Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager X2

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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.

The Royal Society Grants team administers the Society's grants programmes including the major research fellowships, international collaborations, capacity building initiatives, and innovation and industry programmes. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team within Grants is responsible for defining and documenting outputs, outcomes, and impact of the Society's grant funding, reporting on these to our funders and other stakeholders, and working with the Society's committees to ensure that our grant programmes are achieving their objectives and are running effectively.

The MEL Manager is a new role in the expanding MEL team and would suit individuals looking to build on their experience of working in monitoring and evaluation or social research, or those looking to take their experience of research management or research funding management into a new direction. The post holder will have a key role in the shape and delivery of the grant MEL activities, across grant scheme evaluations, monitoring and the wider MEL programme.

Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Lead

Line manages: 1 Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer

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: 2 permanent posts

The application closing date is 15 September at 23:59

Interviews will be held on 25 and 26 September.

Responsibilities

• To work with the MEL Lead, the Senior Leadership Team and the relevant Committees on prioritization of grant evaluation projects, annual evaluation planning, and specifying the Society's requirements for commissioned or internal MEL activities.

• To manage a portfolio of Grants' external evaluations, including commissioning of evaluations, provision of relevant information to suppliers, day to day supplier management, and ensuring that the evaluations are delivered to specification. The post holder will also be responsible for ensuring evaluation recommendations and learnings are shared with appropriate channels.

• To shape and support delivery of other internal or commissioned MEL activities, including measuring the longer-term impact of the Society's grant funding, showcasing the impact of funding to relevant internal and external stakeholders, and linking in with the Society's wider work on impact of its activities.

• To work with the MEL Lead on further developments to the Grants' evaluation framework, methodology and processes to ensure excellence in our approach to MEL, and to define and incorporate MEL requirements of new funding streams and new grant programmes.

• To line manage a MEL Officer, whose role includes developing and maintaining data collection tools, collecting annual progress reports and creating case studies highlighting impact of the Society's grant funding. The MEL Manager is responsible for working with the MEL Officer to ensure that the data collection tools are up to date with requirements and fit for purpose of demonstrating the impact of Royal Society funding.

• To 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.

• To role model desired behaviours in line with the Grants Team Charter

• To 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

An understanding of outputs, outcomes and impact of scientific research

Desirable

Science degree

Desirable

SKILLS

Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders

Essential

Excellent organisational and time management skills

Essential

Excellent numeracy and analytical skills, including the ability to write and review documents containing complex quantitative and qualitative data

Essential

EXPERIENCE

Track record of working in MEL, social research or similar role

Desirable

Experience of managing budgets and suppliers

Desirable

Experience of working across teams and departments

Essential

Experience of managing staff

Desirable

Experience of working with committees or with internal and external stakeholders in senior positions

Essential

Competencies

Self-management

• Works unsupervised and can motivate self

• Produces results under pressure

• Can manage in stressful situations

• Pushes for the best results for self and team

• Pursues and encourages feedback that may reveal an error in judgment or process and then makes appropriate adjustments

• Recognises own personal biases or limitations, and uses this understanding to improve decisions and plans for action

• Seeks out mentors and other development resources to gain additional self-awareness and personal development

• Reflects on negative situations with maturity and seeks to understand own contribution to the situation

• Holds things together and acts as a settling influence

• Willing to continue learning within chosen field, training and developing towards the next level in both formal and informal ways

• Works within the Royal Society Values at all times

Working with others

• Contributes ideas and identifies opportunities to work with others both within the team and across the organisation

• Willing to provide and receive feedback to and from sectional colleagues when requested

• Produces succinct presentations and papers for senior colleagues

• Understands when to seek senior advice on potentially delicate negotiations

• Reaches a variety of audiences using an appropriate mix of communication methods and tailored messages to appeal to their unique needs

• Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements

• Builds consensus for delivering team goals. Frequently interacts with peers, on cross-functional matters.

Resource management

• Makes the best of internal/external resources and coordinates well with external partners to best meet the needs of the Society

• Builds contingency into projects taking into account possible outside factors

• Sets and monitors performance against quality and results orientated targets.

• Focuses on both short and long-term goals

• Creates novel solutions to problems

• Creates a detailed design or plan to implement a new solution or approach

• Evaluates new technology as potential solutions to existing issues. Adjusts course as new information comes to light

• Executes quickly and decisively in a time-sensitive situation

• Takes accountability to persist until opportunity is realised or problem solved

Critical thinking

• Determines and clarifies the requirements of any situation

• Checks information for accuracy and raises concerns if information is inaccurate

• Extracts the key points succinctly, clearly and accurately

• Puts forward suggestions for improvement concerning current processes or systems

• Tries different ways of doing things to get the best results

• Compares and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of options

• Formulates an opinion by considering opposing views and suggestions

• Runs trials and models or applies statistical analysis and stress testing to confirm or disconfirm proposal

Adaptability

• Overcomes obstacles and is not deterred by setbacks; checks assumptions and first principles and works out alternative approaches

• Reacts proactively to new challenges and works in a flexible manner to produce solutions

• Provides feedback and participates in discussions surrounding new ideas approaches or projects

• Maintains focus and continues to deliver when things are not straightforward

• Adjusts to act differently depending on the situation

• Takes steps to understand basic risk management and importance of identifying and maintaining controls

• Leads team and helps them to understand and cope with ambiguous situations

Managing people and relationships

• Delegates effectively, setting clear expectations and authority

• Monitors results and feedback to team on a regular basis

• Recognises others' contributions and acknowledges their limits

• Helps others to identify ways to improve their performance

• Prioritises supervisory responsibilities and carries them out in a timely fashion

• Understands and can identify client/stakeholder/staff needs and looks for opportunities to improve their experiences

• Demonstrates trust in others' ability to accomplish tasks at acceptable levels of performance

• Provides current, direct, complete and actionable positive and constructive feedback

• Has a mind-set of sharing own and others' expertise

• Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements

• Focuses on surfacing underlying customer issues/concerns and identifying root causes

• Increases exposure to and personal relationships with others