Research and Knowledge Exchange Operations Manager

About the Opportunity

The role

 

Northeastern University London (NU London) is strengthening its research and innovation infrastructure as part of a rapidly expanding global research network. The University's Network Science Institute and Intelligent Networked Systems Institute are particularly research-active, attracting a substantial and growing volume of complex, externally funded activity, often involving multiple partners and significant contractual and governance considerations. Alongside this, NU London continues to expand research capacity in areas such as Digital Humanities, Ethics and AI, and related interdisciplinary domains.

 

We are seeking a skilled and versatile Research Operations Manager to support the University's research and knowledge exchange portfolio across the full research lifecycle. Working within a small, close-knit team, the postholder will provide flexible operational capacity spanning pre-award support, non-financial post-award project management, and research ethics, integrity and contracts. The postholder will play a key role in ensuring projects are well-planned, effectively managed, and delivered in line with institutional, contractual and funder expectations.

 

This is a hands-on, generalist role: at times supporting academic colleagues in preparing competitive funding applications, at times helping establish and monitor newly awarded projects, and at times reviewing contracts, advising on research ethics processes, or handling IP and governance matters. The postholder will need to be comfortable moving between these different types of work, often in the same week, and will work closely with the Senior RKE Manager and RKE Finance Manager to ensure a joined-up service to researchers.

 

This is an opportunity to join a developing team within a university growing its research portfolio, funding base and operational capacity, working closely with academic colleagues, professional services, senior leadership, and external partners across several strategic research areas.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Non-financial post-award project management and contracts/IP work will be the core, day-to-day focus of this role. Research ethics coordination, research data management, and data gathering/governance support are a smaller part of the role and full proficiency can be built up over time with support from the Director.

 

Pre-award support

●           Provide pre-award support to academic colleagues, particularly within the Network Science and Intelligent Networked Systems Institutes, as overflow capacity alongside the Senior RKE Manager during periods of high demand or when complex, multi-partner bids require additional resource.

●           Advise on scheme eligibility, budget structure and proposal coherence for funding applications, escalating strategic or high-value bids to the Senior RKE Manager as appropriate.

●           Advise academic colleagues on funder requirements for data management plans at the proposal stage.

 

Post-award project management (non-financial)

●           Lead non-financial post-award project management for the University’s externally funded research and knowledge exchange portfolio, including milestone and deliverable tracking, providing support for funder reporting (non-financial), and risk and issue management.

●           Support Principal Investigators in establishing newly awarded projects, including project set-up, partner on-boarding and consortium coordination for multi-partner grants.

●           Act as the main point of contact for day-to-day project queries from funders and collaborators, working closely with the RKE Finance Manager on any matters with financial implications.

●           Promote best practice in project governance and delivery, developing templates, checklists and guidance to support academic colleagues through the post-award lifecycle.

●           Support research data management throughout the project lifecycle, including monitoring compliance with data management plans, advising on funder data-sharing and FAIR data requirements, and coordinating data storage and repository deposit at project close (working with Library/IT services as needed).

 

Research ethics, integrity and contracts

●           Coordinate the University’s research ethics approval processes, supporting academic colleagues in preparing applications and liaising with the University Research Ethics Panel/Associate Director of Research Ethics.

●           Review and negotiate research and knowledge exchange contracts, including collaboration agreements, data sharing agreements, non-disclosure agreements and subcontracts, escalating complex legal or IP matters to the Director or external legal advisors as needed.

●           Advise on intellectual property considerations arising from collaborative and industry-partnered research, particularly for technically complex grants such as those held by the Network Science and Intelligent Networked Systems Institutes.

●           Maintain oversight of research integrity, data protection and Trusted Research considerations across the portfolio, flagging emerging risks to the Director.

Data gathering and governance support

●           Collate and maintain accurate records of the University’s research and knowledge exchange activity (grants, projects, ethics approvals, outputs) to support institutional reporting and decision-making, and respond to internal and external data requests on the research portfolio.

●           Provide support to relevant research governance committees, including preparing papers and tracking actions to completion.

●           Contribute to the development and maintenance of institutional research policies, procedures and governance documentation, working with the Director on scope and sign-off.

●           Maintain a central overview of the team’s policies, templates and guidance documents, ensuring they stay current and consistent.

 

General

●           Support the Research Administrative Assistant on operational and administrative matters where capacity allows.

●           In the absence of the Senior RKE Manager or RKE Finance Manager, provide cover for urgent operational matters within postholder competence.

●           Undertake any other reasonable duties within postholder competence as requested by the Director.

 

Person specification criteria

 

To undertake this role, the following should apply – should you not have the experience below, please do highlight where transferrable skills would assist with you undertaking the role.

 

Essential

●           Substantial experience of non-financial post-award research project management (e.g. monitoring deliverables, funder reporting, risk and issue management) in a UK HE environment or comparable setting.

●           Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex projects, ensuring compliance, timely delivery and high-quality outputs.

●           Demonstrated experience reviewing and/or negotiating research contracts and collaboration agreements, including intellectual property considerations, ideally including data sharing or non-disclosure agreements.

●           Good financial literacy and comfort working alongside colleagues who own detailed budget forecasting and costings (this role does not carry financial post-award responsibility, which sits with the RKE Finance Manager).

 

Desirable

●           Experience of research and knowledge exchange support for technically complex or engineering-related disciplines.

●           Awareness of Trusted Research principles and export control considerations relevant to industry-partnered technology research.

●           Experience supporting research data management, including data management plans, funder data-sharing requirements and repository deposit, ideally including FAIR data principles.

●           Familiarity with research ethics approval processes and research integrity frameworks, or a clear willingness to develop this with support.

●           Experience maintaining records of research activity and reporting on this, or providing support to committees (papers, minutes, action tracking), or a clear willingness to develop this with support.

 

Personal Attributes

●           Genuinely comfortable moving between different types of work in the same week, from grant writing support to contract review to ethics queries.

●           Confident working independently and prioritising across competing demands in a small team.

●           Diplomatic and clear communicator, able to explain governance and compliance requirements to academic colleagues without being obstructive.

Additional Information

 

Enquiries

 

Informal enquiries may be made to Alice Caryer, [email protected]. However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified.

 

Application process

 

Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.

 

Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page and a full curriculum vitae.

 

The panel will be shortlisting for this position on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this post before the closing date if we receive a large number of applications.

 

Please note this role may require a basic or enhanced DBS check. Please note this role may require a basic or enhanced DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London.

 

Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

 

 

Position Type

Research£52,000 – £58,000 dependent on experience

Additional Information

Alice Caryer

They can be reached at the following:

[email protected]

However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified. 

 

Application process 

 

Applications should be made by 00:00 on the job posting's end date (if applicable).

 

Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary. 

 

Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page that addresses the criteria for the role and a full curriculum vitae. 

 

The panel will be shortlisting for this position on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this post before the closing date if we receive a large number of applications. 

 

Please note all employees of Northeastern University London are required to undergo at least a basic DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London.

For staff’s own wellbeing, for part time roles, the expectation is if you have multiple roles, they should not exceed full time (37.5 hours per week), and for full time roles, the expectation is that this will be your only role (apart from intermittent roles).

 

Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.