Senior Research Grants Manager

Senior Research Grants Manager

Salary: £50,000 - £56,000 plus benefits

Reports to: Head of Grants Management

Contract: Permanent

Location: Stratford High Flex (1-2 days in office)

Minimum working pattern: 35

Closing date: 5 May 2025

This vacancy may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received or once a suitable candidate is found. Please let us know if there is anything about the recruitment process that you would like to discuss, particularly if there are any changes or adjustments that would make it easier for you to apply. Please contact us at 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible.

Visa sponsorship: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.

Interview date: 15/16 May 2025

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

Cancer Research UK is looking for a Senior Research Grants Manager to join the Grants Management team.

About the team

The Research Operations team at Cancer Research UK (CRUK) sits within the Research & Innovation directorate and plays a vital role in supporting the organisation's mission to beat cancer by administering our research funding. Research Operations are responsible for managing the full lifecycle of research grants, from application through to award. Overall, the team works closely with researchers and internal stakeholders to ensure that CRUK's funding supports high-quality cancer research.

The Senior Research Grants Manager is accountable for the effective and efficient delivery of a portfolio of funding schemes and review committees, liaising with grant applicants and awardees in supporting their research. You will use your expertise to manage, develop and provide guidance to a team of Research Grants Managers and a Grants Admin Assistant (c7 direct reports). Furthermore, you will lead on maintaining effective working practices with research teams to ensure that CRUK's grant funding offering is supporting the delivery of our research strategy.

You'll bring with you a strong science background and understanding of the UK biomedical research environment as well as experience of building, leading and motivating teams. In return, you'll have the opportunity to work across a variety of different research including early detection and new and emerging spaces.

What will I be doing?

• Manage the operations of a Funding Committee and its Expert Review Panels providing oversight of committee secretariat functionality to committees within your portfolio.
• Oversight of the application and award process across the portfolio, being accountable and providing quality assurance for the selection of expert peer reviewers and panel members, production of meeting minutes and feedback letters.
• Management of funding committee delivery teams, tracking alignment and allocation of Research Grant Managers across funding committees to ensure adequate coverage and flexibility across the funding portfolio.
• Develop standardised work plans for all grants management activity within the Research & Innovation Directorate, ensuring appropriate project management frameworks are in place to deliver on all funding activity.
• Ensure appropriate evaluation against agreed work plans, identifying risks and resource requirements to enable high-quality delivery.
• Lead on operations of establishing new funding schemes, proposing and managing activities for funding committees, panels and associated meetings.
• Act as a subject matter expert in Grants Management, staying up to date with and implementing best practices.
• Provide the key point of contact for Grants Management within your portfolio and maintain effective relationships with Research Heads.

What are you looking for?

• Strong science background, educated to degree level in a relevant subject (preferably with a postgraduate qualification or equivalent work experience).
• Understanding of the UK biomedical research environment, through experience of working for a funding body, recipient of grant funding, and/or recognised research environment.
• Experience and/or knowledge of cancer research.
• Experience of building, developing and managing teams.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, showing adaptability to meet challenging targets and deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to be able to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with key internal and external personnel.
• Ability to interpret and explain complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to engage confidently and credibly with the UK and international scientific research community.
• Accuracy and excellent attention to detail, with demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills.

Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination.

Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism.

Human: Act to have a positive impact on people.

Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively.

We're looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisational values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.

If you're interested in applying and excited about working with us but are unsure if you have the right skills and experience, we'd still love to hear from you.

What will I gain?

We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities, and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career, and achieve your personal wellbeing goals.

You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page.

How do I apply?

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively.

For more information on this career opportunity, please visit our website or contact us.

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