Head of Research Security

King's College London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

King's College London is seeking a Head of Research Security to lead the institution's approach to secure, responsible and internationally engaged research. You will oversee the Trusted Research framework and provide strategic leadership across the Research Governance, Ethics & Integrity department.

The role requires delivering policies, guidance and risk management across the full research lifecycle, while coordinating with Faculties, Professional Services, and partners.

Qualifications

• Significant experience of leading research compliance, governance, risk management, assurance, regulatory, legal or related functions within a higher education, research, innovation or similarly complex knowledge intensive environment.
• Demonstratable ability to develop and embed institutional approaches that support secure, responsible and internationally engaged research, balancing strategic opportunity with regulatory, reputational and security considerations.
• Demonstratable ability to influence and advise senior leaders and stakeholders, translating complex regulatory, security, compliance and risk issues into clear, practical and risk-based recommendations.
• Knowledge of the UK Trusted Research agenda, research security principles, and the geopolitical, regulatory and operational risks affecting research collaboration.
• Experience of identifying, assessing and managing complex organisational risks and providing assurance, reporting and recommendations to support institutional governance and decision-making.
• Demonstrable ability to apply regulatory or compliance requirements pragmatically and proportionately, balancing risk management with the need to enable organisational objectives.
• Experience of leading and developing high-performing teams, including the management of specialist staff and operational services, whilst delivering organisational change, service improvement and the implementation of new processes and systems.
• Experience of representing an organisation externally and building effective relationships with regulators, funders, government departments, sector bodies, strategic partners or other senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the University's Trusted Research and Research Security function, providing strategic oversight across faculties and services.
• Deliver effective guidance, monitoring, assurance and reporting arrangements related to research security and compliance.
• Develop and implement policies, processes, guidance and risk management activities to meet legal, regulatory and funder requirements.
• Act as Secretariat to the Trusted Research Committee and Chair of the Trusted Research Working Group.
• Collaborate with Faculties, Professional Services and partners to safeguard integrity, security and compliance of research activities.

Skills

Regulatory leadership

Research governance

Risk management

Senior stakeholder engagement

Compliance program development

Regulatory affairs

Job description

About us

Research and innovation are central to King's College London's mission as a leading research-intensive university. The Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID) provides expert advice, infrastructure and services across the research lifecycle. Within RMID, the Research Governance, Ethics & Integrity department supports the University's approach to research governance and compliance, helping to enable responsible and internationally engaged research.

About the role

The Head of Research Security is responsible for leading King's College London's institutional approach to research security, ensuring the University can support secure, responsible and internationally engaged research whilst effectively managing security, regulatory and geopolitical challenges.

The postholder will lead the Research Security Team and be accountable for the delivery, development and continuous improvement of the University's research security and Trusted Research framework. Reporting to the Director of Research, Governance, Ethics & Integrity, the role provides senior specialist leadership across the institution, ensuring that research security risks are effectively identified, assessed and managed while supporting the University's strategic ambitions for research, innovation and international collaboration.

Working across the full research lifecycle, the postholder will oversee the development and implementation of policies, processes, guidance, assurance mechanisms and risk management activities that enable compliance with relevant legal, regulatory and funder requirements. The role will help ensure that research is conducted in a manner that protects the University's people, assets, reputation and strategic interests whilst maintaining an open and collaborative research environment.

The role is responsible for leading and coordinating the University's Trusted Research and Research Security function, providing strategic oversight of institutional research security activities and ensuring the effective operation of the Trusted Research Framework. Acting as Secretariat to the Trusted Research Committee and Chair of the Trusted Research Working Group, the postholder will work collaboratively across Faculties, Professional Services Directorates and King's Health Partners to develop, implement and continuously enhance policies, processes, guidance and assurance mechanisms that support research security objectives. The role provides expert advice on research security, compliance and risk management matters, maintains the University's trusted research governance framework, identifies and escalates emerging risks, and supports informed decision-making to safeguard the integrity, security and compliance of the University's research activities.

The postholder will be accountable for the leadership and performance of the Research Security Team, ensuring the delivery of effective guidance, monitoring, assurance and reporting arrangements across the University. They will oversee research security and compliance activities relating to international regulations, export controls, third-party due diligence, sanctions compliance, research data protection and emerging research security requirements, ensuring that institutional responses are informed by appropriate expertise and delivered in a coordinated and proportionate manner.

This is a full time (35 hours per week) post, offered on 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

• Significant experience of leading research compliance, governance, risk management, assurance, regulatory, legal or related functions within a higher education, research, innovation or similarly complex knowledge intensive environment
• Demonstratable ability to develop and embed institutional approaches that support secure, responsible and internationally engaged research, balancing strategic opportunity with regulatory, reputational and security considerations.
• Demonstratable ability to influence and advise senior leaders and stakeholders, translating complex regulatory, security, compliance and risk issues into clear, practical and risk-based recommendations.
• Knowledge of the UK Trusted Research agenda, research security principles, and the geopolitical, regulatory and operational risks affecting research collaboration.
• Experience of identifying, assessing and managing complex organisational risks and providing assurance, reporting and recommendations to support institutional governance and decision-making.
• Demonstrable ability to apply regulatory or compliance requirements pragmatically and proportionately, balancing risk management with the need to enable organisational objectives.
• Experience of leading and developing high-performing teams, including the management of specialist staff and operational services, whilst delivering organisational change, service improvement and the implementation of new processes and systems.
• Experience of representing an organisation externally and building effective relationships with regulators, funders, government departments, sector bodies, strategic partners or other senior stakeholders.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of regulatory areas relevant to research activity, including export controls, sanctions, international partnerships, research governance, research ethics, information governance and data protection.
• Experience of establishing, embedding or leading institutional approaches to Trusted Research, research security, international research risk management, or similar emerging regulatory or assurance frameworks
• Active involvement in sector-wide networks, professional bodies or communities of practice relating to research compliance, research security or risk management.
• Experience of supporting organisational responses to audits, compliance reviews, investigations or regulatory inspections.
• Awareness of the opportunities and risks associated with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and their potential application within research compliance, governance or operational services.

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

At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant's own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found here .

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.