Researcher Development Specialist - PGR

The University of Glasgow; Glasgow; Híbrido; GBP 41.000 - 46.000; A tiempo parcial

Descripción de la vacante

The University of Glasgow is seeking a Researcher Development Specialist (PGR) to lead the delivery of an established strategic framework for postgraduate researcher education and development. You will design, pilot, evaluate and embed new initiatives that foster positive culture change across the university.

In this role you will work across the Research Culture and Researcher Development portfolio, collaborating with University Services, Colleges, and researchers to deliver an engaging

Formación

• Experience developing, delivering and evaluating events, training, and other innovations in professional and career development.
• Policy development with stakeholder consultation and evidence-based approaches.
• Design and delivery of a communications strategy to raise awareness of new policy or initiatives and drive organizational change.
• Experience managing complex projects with stakeholders from multiple units.
• Experience of managing data and producing reports for funders and management.

Responsabilidades

• Lead on planning, creating and delivering the annual programme of PGR development.
• Collaborate with services, colleges and researchers to promote the PGR Development Framework.
• Oversee a comprehensive communications strategy across channels and media.
• Develop and maintain policies and digital resources for PGR development.
• Ensure GDPR-compliant data gathering and annual reporting and impact analysis.

Conocimientos

Communication skills

IT skills

Interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Project management

Educación

Degree or equivalent

PhD desirable

Herramientas

Web editing tools

Data reporting tools

Descripción del empleo

Please note this vacancy is open to current University of Glasgow employees only.

Researcher Development Specialist (PGR)

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Research Culture & Researcher Development portfolio within the University’s central Research Services Directorate. The Researcher Development Team sits within the Research Culture & Researcher Development portfolio and is an inter-disciplinary education-focused team that supports over 6000 researchers including all the University’s postgraduate researchers, research staff, and academic leaders. Researcher Development encompasses a broad spectrum of activities and events which are designed to enrich researchers’ skills and working relationships, foster their talents, and accelerate their professional prospects.

At the University of Glasgow, we believe that research thrives when researchers feel that they are part of a stimulating, fair, and inclusive environment in which colleagues help each other to succeed. Implementation of the 2019 Concordat for the Career Development of Researchers (which supports Research Staff) is one strand in the University’s wider Research Culture Action Plan.

The Researcher Development Team sits within the Research Culture & Researcher Development portfolio and is an inter-disciplinary education-focused team that supports over 6000 total researchers including all the University’s postgraduate researchers, research staff, and academic leaders, under six priority themes. Researcher Development encompasses a broad spectrum of activities and events which are designed to enrich researchers’ skills and working relationships, foster their talents, and accelerate their professional prospects.

The University of Glasgow has over ~1300 research-only staff and this post, aims to bring about a step-change in making the University of Glasgow the best place to develop a research career, through delivery of strategic projects across the institution.

Across Research & Innovation Services we work in partnership with the Vice Principal (Research & Knowledge Exchange) and Vice Principal (Economic Development & Innovation), with colleagues in other central services and the research leadership teams, researchers and professional staff in each of Glasgow’s four academic Colleges and University Centres. Our activity is informed by the University research and innovation strategies.

Within the Research Services Directorate we take a collaborative approach, working together across the areas of research culture and researcher development, in research impact, knowledge exchange, communications and engagement, in research governance, policy and integrity and in strategic research development. These areas of focus are enhanced through the Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) which provides a unique creative and collaborative space to bring people together. We also work closely with the Innovation & Engagement Directorate to ensure that the full spectrum of research is supported and enabled.

The post holder will work collaboratively with people across the university and externally in line with the Glasgow Professional Behavioural Framework, and the University of Glasgow Values.

Job Purpose

The postholder will lead on the delivery of an established strategic framework of initiatives to support postgraduate researcher education and development, as well as designing, piloting, evaluating and embedding new initiatives focused on creating positive culture change.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Work across the Research Culture and Researcher Development portfolio, and in line with strategic priorities, to take a lead on planning, creating, supporting, delivering, quality assuring, and enhancing the annual programme of PGR development.

2. Collaborate with University Services, College Graduate Schools, Schools, Supervisors and researchers to ensure awareness of and engagement with the PGR Development Framework.

3. Oversee a comprehensive communications strategy (via weekly round-up emails, committees, digital materials, events, and other creative and social media).

4. Lead on the development and maintenance of policies, guidance, digital resources and other materials related to PGR development.

5. Oversee successful delivery of projects and new PGR development initiatives that align with the themes of the delivery framework.

6. Embed GDPR compliant data gathering to inform annual reporting, impact analysis, and to meet all external reporting requirements.

7. Develop and maintain strong personal internal and external networks to access intelligence and good practice from across the higher education sector, and where relevant, more broadly. Proactively analyse and provide targeted communications/intelligence as a credible advisor to allow appropriate action to be taken to support the development and delivery of research/er initiatives.

8. Represent the Research Services Directorate at meetings, external groups, conferences, and seminars to keep up to date with developments and gain and share across the team information/knowledge of working practices in the higher education context.

9. Represent the Research Services Directorate at meetings, external groups, conferences, and seminars to keep up to date with developments and gain and share across the team information/knowledge of working practices in the higher education context.

10. Be an effective team player who is cooperative, communicative and gains the trust and support of colleagues and partners through respectful collaboration and building consensus.

11. Ensure that the Research Services mission is shared, understood and supported through consistent collation/storage of relevant data and supporting information and the regular updating of Research Services project status reports and portfolio web pages.

12. Work in collaboration with the Research Services senior leadership team to progress the development of an efficient and responsive service within the framework of the University’s mission and strategies, processes, procedures, and systems. Contribute to team meetings, planning, joint initiatives and projects, and ongoing development of the team by sharing information in a timely manner and providing transparency in decision making.

13. Proactively identify, undertake, and share opportunities for ongoing professional development, both for yourself and for colleagues the wider Research Culture and Researcher Development portfolio.

14. Perform other duties as requested, consistent with the grade level of the position and agreeing appropriate prioritisation of work with line management or other relevant stakeholders as needed.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/ Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Either: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9 (Ordinary Degree, Scottish Vocational Qualification level 4) or equivalent, (including professional accreditation with relevant formal training), and experience of personal development in a similar or related roles. Or: Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar or number of different role(s).

A2 A detailed and up to date understanding of researcher development within the Higher Education landscape.

A3 Familiarity with theories on adult learning and instructional design, including the role of technology in supporting learning.

A4 Understanding of the role of technology in supporting learning and familiarity with digital applications for communicating with researchers.

Desirable:

B1 PhD.

B2 Working knowledge of University of Glasgow structures, policies, IT systems, practices and procedures that relate to support for postgraduate researchers.

B3 Familiarity with digital applications for communicating with researchers.

Skills

Essential:

C1 Excellent communication and influencing skills, both written and oral.

C2 Excellent IT and relevant software skills and the ability to use them effectively in support of work activities.

C3 Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to establish effective relationships with staff and services both inside and outside the University, in particular to support development of new policies and practice to support researchers.

C4 The organisational, planning and administrative ability to deliver on complex, multi-stakeholder projects with multiple conflicting deadlines

C5 Ability to design and facilitate high-quality, creative, pedagogically-robust, and engaging development opportunities for research staff.

C6 Ability to deal professionally, sensitively and tactfully with staff and data, working in an ethical and legal manner in accordance with all relevant legislation (including GDPR).

C7 Ability to work collaboratively and responsibly as a member of various teams.

C8 Ability to undertake comprehensive evaluation of projects, in order to present and report evidence for strategic decision making.

C9 Self-motivation and the ability to work independently with minimum supervision.

C10 Influencing skills when working with others to implement service improvements.

Desirable:

D1 Web-editing and social media curation skills.

Experience

Essential:

E1 Experience of developing, delivering and evaluating events, training, and other innovations in the sphere of professional and career development.

E2 Policy development, including consultation with key stakeholders and effective use of evidence to inform policy.

E3 Design and delivery of a communications strategy to increase awareness of new policy, initiatives or developments and / or influence organisational change.

E4 Experience of managing complex projects with stakeholders from multiple organisational units.

E5 Experience of managing data and producing reports (e.g. to funders and management).

Desirable:

F1 Experience of successfully overseeing the work of other staff.

F2 Experience of working with researchers across a wide range of disciplines.

F3 Experience of working with University committees, senior academics and managers.

F4 Experience of developing online learning resources.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 7, £41,064 - £46,049 per annum pro rata.

This post is part time (21 hours per week) and fixed term for up to 12 months from start date

Closing date: 23:45 24th November 2026

Please Note: The University would consider a secondment opportunity for this post. Applicants should seek clearance for release for secondment from their employers / line manager before making a formal application.

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.