Research Systems and Information Manager

Durham University; North East; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Durham University is seeking a Research Systems and Information Manager to optimize research information systems and ensure effective reporting for decision-making. The role requires strong problem-solving and communication skills, with responsibilities including system implementation, user training, and collaboration across departments.

Qualifications

• Strong problem-solver with excellent communication skills.
• Highly organized with attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize and manage a busy workload.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance on implementing new research systems.
• Configure research systems for optimal user experience.
• Deliver key reporting for strategic decision-making.

Skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Prioritization

Tools

PowerBI

Worktribe Research Management

Infonetica Ethics RM

Dynamics CRM

Job description

The Role and Department

Research and Innovation Services (RIS) provides guidance, expert advice and hands-on support for all aspects of research and research-related work, including securing funding, working with partners, undertaking knowledge exchange, demonstrating impact, commercialising outputs, ensuring good research practice and supporting professional development.

This post sits within the Policy, Systems and Performance team in Research & Innovation Services (RIS). The team is responsible for the University’s research information management systems, the overall governance and ethical framework for both funded and unfunded research & research related activities across the institution, support for institutional strategy development and the compilation of relevant returns including HEBCI, KEF, KEC and REF, as well as management information reporting relating to university research and knowledge exchange (RKE) activities.

As a Research Systems and Information Manager you will be our research systems subject matter expert. You will provide specialist advice and guidance in relation to both the implementation of new research systems and additional functionality to our existing systems (Worktribe Research Management, Infonetica Ethics RM, and Dynamics CRM) as well as any business as usual activities and system improvements. You will be responsible for ensuring our research systems are configured in the most optimal and user-friendly way and that any associated training and communications will be delivered in a clear, concise and timely manner. You verify and authorise any work undertaken in the systems space by any other Systems team member. You will be responsible for delivering key reporting from research systems to enable strategic decision-making, including using tools such as PowerBI as well as in-system reporting tools. You will lead on requirements-gathering for reports, liaise with report stakeholders, and collaborate with other key departments in providing reports, such as the Strategic Planning and Insight Office.

You will report to the Senior Manager – Research Systems and Reporting but will work closely with colleagues across the Research and Innovation Services Directorate as well as colleagues in faculties, departments and across professional support services. You will be a part of an enthusiastic team that is known for delivering transformational change. You will also be a key contact to a number of external system suppliers.

The Research Systems and Information Manager is an extremely strong problem-solver with excellent communication skills. You as the Research Systems and Information Manager will act as an escalation point for cases where local system knowledge is not sufficient. If cases need to be escalated further, you will be leading on the work liaising with the appropriate internal and external stakeholder s.

It is essential that the Research Systems and Information Manager is highly organised and pays close attention to detail. The capability to prioritise and manage a busy and varied workload is crucial. The ability to work across business as usual activities and a number of concurrent projects at different stages of development is essential.