Grants Operations Manager

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Job Title: Grants Operations Manager

Salary: £34,905 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Grade: UKRI Band D
Positions available: 1

Closing date: 14th May 2024
Proposed interview date: TBC

UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.

The Operations team supports the strategic themes within AHRC to deliver successful funding opportunities. The team covers three main areas: Grants delivery, Policy and Process and the AHRC's peer review college.

Purpose

This post within the Operations team will manage delivery of our open grant application schemes and strategic funding opportunities. This is a pivotal role as the successful delivery of these opportunities and schemes depends not only on those who process grants, but in their management as well. The role will be diverse and challenging and you will be working across internal AHRC teams, UKRI and other staff within Operations.

Main outputs and activities

• You will work with staff across a range of teams, and across sister organisations in UKRI ensuring all open schemes and strategic funding opportunities are delivered to time and quality, using key performance indicators (KPIs) and other monitoring techniques.
• You will be responsible for the operational management and administration of our open application schemes and strategic funding opportunities by working to ensure applications submitted to us are delivered to time effectively and efficiently.
• Together with the other Operations Managers, you will task and line manage the team's Funding Officers, ensuring a fair distribution of workload, that high levels of performance are met, and identifying and enabling career development.
• You will manage the forward planning of schemes and funding opportunities in a collaborative manner, ensuring they can be resourced and managed appropriately and writing guidance in conjunction with colleagues.
• You will understand and advise on grants policy, particularly for funding opportunities you oversee.
• You will act as a subject matter expert on operational funding activity and feed into the operational training programme.
• You will manage award maintenance activities and ensure an even distribution of workload across the teams' Funding Officers.
• You will work collaboratively with other Operations Managers to ensure consistency in grants processing across all schemes and funding opportunities.
• You will run panel meetings for schemes and funding opportunities, ensuring the assessment of grants is undertaken fairly, with due consideration given to every applicant.
• You will ensure that funding outcomes are communicated effectively, and post award processes are effectively managed.
• You will be actively involved in continuous improvement work and will identify any operational process-related issues in good time to act, working with the process improvement team where appropriate.
• You will work with the Data Analysis team to ensure that reporting is in place to inform Senior Managers of grants processing performance, highlighting areas where focus is needed and how this will be undertaken.

Shortlisting criteria

(S) - Assessed at shortlisting

(I) - Assessed at interview

(S&I) - Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Essential:

• You are a self-starter and take ownership of your work; motivated to achieve outcomes, take initiative to improve policy or process, and delegate effectively where appropriate. (S I)
• You can think creatively, solve problems and make effective decisions, sometimes in a challenging environment. (S I)
• You are a strong and positive team worker with great interpersonal and influencing skills, able to negotiate effectively with colleagues at different levels inside and outside the organisation . (S I)
• You are an excellent communicator, both verbal and written, able to convey complex information to a variety of audiences. (S I)
• You understand how to handle data sensitively, accurately and responsibly with an analytical mind-set and strong attention to detail. (S I)
• You can proactively plan and prioritise your work and that of others to meet competing deadlines whilst avoiding duplication of effort. (S I)
• You can demonstrate an ability to manage and supervise the work of others, including those you do not directly line manage, including supporting their wellbeing and their professional development. (S I)
• You possess a good working knowledge of IT (preferably MS packages) and databases, with the ability to quickly learn new software and systems. (S)

Desirable:

• You have a good understanding of research funding, higher education or research, gained through a professional, voluntary or educational context. (S I)

About The Arts and Humanities Research Council

The AHRC supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.

Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org .

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce' .

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.