Head of Research Operations

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About Us

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) is a leading centre for mental health and neuroscience education and research in Europe. The faculty operates across two main campuses at KCL, has internationally leading expertise, and delivers renowned education and training programmes including 2 highly successful undergraduate and 20 postgraduate taught programmes and clinical training courses.

It produces more highly cited outputs (top 1% citations) on psychiatry and mental health than any other centre (SciVal 2023), and on this metric has risen from 16th (2014) to 4th (2023) in the world for highly cited neuroscience outputs. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 90% of research at the IoPPN was deemed 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' (3* and 4*). The Faculty employs over 1700 academic, research and professional services staff across three schools alongside a central IoPPN organisational unit that supports central and core faculty services with the Dean & Director of Operations. More information about the IoPPN is available at: www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/about

About The Role

The Head of Research Operations supports the IoPPN Director of Operations and Vice Dean (Research) on the development and implementation of Faculty research strategies and associated policies in line with university requirements for Research Management & Innovation Directorate.

The post holder will be a professional specialist in research management, responsible for ensuring the Faculty provides high quality support across a full range of research services, including pre- and post-award and associated cost recovery; advice on funder compliance; research centres; open access. They will be responsible for setting the quality and development of research management across the Faculty, in close coordination with the various Schools' Research teams (via the Schools' Senior Research managers) and will coordinate this with colleagues across the university. They will also work with the Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies on the doctoral programmes within the faculty.

The post holder will work closely with, and harness support from, resources in the Research Management & Innovation Directorate which provides specialist research support to Faculties. They will help lead on the implementation of new RMID enterprise systems and support the implementation of relevant policies within the faculty. The post holder works across the Faculty, providing high level advice and support to academics and researchers, working through the School Research support clusters, as well as identifying opportunities for collaboration and efficiencies to capitalize on the significant investment of new IT systems and ways of working.

This is a full time (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Educated to degree level / postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject and leadership experience - or - substantial experience and proven success in a strategically important broad function/specialist area; or extensive vocational experience, backed by evidence of deep and broad knowledge of research management.
2. Proficient IT skills (incl. databases, PowerBI, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) with strong analytical skills and capabilities.
3. Demonstrable project management and organisational skills, with proven ability to work to deadlines, manage multiple projects and prioritise activities effectively (ensuring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail).
4. Sound working knowledge of Higher Education Research Award management Enterprise systems (viz. Worktribe).
5. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with evidence of building good working relationships with senior stakeholders (and at all levels) motivating, negotiating, influencing and networking nationally and internationally.
6. Experience of developing innovation solutions and practical implementation for strategic change.
7. Experience of regulatory compliance within the higher education sector including best practice around financial management, monitoring and analysis.
8. Experience coordinating and preparing data reports around research outputs, publications and reporting for HESA returns and other higher education bodies.

Desirable criteria

1. Good working knowledge and familiarisation with the university's policies around research management and grant recovery, and procedures including financial regulations.
2. Experience of being in a leadership position within a higher education institution; or demonstrate professional development and achievement in a series of progressively more demanding, influential and broad work roles.
3. Postgraduate qualification or relevant professional qualification.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages.