Ref Number
B04-07662
Professional Expertise
Administration and Business Support
Department
UCL BEAMS (B04)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
£43,981-£52,586
Contract Type
Permanent
Working Type
Hybrid
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
20-Aug-2026
UCL is one of the world's leading universities, located in the heart of London. A modern, globally connected institution, UCL has a long tradition of excellence in research and education, with staff and alumni including 32 Nobel Prize winners. Its vibrant international community comprises more than 50,000 students from over 150 countries and staff from across the globe.
The Chemistry Department at University College London is the oldest in England, and today is one of the best in the UK, being ranked 3rd in the UK for its world-leading research in REF2021. We are located in Bloomsbury, at the heart of London, and offer an exciting and vibrant environment in which to study in one of the UK's top universities. The Department of Chemistry at UCL is committed to supporting excellence in both research and teaching. The department offers undergraduate BSc and MSci programmes in Chemistry and currently teaches ~750 undergraduates registered in Chemistry as well as students who select Chemistry on the Natural Sciences programme and first year Chemistry for life scientists. The department also offers a number of Postgraduate Taught Masters courses with about 80 students per year and has an overall PGR student school of about 200 students.
The Chemistry Department has over 60 members of academic staff carrying out world-leading research. We specialise in the areas of organic synthesis, chemical biology, computational chemistry, nanotechnology, inorganic and materials chemistry, physical chemistry and chemical physics. The department has an annual research income of around £15 million, derived from many sources including the Research Councils (EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and NERC), European Commission and a wide range of charities and industrial partners in the UK, Europe, and the USA.
Details about our research can be found on the departmental website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/chemistry.
As the Senior Research Administrator, you will play a central role in supporting and strengthening the department's research activity. Working closely with academic and professional services colleagues, you will oversee the administration of a diverse portfolio of research grants and contracts throughout their lifecycle, ensuring compliance with UCL policies, funder requirements and financial regulations.
You will act as a trusted source of advice on research funding and post-award administration, helping to develop efficient processes that support high-quality research delivery. The role also includes monitoring research activity, producing management information and reports, maintaining accurate records for audit purposes, and identifying opportunities to enhance research administration and knowledge exchange processes. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced research administrator to make a significant contribution to the department's research strategy and operational success.
You will also provide day-to-day line management and support to a Research Administrator, fostering their development and ensuring the delivery of a high-quality administrative service.
You will be proactive in defining and maintaining high standards of service delivery for the department, ensuring compliance with the requirements of external funding bodies, UCL financial regulations, and internal and external audit requirements. You will lead the continuous development and enhancement of the department's research administration and knowledge exchange processes, while producing reports and management information on research activity to support the department's management committee.
Key Working relationships: Departmental Manager; Head of Department; Deputy Departmental Manager; Research Services; Director of Research; BEAMS Research Office; UCL Innovation & Enterprise; Faculty Research Coordinator.
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
At UCL Chemistry we are dedicated to the Athena SWAN Charter for women in science, recognising the commitment to advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research.
The department was successfully awarded a Bronze Award in 2016 and Silver Award in 2020, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.
