Research Support Officer - Research Strategy and ServicesGrade 6

The University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Birmingham seeks a Research Support Officer to provide crucial support to academic researchers, assisting them throughout the research proposal process. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with various teams to identify funding opportunities and enhance the quality of research submissions. This role offers a chance to contribute to a dynamic research environment while benefiting from a generous salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

Generous package of benefits

40 days paid holiday a year

Paid day a year for volunteering

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Subsidised day nurseries

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent qualifications.
• Knowledge of the UK research funding ecosystem is desirable.
• Experience in collaborating with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide academic-facing support to researchers in a defined portfolio.
• Contribute to the identification and dissemination of funding opportunities.
• Assist in the preparation and submission of research applications.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

IT Skills

Education

Degree level qualification

Tools

MS Office Suite

WorkTribe

Job description

Description

Position Details

Research Strategy and Services

Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range 32546 to 35116 with potential progression once in post to 39355

Grade: 6

Full Time Permanent

2 positions available

Closing date: 15th June 2025

Open House Drop In Session:We will be holding an open house drop in session at the Universitys Exchange building in Centenary Square Birmingham between 10am and 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025. If youre interested in working at the University of Birmingham and perhaps have a few questions this is an opportunity to meet colleagues in the Recruitment team. It will be a relaxed and informal event you can drop in at any time.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond support them to succeed and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full almost 5000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we areand how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and depending on the role we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible addition you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year one paid day a year for volunteering occupational sick pay and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus including main bus routes and a train station on campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool shopsplaces to eat and drinkour own art gallery museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Background

The University has an exciting vision to build on the success of REF2021 by continuing to transform its research performance across outputs income impact and policy influence. Central to this ambition is the Research Strategy & Services Division (RSSD) a Professional Services department that works in partnership with academics across research strategy operations and partnerships. The RSSD integrates professional staff from the following teams into one cohesive ecosystem: Research Strategy & Development; Research Support (Grants & Contracts); Research Partnerships Research Impact & Innovation; Research Policy & Environment; Research Systems & Data; Research Governance; Research Communications; Legal & Regulatory Compliance; and Research Finance Accounting.

As part of its support for academic excellence and international collaboration the RSSD also plays a pivotal role in helping researchers access major funding opportunities including those from Horizon Europe following the UKs reassociation. This enhances the Universitys ability to secure high-impact research funding and drive forward global partnerships. An overview of the RSSD structure is provided in the organogram below.

Role Summary

The Research Support Officer sits within the College Research Support Team and provides academic facing support to researchers in a defined portfolio across all elements of pre-award research support. This includes proactive support across the life cycle of research proposals from costing and pricing approvals support with due diligence the set-up of successful bids and transferred awards.

Reporting to a Research Support Manager and working as part of a teamtheResearch Support Officer will work closely with academic teams including in the identification of funding opportunities; supporting the submission of research applications and supporting contractual arrangements; and ensuring internal approval processes and procedures are followed throughout.

As a Research Support Officer you will provide professional and academic-facing support to researchers within a defined portfolio enabling them to develop and submit high-quality funding proposals. You will play a vital role across all aspects of the research lifecycle from the early identification of funding opportunities to costing applications ensuring compliance with internal approvals and funder requirements and supporting the set-up of awarded and transferred projects.

You will work closely with academic colleagues and Professional Services teams across the University to ensure researchers can access the right support at the right time. This role offers the chance to contribute to the success of research across our Colleges working across a wide range of funding streams including UKRI charities the EU and others.

Youll be based on our beautiful historic Edgbaston campus as part of a friendly supportive and collaborative team in the Research Strategy and Services Division (RSSD) which brings together expertise across research strategy partnerships policy governance and operations.

Culture

We are committed to supporting your professional development. As part of our team you will have access to extensive training opportunities mentorship and career progression pathways. Our inclusive and supportive culture is built on the Universitys commitment to fostering a thriving research environment promoting collaboration integrity and sustainability. We champion well-being through initiatives such as well-being ambassadors and the Green Impact agenda and we actively support a diverse and inclusive community where all colleagues can excel.

Main Duties

• Contribute to the identification of funding opportunities and their timely and targeted dissemination to academic colleagues;
• Provide support to a portfolio of research applications which will include the preparation of budget information administrative information within application forms checking of funder requirements and managing the submission process;
• Support the acceptance and set up of new awards from funders which will include reviewing budgets and making changes to budget lines stipulated by funders; updating Worktribe records and completing the funder portals as well as awards being transferred into the University by new researchers;
• Manage any additional awards to existing projects (supplements) ensuring costings and documentation is complete working closely with RSSD Post Award team colleagues as well as College Research & Knowledge Transfer teams to ensure these are set up in a timely fashion;
• Following agreed processes ensure correct internal approvals as well as due diligence are in place prior to the submission of proposals to funders identifying and escalating risks as appropriate;
• Ensure entries in the research grant management system (Worktribe) and other reporting is completed accurately and in full;
• Assist in thesourcing preparation and maintenance of standard texts for applications e.g. relating to EDI priorities University research strategy and approach to open research that can be adapted as necessary in response to specific funder calls and requirements;
• Working with the wider Research Support team arrange and contribute to application pipeline reporting and to meetings with academic colleagues on pipeline development in order to maintain an up to date picture of applications in the relevant area;
• Where appropriate contribute to the development of more complex bids in liaison with other RSSD may include organisation of meetings and workshops (e.g. funding webinars sandpits pitch to peer sessions etc); capturing of key information for the bid such as project partner details or budgets; or the dissemination or collection of key information from partners;
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge Skills Qualifications Experience

• Educated to Degree level(or equivalent qualifications) -where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Knowledge of the UK research funding ecosystem key research funders and an understanding of their processes is desirable but not essential.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy with the ability to write clearly and to analyse information and data.
• Experience of successfully engaging and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to build teams deliver key outcomes or resolve challenges across a wide range of activities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with proven experience of working successfully as part of a teamincluding engaging with peers and staff within an academic public sector or commercial research environment.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders in order to convey policies or decisions and to influence decisions.
• Experience in improving processes service quality and/or efficiency and delivering high quality customer service.
• Excellent analytical skills with an ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative information and present this to a wide range of audiences.
• Proficient ITskills including the MS Office suite and corporate systems such as WorkTribe. Confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required.
• High level of self-motivation and personal accountability with ability to plan and deliver goals to deadlines under pressureand set priorities for a wide range of tasks and duties for the role holder and others.
• Experience of championing Equality Diversity and Inclusion and ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation policies procedures are applied.
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.

Role context

Roles at this level will require expertise and a detailed understanding of methods systems and procedures in an administrative or professional will either use specialist knowledge or have more of a planning/co-ordination/project role or a role which is supervisory in nature where you may manage a team doing similar kinds of work. You will have the opportunity to exercise a high degree of personal responsibility and initiative which you will use to resolve queries; you will use your judgement to deal with unforeseen problems and circumstances all with limited guidance/supervision.

Core competencies/transferable skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully use the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. As appropriate for the level our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.

Planning and organising

• prioritise and schedule work and resources to ensure on time and (where applicable) on budget delivery;
• set priorities and quality standards for a wide range of tasks and duties;
• contribute to written documents for example guidelines internal to the area taking account of audience;
• operate with limited supervision as they will have considerable scope for initiative within established work procedures.

Problem solving and decision making

• anticipate and identify issues in own area based on experience;
• make appropriate suggestions for improvements and implement these when agreed in own area;
• facilitate change and articulate the implications and benefits of change to others;
• focus ondetermining short-term priorities of work area and how to maximise quality efficiency and continuity.

Organisational understanding

• quickly develop an understanding of their working area and how it contributes to the success of the University;
• display an interest in how the University operates beyond own working area; develop and share this knowledge with others.

Relationships and communication

• develop and maintain excellent working relationships in own area and more widely as required for collaborative working opportunities;
• communicate clearly and openly with others both within and external to the University and use a range of communication skills and strategies to gain commitment to a course of action;
• demonstrate collaborative working at all times including with others outside the immediate work area

Informal enquiries to Sam Hickman Head of Research Operations email:

View our staff values and behaviours here

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.

Required Experience:

Unclear Seniority

Key Skills
Corporate Paralegal,Eclipse,Facilities,IT Sales,Designing
Employment Type : Full-Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1
Monthly Salary Salary: 32546 - 35116