Oxford Brookes University is distinctive in nature. We are a modern and forward thinking institution rooted in, and connected to, a city with a rich history of culture and learning. We are a globally recognised university focused on providing high-quality teaching and delivering impactful research and an excellent student experience. Our vision is simple: “shape tomorrow through our unique blend of the modern and the traditional, by embracing diversity, seeking out the new, and excelling in education and research.”
The post holder will be a member of the Architectural Engineering Group at Oxford Brookes University. The primary role is the implementation and day-to-day running of the research group’s portfolio of funded projects and industry partnerships, ensuring that programmes progress against plan, that milestones, budgets, risks and reporting obligations are managed proactively. This will support the Group in further expanding its ongoing industrial partnerships in the area and secure externally funded projects in line with the Group’s strategic plans.
This is a fixed-term appointment for 24 months.
In this role you will:
- Work closely with the Head of the Research Group and others on specific research studies/projects.
- Lead responsibility for delivery of the group’s research portfolio across concurrent funded projects and industrial collaborations, tracking milestones, deliverables and interdependencies and keeping delivery on schedule.
- Develop and maintain integrated project documentation, project plans, RACI matrices, risk and issue registers, and progress trackers, and drive the actions arising from them.
- Coordinate grant and reporting cycles, conduct literature searches and reviews, and assemble and format submissions and returns, track funder deadlines and requirements, and compile progress and financial reports to funder templates and word/character limits.
- Monitor and reconcile project budgets in liaison with the finance team, tracking spend against forecast, supporting procurement, and flagging variances early.
- Support research governance and compliance across the portfolio, ethics approvals, data management, and partner agreements, ensuring documentation is complete, current and audit-ready.
- Organise and service programme meetings, partner reviews and workshops, including scheduling, agendas, minutes and tracking of actions to completion.
- Support the interface between the research programme and its associated commercialisation and knowledge-exchange activity, coordinating information flow, scheduling and documentation between the two.
- Collaborate closely with industry stakeholders to co-develop relevant solutions, supporting commercialisation and industrial integration.
Please see Job Description for full list of duties
You should have:
- A PhD or significant practical/industrial experience.
- Significant industrial experience demonstrating research and management excellence.
- Experience of managing or tracking budgets and of delivering measurable cost, efficiency or delivery outcomes.
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries with multiple internal and external stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.
- Working familiarity with research governance and compliance, for example research ethics, open research and data management.
- Demonstrated ability to lead projects, teams, or major technical initiatives.
- Proven ability to secure or contribute to research funding proposals.
- Ability to lead projects and contribute to multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly.
- Ability to work independently with a high level of initiative and responsibility.
Desirable Skills and Attributes:
- Experience in start-up, spinout, or commercial R&D environments.
- Prior involvement in writing or supporting successful funding bids.
- Experience of grant and funding processes, including preparing or coordinating funding submissions.
- High level of personal initiative, creativity, and technical problem-solving.
- Proven ability to develop collaborative research projects**.**
Benefits:
We encourage and support hybrid working where the role allows and ensure that you have the necessary equipment to allow you to work flexibly.
We prioritise the wellbeing of our employees - physically, mentally and financially - and we provide a diverse and comprehensive benefits package to support our team.
In addition, all employees have access to:
- Discounted rates for the university sports and gym facilities
- An on-site nursery (at Headington Campus; waiting lists for some ages).
- Discounted travel options
- TOTUM card discount scheme
- Relocation scheme (for moves over 30 miles, subject to terms of the scheme)
- Training and development opportunities
- A connected community - Brookes have a wide variety of staff networks, which instil a sense of community and offer employees a space for support, guidance and friendship, making Brookes a vibrant and inclusive place to work.
Equality, diversity and inclusion:
At Oxford Brookes, inclusivity is one of our five guiding principles: we take positive steps to create an environment in which we celebrate, value and provide equal opportunity to all. We are committed to recruiting the widest possible pool and encourage all suitably qualified candidates to apply who embrace our values, regardless of their background.
As a Disability Confident Employer we guarantee to interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential selection criteria.
