Research Grants Manager

Yorkshire Cancer Research; Harrogate; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Yorkshire Cancer Research is seeking a Research Grants Manager (Funding rounds) to lead the development and delivery of our funding rounds. You will manage the end-to-end funding process, from initial call to final award, and work with researchers and internal stakeholders to deliver high-quality, impact-driven research aligned with our strategy.

This is a hybrid role with three days in the office and two days at home. The salary is circa £43,098 depending on experience, with permanent status.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject or a degree with charity/research/health experience.
• Proven ongoing professional development.
• Experience delivering health research funding rounds including peer review processes.
• Knowledge of AMRC best practice guidance in funding rounds.
• Experience building relationships with external stakeholders including senior academics and public health experts.
• Proven track record of managing, motivating and developing a team.
• Understanding of the health research environment and UK governance.
• Strong IT skills including MS Office and databases.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of funding rounds with timelines and communications.
• Manage end-to-end funding round process from submission to final award decisions.
• Publicise funding round calls and provide guidance to applicants.
• Ensure robust, transparent expert review in line with best practice by AMRC.
• Liaise with applicants regarding queries and communicate outcomes.
• Prepare proposals for the Board of Trustees on funding outcomes.
• Recommend decisions to Head of Research and Clinical Trials on awards.
• Design and implement new funding streams to support strategy.
• Set team objectives and budgets aligned to organisational strategy.
• Coach and develop the Research Funding Team.

Skills

Communication

Networking

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Budget control

Organisational skills

Stakeholder management

Education

Postgraduate qualification

Degree in relevant subject

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access)

Job description

Job title: Research Grants Manager (Funding rounds)

Role profile: Research Grants Manager Role Profile

Directorate: Research, Policy and Impact

Salary: Circa £43,097.96 (depending on experience)

Hours: Full or part time hours considered (minimum 21 hours based on a 37 hour week).

Closing date: 6 October 2026

Permanent or Fixed Term: Permanent

Please note this is a hybrid role with 3 days working from the office and 2 days from home.

About Us

Yorkshire is one of the regions hardest hit by cancer. Together, we can change this.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is a charity dedicated to funding research so that you and those you love live longer healthier lives, free of cancer.

Thanks to supporters, the charity funds vital cancer research and pioneers innovative new services for people with cancer. These life-giving medical breakthroughs are helping more people survive cancer – in Yorkshire, and beyond.

As an inclusive employer, our aim is to ensure our workforce reflects the rich diversity of our region. We believe a diverse workforce is vital to us taking action to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer more effectively in Yorkshire. We offer equal opportunities regardless of race, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnerships.

We’ve got a strong set of values that inform everything we do, and we’re looking for people who are aligned with these. As a Research Grants Manager , you will put people in Yorkshire at the heart of everything you do, unite with colleagues and other organisations in this cause, and dare to think big and bold to make positive solutions happen.

To find out more about our values and how important they are to us, please read the role profile linked above.

The Benefits

We offer a wide and generous range of benefits designed to support our employees through every stage of life. To read about these, please see the benefits section of our Careers Page.

The Role

As a Research Grants Manager you will manage staff within the research funding team, and plan and deliver our research funding rounds. This will include developing new funding opportunities to support the evolving research strategy which aims to deliver high quality research, build research capacity, address cancer related health inequalities and ensure that all our work is shaped by people, for the direct benefit of the people of Yorkshire.

You will support the delivery of our research strategy through leading the implementation of new funding initiatives in key areas which may include cancer prevention, diagnosis, screening, treatment, capacity building, and health inequalities. The role includes engaging with researchers, managing a team, planning funding rounds, developing associated guidance and data collection and managing the expert review process.

This is a great opportunity to work with leading researchers and a friendly in-house team to improve cancer outcomes for people in Yorkshire and beyond.

Specifically, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of funding rounds, including planning timelines, documentation, and communications.
• Manage the end-to-end funding round process, including application submission, eligibility checks, assessment criteria, external peer review, and final award decisions.
• Publicise, launch and manage funding round calls and provide advice and guidance to potential applicants.
• Ensure the expert review process is robust, transparent and in accordance with best practice principles detailed by the AMRC.
• Liaise with applicants regarding any application queries and communicate the outcomes.
• Prepare proposals for the Board of Trustees relating to funding round outcomes.
• Recommend decisions to the Head of Research and Clinical Trials in regard to awards to be funded including any queries arising from the review and conditions of award offers.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant data protection regulations in terms of our protection of personal data and document retention for the funding rounds and all Research Awards in line with existing charity policies and procedures and UK legislation.
• Work with the Head of Research and Clinical Trials in designing and implementing new and bespoke funding streams to support delivery of the strategy.
• With the Head of Research and Clinical Trials and the wider Research Funding Team, set the Research Funding Team objectives and budgets ensuring they underpin the delivery of the organisational strategy.
• Maintain awareness of the external research environment, including working with the UKNSC (and RMG) , AMRC and relevant funding organisations such as the NIHR and other health charities.
• Ensuring funding round information and any associated processes for example, how applications are assessed or prioritised are consistent with the Research strategy.
• Coach and develop the Research Funding Team, whilst role modelling the values of the charity.
• Work closely with the Post Award Research Manager, providing support and cover when needed.

About You

To be considered for this role, you will need:

• To have a Post Graduate Qualification in a relevant subject or a degree in a relevant subject area with demonstratable experience in a charity, research or health environment, at a similar level.
• To have demonstrable evidence of continuing professional development
• To have in depth understanding and experience in delivering health related research funding rounds including peer review processes.
• To have in depth knowledge of AMRC best practice guidance and implementation within funding rounds.
• To have experience of developing and maintaining strong relationships with a broad range of external stakeholders including senior academics, medical consultants, public health experts and members of the public.
• To have a proven track record of managing, motivating and developing a team.
• To have an understanding of the health research environment and funding landscape.
• To have an awareness of UK research governance and issues affecting the research environment, including clinical research and the voluntary sector.
• To have excellent communication, networking and interpersonal skills with an ability to engage with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• To be an experienced user of PubMed and other research literature databases.
• To have good project management skills including budget control.
• To have excellent organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise workload to meet deadlines and coordinate multiple complex projects.
• To be able to develop reports and present complex information to a range of stakeholders.
• To be able to research the background to research proposals to make informed decisions.
• To be able to lead a team through change and manage that change effectively.
• To have strong IT skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access) and experience in using databases.

Application

Before applying, please read the full role profile linked above.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is a responsible and flexible employer. We welcome any discussion for flexible working at the interview/offer stage where we will consider an individual’s circumstances against the needs of the charity.

We positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. If we can make any reasonable adjustments to support your application please contact us.