Job Description

Job title: Research Development ManagerDepartment/School: Research Development & Support Office (RDSO)Reports to: Head of Research Development and CollaborationsGrade: 8Location: University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath

Job purposeThis role will open up new opportunities for the University of Bath through strong relationships with relevant funders, such as: Research Councils, TSB and European Commission; partners; and relevant intermediaries; the role will develop and secure significant amounts of new research awards in line with annual targets. In summary, the Research Development Manager will grow the quality and value of funding applications and embed good practice.

This role has the following five main responsibilities:

1. Develop and lead a strategic approach to research funding, focusing on large bids;

2. To develop effective relationships with key people within research funders and key research collaborators with the primary aim of developing new collaborative research projects;

3. Coordinating bids to increase the chances of success towards a significant growth in funding. The job holder will also be expected to participate in bringing in external partners, including UK and overseas businesses and universities, as needed;

4. Facilitating the engagement of research groups at Bath in order to position our academics to become involved in future bids with new consortia;

5. To work with academic staff to engage with UK, European and other international funding streams.

The role will be part of the Research Development and Collaborations (RD&C) Team in RDSO.

Source and nature of management providedHead of Research Development & Collaborations.

Staff management responsibilityThere is currently no direct line management for this role.

Special conditionsNone.

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Career and Professional Development ActivitiesFrom time to time you may be asked to assist in the facilitation of CPD activities. This will form part of your substantive role and you will not receive additional payment for these activities.

Main duties and responsibilities1 Work in collaboration with academic members and other relevant academic staff to

support research & development proposal development and identifying significant and strategic research development opportunities, with the goal of winning research awards.

2 Develop and manage relationships internal and external to develop new opportunities into applications that can to secure research awards.

3 To embed good practices in Departments with a particular emphasis on increasing the value and quantity of successful research proposals.

4 Undertake high quality negotiations during development of research collaborations to ensure University priorities/challenges are best achieved.

5 Identify potential issues, and work with colleagues to address these, in relation to reaching appropriate agreements with third parties in order to protect and perhaps exploit the University’s intellectual property assets.

6 As appropriate, develop high-level relationships in new potential funding bodies and organisations to collaborate with to support the growth ambitions.

7 Support the Head of Research Development and Collaborations on a range of activities relating to the University’s strategic aims for research.

You will from time to time be required to undertake other duties of a similar nature as reasonably required by your line manager.

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Person Specification

Criteria Essential Desirable Assessed by

A/F I/T RQualificationsEducated to degree level √ √

Postgraduate research degree or equivalent business qualifications

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Experience/Knowledge

Knowledge of the challenges faced by life science / healthcare researchers and relevant funders (e.g. BBRSC, MRC, CRUK).

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Experience of lab or engineering work. √

A thorough understanding of the priorities of the UK and international funding bodies relevant to Science & Engineering, in particular the European Commission (Horizon 2020) and the Research Councils.

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Proven ability of securing research funding from a variety of different sources.

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Experience of bringing people together to bid for collaborative/grand challenge funding.

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Experience of strategic planning/work with grand challenges/themes in order to target relevant funding opportunities.

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Excellent knowledge, and experience, of working with academic researchers and funders of research, in particular previous experience and understanding of issues relating to doing research.

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Skills

Microsoft Project, Excel & Word √ √

Excellent influencing and negotiation skills

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Leadership skills to inspire and enthuse colleagues and the wider academic community

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Skilled at dealing with difficult people and situations

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Reporting regularly (oral and written) complex or detailed specialist information in relation to project activity

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Ability to develop a portfolio of external relationships

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Good financial skills √ √

AttributesAbility to work to strict deadlines and under pressure, often with diverse and ill-defined briefs

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Ability to think strategically and to contribute to strategic direction

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Excellent personal attitude √ √ √ √

Personal vision and drive to succeed √ √ √

Code: A/F – Application form, I/T – Interview/Test, R – References

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