Research Development Manager

Imperial Enterprise; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

43 days annual leave

Generous pension

Flexible working policy from day one

On-site leisure facilities

Cycle-to-work scheme

Season ticket loan

Diverse and inclusive culture

Job summary

Imperial College London seeks an experienced Research Development Manager to join the newly established Research Strategy Team. You will help researchers develop ambitious, multidisciplinary funding proposals, focusing on European funding programmes and international collaborations.

You will identify opportunities, build consortia and support competitive applications across faculties, working with academics, professional services and partners. A strong European funding background is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting or managing the development of research funding applications.
• Strong knowledge of European funding programmes, particularly Horizon Europe.
• Experience in a research-intensive university or funding body is desirable.
• Understanding of UK, European and international funding landscape.
• Excellent written communication and ability to develop persuasive proposals.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Ability to work with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Identify European/international funding opportunities aligned with Imperial's priorities.
• Support development of large, multidisciplinary funding applications.
• Advise academic teams on schemes, requirements and processes.
• Coordinate international research consortia.
• Build relationships with European universities, funders and partners.
• Plan workshops, networking events and bid development meetings.
• Support proposal drafting, editing and QA processes.
• Collaborate across Imperial to identify strengths and develop proposals.
• Contribute to training and knowledge-sharing on European funding.
• Support wider institutional research development activities as needed.

Skills

Funding applications

Horizon Europe

University funding

Stakeholder management

Written communication

Project management

Collaboration

Time management

Education

Undergraduate degree

Postgraduate qualification

Job description

Job number PRO01446 Faculties Provost’s Team Departments Office of the Provost Salary or Salary range £59,808 - £71,793 per annum Location/campus South Kensington and White City Campus - Hybrid Contract type work pattern Full time - Open ended Posting End Date 29 Sept 2026

About the role

Imperial College London is looking for an experienced Research Development Manager to join our newly established Research Strategy Team.

This role will focus on supporting researchers to develop ambitious, multidisciplinary funding proposals, particularly for European funding programmes and international collaborative opportunities. Working closely with academic colleagues, professional services teams and external partners, you will help identify funding opportunities, build research consortia and support the development of competitive funding applications.

The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of the European research funding landscape, experience of developing large-scale proposals, and a collaborative approach to working across disciplines and organisations.

About the Research Strategy Team

Imperial has recently established a new Research Strategy Team reporting to the Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) to strengthen the University's approach to research development and strategic funding.

The team works across the institution to identify emerging opportunities, support major funding bids, strengthen relationships with funders and research partners, and help ensure Imperial is well positioned to respond to changes in the UK and international research landscape.

Our work focuses on:

• Identifying emerging funding opportunities and helping Imperial prepare for them.
• Supporting the development of large, interdisciplinary research proposals.
• Building relationships with funders, research organisations and strategic partners.
• Supporting institutional funding schemes and strategic research initiatives.
• Providing insight into funding policy and helping shape institutional responses to new developments.

This is an opportunity to join a growing team at an early stage and help develop new approaches to research development across the University.

What you would be doing

You will provide strategic and practical support for the development of major research applications, with a particular focus on European funding programmes, including Horizon Europe and its successor schemes.

Working across Faculties and departments, you will bring together relevant expertise, identify potential collaborators and support academics throughout the proposal development process. You will also play an important role in helping Imperial strengthen its engagement with European and international partners.

Key responsibilities

• Identifying and communicating European and international funding opportunities relevant to Imperial's research priorities.
• Supporting the development of large, complex and multidisciplinary funding applications.
• Advising academic teams on European funding schemes, programme requirements and application processes.
• Helping to establish and coordinate international research consortia.
• Building relationships with European universities, research organisations, funders and other strategic partners.
• Planning and facilitating workshops, networking events and bid development meetings.
• Supporting proposal drafting, editing, review and quality assurance processes.
• Working with colleagues across Imperial to identify research strengths and develop competitive funding propositions.
• Contributing to training, guidance and knowledge-sharing activities relating to European funding.
• Supporting wider institutional research development activities where required.

What we are looking for

You will have:

• Experience supporting or managing the development of research funding applications.
• Strong knowledge of European research funding programmes, particularly Horizon Europe.
• Experience working within a research-intensive university, research organisation or funding body.
• An understanding of the wider UK, European and international funding landscape.
• Excellent written communication skills and the ability to develop clear, persuasive funding applications.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Experience working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a complex environment.
• A collaborative and proactive approach to problem-solving.

An undergraduate degree (or equivalent experience) is essential. A postgraduate qualification or substantial professional experience in research development would be advantageous.

What we can offer you

• Imperial is consistently recognised as one of the world's leading universities for science, engineering, medicine and business. You will work alongside internationally recognised researchers and play a direct role in helping secure funding that enables new discoveries, collaborations and societal impact.
• This role offers the opportunity to influence major research initiatives, build extensive networks across the European research community and contribute to the success of a newly established strategic team. Join us and help shape the next generation of research at Imperial College London.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further information

This role is full-time, open-ended. For informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact: Emily Roche - [e-mail]

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert before the stated closing date, should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at [e-mail]. We're here to help.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

Proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces community.

Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.