to collaborate with institutional partners, individuals, and networks to realise its commitment to build a culturally diverse workforce. We positively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and consider candidates who are suitably qualified and eligible regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.