Grant Operations Manager, Governance and Compliance

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Job Scope

The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK, dedicated to recognising, promoting and supporting excellence in science and encouraging the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. It is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world's most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering and medicine.

As the Royal Society's research funding portfolio continues to grow, new opportunities and risks are emerging within the UK's research environment. Showing leadership and demonstrating good practice is a strategic aim of the Royal Society grants team. A key objective is to develop and maintain a policy framework that sets the standard within research funding by addressing emerging issues in research and improving the environment for those who work within it. Working within a tight-knit team, the Grant Operations Manager, Governance and Compliance will work in collaboration across the Royal Society to implement and manage the Grant Section's evolving statutory obligations including subsidy control, trusted research and national security.

This includes:

• Responsibility for risk mitigation and compliance activities relating to key statutory obligations, particularly the National Security and Investment Act and Trusted Research and the Subsidy Control Act.
• The delivery of activities and guidance in support of the Royal Society's commitment to areas of research funding best practice, particularly around Research Integrity, Environmental sustainability, and the use of animals and human tissue in scientific research.
• The management of an ongoing programme of review and improvement of the Society's grants research funding policies and procedures, such as the Society's commitments to the research concordats it supports.

This is an exciting new role within the Royal Society grants team and would suit an individual looking to build upon their strong experience of research funding and grant making to influence improvements in research culture.

Reports to: Senior Manager, Grant Operations

Line manages: N/A

Location: Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus hybrid remote working

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week

Pay Band: D

Salary: £46, 271

Contract type: Permanent

The application closing date is 8 May at 23:59.

Interviews will take place on 21, 22 & 23 May.

Responsibilities

• Working with relevant members of the Grants Section, ensure that relevant policies and associated business processes are being delivered consistently and in the most effective and efficient manner to meet business needs, gathering requirements where change is required.
• Working in partnership with the International Affairs team and relevant members of the Grants Section to develop and manage a system of assurance around Trusted Research and the National Security and Investment Act, including developing guidance for applicants and panel members, gathering and reviewing information provided through applications or throughout the course of an award, and managing escalation processes as needed.
• Manage the Grant Section's obligations on identifying and reporting subsidies, in line with the Subsidy Control Act.
• Support the (re)engineering or improvement of business processes as required, ensuring they meet the requirements set out within relevant policies, positions or strategy, and collating, assessing and responding to ideas, requirements and recommendations coming from stakeholders such as the Fellowship, the Grants Section, the wider organisation, auditors and service providers.
• Become a subject matter expert in grants management and research funding, staying up to date with best practice across the grant making landscape and collaborating with other funders to proactively identify and propose the evolution of grants' research funding polices and associated business processes.
• Ensure appropriate engagement has taken place across a range of stakeholders, including the UK and International grant teams as well as award holders and university research offices to identify the impact of changes to policies or processes to maximise benefit and minimise negative effects.
• Manage a portfolio of projects and subsequent implementation activities, ensuring all are appropriately planned, organised, and delivered through to completion, keeping to agreed timing and scope.
• Ensure that project outputs and changes are appropriately implemented through documentation, training and follow-up.
• Contribute to strategic planning and monitoring activity, ensuring appropriate information is being consistently and frequently provided and updated across the Section, enabling Senior Leadership to monitor progress and prioritise as appropriate.
• Support the Grants Section's governance structures, including providing secretariat support of the Grants Committee and lead the coordination of the membership of the Grants Section's panels
• Support activities within the Grants team aimed at increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion including encouraging participation from under-represented groups and supporting the development and maintenance of policies and practices to foster greater inclusivity and to ensure that those who have followed a non-standard career path are encouraged to apply.
• Role model desired behaviours in line with the Grants Team Charter.
• Share experience and ideas with others in the Section and the Society and contribute broadly to the Royal Society's mission and priorities.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE

Educated to degree standard or equivalent

Essential

A good understanding of academic and/or research activities in science

Essential

A good understanding of policies, procedures and best practice in research funding

Essential

Science degree

Desirable

SKILLS

Skilled team worker

Essential

Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills

Essential

Excellent organisational skills

Essential

Good IT and presentation skills

Essential

Excellent influencing and negotiation skills

Essential

EXPERIENCE

Proven experience in a similar role

Desirable

Experience of funding research

Desirable

Experience of working across teams and departments

Essential

Experience of managing meetings with external participants in senior positions

Essential

Competencies

Self-management

• Identifies difficult situations

• Recognises stress in others and takes steps to reduce it

• Controls pressurised situations

• Effectively enthuses those in the team

• Proactively sets goals and targets for own work

Working with others

• Actively seeks ideas and criticisms from within the team

• Resolves conflicts within and between teams

• Embeds feedback processes within the team

• Seeks out new networks that will create opportunity for the Society

• Able to present complex issues simply

• Uses discretion, tact and empathy when negotiating with and/or seeking to influence others

• Understands the need to manage expectations and to only promise what is deliverable

Resource management

• Determines strategy and deployment of resources, balancing cost and benefit; risk and potential for maximum impact across significant business areas

• Manages complex cross-cutting projects to time, budget and specification

• Ensures others accept responsibility towards results or quality

• Sets the quality standards for own business areas in accordance with strategy and contributes to the formulation of quality standards across the Society

• Sets and monitors priorities

• Identifies and manages risk effectively

Critical thinking

• Uses questioning, analytical and probing skills to 'dig deeper'

• Knows when enough information has been obtained and adapts presentation of information to the needs of the audience

• Evaluates the benefits, practicalities and value for money of ideas and obtains feedback

• Makes sound decisions in a complex or ambiguous environment and is able to gain support and manage challenges confidently

Adaptability

• Actively seeks the input and opinions of others, often outside his/her section and accommodates and incorporates this thinking into any output.

• Actively seeks new challenges and projects; leads discussions surrounding new ideas, approaches and projects

• Anticipates need for innovation and seeks new ideas, approaches and solutions

Managing people and relationships

• Sets expectations of others and ensures they deliver

• Demonstrates a positive attitude towards work, celebrating success and instilling confidence, which encourages the same from others

• Encourages others to share ideas and participate in the discussion and decisions of the team

• Assesses needs of clients/stakeholders/staff and makes plans to meet these needs