Head of UKCDR - UK Collaborative on Development Research

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UKRI International

Salary: £68,525 per annum

Hours: Full time or part time (minimum 0.8 FTE). Hybrid working available

Contract: Fixed term - 2 years

Location: London, Wellcome Trust, Gibbs Building, NW1 2BE

Closing date: Sunday 30th March 2025

About UKCDR

The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) is a shared team working with UK government departments and Wellcome to support global development through the power of research and knowledge.

UKCDR undertakes strategic projects that provide data tools, policy insights, and best practice recommendations to support funders in their evidence informed decision-making processes.

Role Purpose

The Head of UKCDR will play a key operational and leadership role, overseeing the management and coordination of UKCDR's activities. The role will focus on ensuring the team delivers the shared objectives of the five funders including ensuring timely delivery of high quality and relevant projects both strategic and reactive. This includes responsibility for governance, financial oversight, and leading the UKCDR team to achieve organisational objectives.

The postholder will lead UKCDR in its response to funder priorities, supporting shared objectives and enabling the delivery of joint agendas. This may include providing flexible surge resources to support one funders leader on a matter of cross-sector importance. This role needs a deep understanding of HMG operations related to research funding, ensuring compliance with processes and the delivery of outcomes aligned with government objectives as well as the ability to ensure all funder interests are served. This knowledge would ideally be complemented by an understanding of philanthropic research funders.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead UKCDR, ensuring the delivery of the joint objectives of funders
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of UKCDR, ensuring smooth implementation of its strategic objectives.
• Lead and manage the UKCDR team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and high performance.
• Direct the effective use of data and analysis to ensure insights support funders' decision-making. Champion creative thinking and innovation within data analysis, enable responsiveness to emerging needs and continued strategic alignment, and ensure high quality data analysis outputs.
• Ensure effective planning and execution of projects and initiatives, meeting deadlines and delivering high-quality outputs.
• Develop and maintain constructive relationships and communication with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with HMG and priorities in research funding.

Governance and Reporting

• Oversee regular reporting to funders on UKCDR's activities, outcomes, and financial performance.
• Work closely with funders to maintain alignment of UKCDR's work with UK international development and research funding objectives.

Financial and Resource Management

• Oversight of UKCDR's financial operations, including budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Oversight of robust financial management systems are in place, including compliance with funder requirements.
• Oversight of operational risk, maintaining a risk register and ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies are in place.

Team Management and Development

• Lead the UKCDR team, providing direct line management to senior staff and supporting the professional development of team members.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive working environment and ensure team members are empowered to deliver on their roles.
• Lead by example, demonstrating excellent communication skills and a whole-team approach to the delivery of priorities.
• Oversee recruitment, training, and staff development in line with UKCDR's operational needs.

Operational Efficiency and Improvement

• Review and improve UKCDR's operational systems, processes, and policies to support its mission effectively.
• Oversee office management and operational support activities, including service level agreements with hosting organisations.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Experience of working within international development, preferably within research and innovation. (S&I)
• Experience of working within the UK government, or wider public sector, including developing and implementing policy and presenting evidence in a way it can be used directly for policy making. (S&I)
• Track record of successfully delivering complex, multi-stakeholder projects at pace. (S&I)
• Experience in an operational leadership role, ideally within the research, development, or not-for-profit sectors. (S&I)
• Experience in leading data or analytical teams and ability to translate technical products for non-expert audiences. (S&I)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to foster strong relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders. (S&I)
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing circumstances. (S&I)

Desirable:

• Understanding of the challenges facing international development and research sectors. (S&I)
• Experience in operational risk management and compliance. (S&I)
• Experience in managing and delivering research projects, and familiarity with research methodologies. (S&I)
• An understanding of the pipeline between research and policy and communicating science impact. (S&I)

Assessment details:

This role will include a 2 stage process, candidates that are successful at shortlisting will be invited to a staff panel & a formal interview which will both take place week commencing 7th April.

About UKRI International

UKRI International enables and delivers cross-cutting international activity on behalf of all of UKRI, working in partnership with all 9 councils and corporate areas of UKRI, UK Government, and partners in the UK and across the world.

We lead UKRI's long-standing relationships with North America, India, China, and the European Commission through our offices in Washington DC, Ottawa, New Delhi, Beijing, Brussels . We design & deliver centrally managed international funds, develop strong international partnerships where we do not have offices, provide a robust evidence base for UKRI's international work through analysis and evaluation, create and implement a strategic approach to UKRI's international policy and stakeholders, and ensure our international operations are carried out to high standards of governance and effectiveness.

UKRI's approach to internal collaboration is set out in the UKRI International Strategic Framework (UKRI international strategic framework - UKRI) which describes how our international work directly contributes to each of UKRI's 6 strategic objectives.

UKRI International is comprised of 10 teams:

Analysis & Evaluation

Horizon Europe Guarantee and TCP

International Funds

International Governance & Operations

International Partnerships

International Policy & Stakeholder Engagement

UKRI China - Beijing

UKRI India - New Delhi

UKRI North America - Washington & Ottawa

UKRO - Brussels

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' .

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.

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.

Find out more about our benefits - Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).