INVESTMENT OFFICER

UKRI; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization is seeking an Investment Officer to manage key programmes and partnerships at their Swindon location. The role is hybrid and involves working across teams to support funding calls and stakeholder engagement while contributing to strategic objectives aimed at advancing arts and humanities research.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Excellent holiday entitlement

Employee shopping/travel discounts

Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively in different media with a range of audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively, actively seeking and offering support.
• Ability to prioritise effectively, taking into account the needs of multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver team-level activities.
• Manage investments and support operational activities.
• Lead portfolio development and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Stakeholder Management

Initiative

Problem-Solving

Job description

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

INVESTMENT OFFICER

SALARY: £29,923 Per Annum
GRADE: UKRI Band C
CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed Term (Concluding: 31 JAN 26)
HOURS: Full Time / Part Time (Min 0.8 FTE)
LOCATION: Polaris House, Swindon (Hybrid)

CLOSING DATE: 24 JUN 25
INTERVIEW DATE: W/C 07 JUL 25 or W/C 14 JUL 25

TEAM OVERVIEWS

The AHRC’s Design, Commercialisation and Innovation team is responsible for an exciting portfolio of investments and activities within Design, Commercialisation and Innovation. As one of a number of AHRC programme teams, the team works to scope and shape strategy and policy for future investment in its remit areas and at the interface with other parts of UKRI.

Our work includes overseeing our flagship design funding programme - Future Observatory: Design the Green Transition – which will soon be moving onto its second phase. The team is also responsible for managing AHRC’s relationship with the Design Council, now part of the UKRI family, and working closely with Design Council colleagues to deepen our understanding of design and develop and deliver shared ambitions.

The Design, Commercialisation and Innovation team also supports the commercialisation of arts and humanities research through AHRC and UKRI-led initiatives and increasing our understanding of the innovation and commercial potential of arts and humanities research of all kinds.

TheResearch and InnovationInfrastructureteam was established in 2019 and is responsible for the development and implementation of AHRC’s Infrastructure Strategy and Programme. The team leads on AHRC’s engagement with the UKRI Infrastructure team to ensure that the arts and humanities, specifically digital, creative industries, cultural assets and heritage science, are appropriately represented in the wider UKRI Infrastructure Programme, and the extent of their contribution to research and innovation understood. The team’s remit includes management of a funded portfolio, scoping and shaping policy and future investment in this area, commissioning new research and stakeholder engagement. For further information about arts and humanities infrastructure, please refer to the relevant sections of the UKRILandscape Analysis(pp. 73-81) andInfrastructure Opportunity Report(pp. 64-85).

The Infrastructure Team is developing a varied portfolio of large, multi-year investments, including the following programmes and bids:

• Heritage Science - RICHeS – Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science
• Digital Innovation – iDAH – Infrastructure for Digital Arts & Humanities
• Digital Collections – DiSSCo – The Distributed System of Scientific Collections
• Digital Collections (scoping work) – Developing a future programme around a digital infrastructure for national collections to follow on from Towards a National Collection programme

ABOUT THE ROLE

This position will require you to work across two teams – the Design, Commercialisation & Innovation team and the Research & Innovation Infrastructure team. Your work will be split equally between these two teams.

An AHRC Investment Officer plays a crucial role in the delivery of their team’s priorities, particularly in relation to the management and development of key programmes, investments and partnerships. The main purpose of the Investment Officer role across AHRC is to support the delivery of team and organisational objectives by:

• Working with the team head to plan and deliver team-level activities (e.g. team meetings, away days, L&D)
• Supporting other operational activities, including delivery of funding calls and team-level reporting
• Supporting the management of investments within the team’s portfolio, including involvement in monitoring and reporting
• Contributing to and/or leading portfolio development, including evidence gathering and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data
• Contributing to and/or leading the production of case studies and other narratives that highlight research outputs and impacts
• Supporting stakeholder management, including ownership of team mailboxes and contact lists
• Supporting stakeholder engagement, including planning and delivery of events
• Secretariat duties including but not limited to taking meeting minutes, scheduling meetings and raising purchase orders

As this role will involve interaction with grant holders and stakeholders, as well as attendance at events and conferences, the role may involve travel, including overnight stays.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

UKRI COMPETENCY

CRITERIA

ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE

Seeing the bigger picture

Understanding of UKRI and AHRC’s business and priorities

Desirable

Changing and improving

Ability to take initiative and actively contribute to continuous improvement at individual or team

Desirable

Leading and communicating

Ability to communicate effectively in different media, with a range of audiences

Essential

Working with others

Ability to work collaboratively, actively seeking and offering support to help achieve progress in delivering objectives

Essential

Making effective decisions

Ability to make appropriate level decisions, informed by evidence gathered, and escalate where necessary

Essential

Solution focused

Ability to prioritise effectively, taking into account the needs of multiple stakeholders

Essential

Delivering at pace

Ability to create and manage clear workplans and timelines

Essential

FIXED TERM ASSIGNMENTS

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance Recruitment at UKRI – policy and information (sharepoint.com) for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

APPLICATIONS

Online applications only for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter to the attachments section (ignore free textbox for cover letter under ‘Experience’ section) which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘Experience’ section of the application process.

About The Arts and Humanities Research Council

The AHRC supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.

Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.