Department of Anthropology

Grade 7: - £33,797
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 02-Jul-2021, 6:59:00 AM 

Job Family: Business Process and People Services

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.    

OUR VALUES: We are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business,  Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. 

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide a comprehensive service and deliver the efficient administration and governance of the University.

Overall family purpose

• Deliver direct and indirect services to stakeholders.
• Provide advice and answer queries as part of an enquiry-desk/help-desk function.
• Respond to and manage requests for information and resources.
• Deliver services to meet regulatory requirements and procedures. 
• Plan and deliver a joined-up approach to University business and people services.
• Align business processes and services to meet operational and strategic policy objectives.  
• Deliver business processes to ensure effective management, governance and the economic viability of the University. 
• Encourage, collaborate and participate in the development of productive cross-institution relationships and working.
• Provide excellent professional services that meet strategic and operational goals and business needs.
• Carry out monitoring, analysis, development and planning to design new services and service updates for continuous improvement whilst meeting changes in regulations.
• Engage with specialist professionals, consultants, and suppliers to exchange knowledge and facilitate partnership working.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
• A joined-up approach to University professional services, regardless of location or line management;
• A culture and practice of continuous improvement; 
• Design services that meet the business need;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
• Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

The Department and role purpose     

The Anthropology Department at Durham University has an outstanding international reputation for teaching, research and student employability. We are one of the largest Anthropology Departments in the UK, with nearly 40 permanent academic staff working across social, evolutionary and health anthropology. The Department of Anthropology has a vibrant research culture with many visitors, seminars, global conferences and workshops. We provide an intellectually inclusive environment, fostering the academic freedom and confidence to work at both the core and boundaries of anthropology in exciting and innovative ways. We were the top-ranked integrated Anthropology department in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014); fifth in the UK for overall GPA (Times Higher Education); first equal for world-leading and internationally excellent Impact and Research Environment, and second equal for world-leading publications.

We seek to employ a Project Manager to assist Professor Rachel Kendal to implement a major funding scheme on behalf of the Cultural Evolution Society (funded by the John Templeton Foundation). It will address questions that will transform the important, yet underfunded, field of cultural evolution. How our cultures evolve (including how information is transmitted, how people make decisions, and the interaction with our biology) is a pressing issue in a world in which our cultural activities are causing rapid, and drastic, social and physical changes. Through 16 research projects, 5 applied for working groups, 5 workshops, 1 landmark conference, 3 capacity building training courses, and public engagement activities, the grant aims to tackle early career obstacles, western-centrism, traditional disciplinary divides, and division of scientists and public policymakers. 

The Project Manager will be embedded within, and beyond, the University. While rooted in the Project Team, they will work closely with, and be affiliated to, Durham University’s Research & Innovation Services and the Faculty Manager to ensure all pre- and post-award contract activities and expenditure responsibility activities are completed efficiently and effectively, as well as to secure career development opportunities. They will, in liaison with Rachel Kendal, organize review teams for outline and full applications and collate scores to create normalized rankings, as well as collate and assist with writing all financial and activity reports to the John Templeton Foundation.

Core responsibilities:

• Recognised professional practitioner and management and/or service specialist with responsibility for the management of team members (Research Communications Lead & Administrator).
• Provide input to the design and development of service processes, techniques and deliverables for one or more service areas or projects within the overall Project. 
• Manage operational service activities, in liaison with the PI (Rachel Kendal) and the Research Communications Lead, to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience.
• Contribute to the analysis of stakeholder feedback to help define needs and requirements, inputting to the design and planning of services.
• Internal and external relationship development and partnership working, networking and participation to engage and influence future services and the University reputation. In particular, liaising with institutional hosts of project-related workshops (3x capacity building in the Global South, and 5x applied working groups) and the hosts of research projects (16) and working groups (5) funded, as well as the members of the Advisory Board and the John Templeton Foundation.
• Provide feedback on team and individual performance and identify development needs, conducting regular staff ADR and performance reviews.
• Handle the vast majority of welfare issues within a team, referring more complex welfare issues to appropriate support services/senior management.
• Delivery of ongoing coaching, mentoring and training to team members.
• Maintain an awareness of current policy for University business goals such as widening participation and access. In particular, ensuring equality of access and environmental sustainability in the organisation of events on behalf of the Project (e.g., workshops, capstone conference, advisory board meetings, public outreach etc.).
• Contribute to business meetings, working groups and sub-committees at departmental and operational service levels, including meetings with the Durham Research Methods Centre (DRMC: regarding capacity building workshops and mentoring), Research & Innovation Services (RIS), SS&H Faculty Manager, and Project Advisory Board and John Templeton Foundation.
• Responsible for managing a large budgets involving monitoring expenditure of all funding recipients as well as Durham staff (including for consumables and some capital items), keeping records and processing invoices, highlighting any need for reallocation of funds according to over/under-spend etc.Writing reports for the Templeton Foundation.
• Devolve responsibilities to team members (including the Administrator and Research Communications Lead) to ensure continuity of service provision and encourage skills development.

Role responsibilities:

• Provide management for stakeholder service areas and/or processes ensuring high quality and timely service to all stakeholders, including funding applicants as well as recipients post-award (creation of contracts) and coordination of the review and funding decision procedure as well as mentoring system for the funding competition. 
• Manage and monitor performance and workload outcomes and/or staff, planning cover to ensure smooth service provision through peaks and troughs.
• Analyse service data and provide reports to Service Heads (e.g. Research & Innovation Services), making recommendations for improvement as appropriate.
• Provide advice to stakeholders in relation to University, School and/or Department policy, procedures and regulations. In particular, safeguarding, due diligence, monitoring of ethical research approvals, management and governance of funding researchers in the Global North and South, including those in academic and non-academic (e.g. (I)NGOs, Think Tanks) institutions.
• Ensure the review and improvement of systems and procedures in line with University, School, Department or unit frameworks.
• Distribute service information and provide advice to stakeholders regarding compliance and regulations, in particular running a ‘help line’ for those considering applying to the funding competition, instruction in and collation of post-award progress reports. 
• Coordinating a robust and fair review process of funding applications.
• Ensure regulations and procedures are updated to take account of internal and external changes.
• Coordinate and oversee committee working and deal with complaints.
• Awareness of the external environment and sector best practice to support high-quality services.  In particular, regarding liaising with institutional hosts of project-related workshops (3x capacity building in the Global South, and 5x applied working groups) and the research projects (16) and working groups (5) funded, as well as the members of the Project’s Advisory Board.
• Any other reasonable duties.  

Specific role requirements

The role is from 10th September 2021 until 9th December 2024. To assist the PM in understanding the cultural evolution field, they will (covid allowing) attend the CES 2022 conference in Denmark with Rachel Kendal. 

Recruiting to this post 

In order to be considered for an interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification below (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’).  

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.  

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at the interview stage.

How to apply 

We prefer to receive applications online. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV; 
2. A covering letter that details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out below;
3. Examples of how you satisfy the person specification. This may require completion of the 'Supporting Evidence' application section if specified by the recruiting manager. Please ensure you give detailed examples of how you meet these criteria if requested.

The Realising Your Potential Approach clarifies the behaviours expected to be demonstrated by all staff across Professional Services in the University regardless of their role. Along with the core responsibilities, role responsibilities and the person specification, the Realising Your Potential Approach behavioural indicators are used to inform the recruitment and selection process. Further information on the Realising Your Potential Approach is available here.  

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Interviews are likely to be mid-July 2021

Contact details: 

For further information please contact: Professor Rachel Kendal at rachel.kendal@durham.ac.uk 

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our workforce including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds that are applicable to some visas.

We will notify you of the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop excellent working relationships both internally and externally.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
• Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
• Post-16 qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
• Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery and development of services, events and activities within the organisation.
• Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.
• Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines. 
• Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.
• Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of managing and developing a team or teams and/or line management qualification.
• Experience with academic funding procedures (either as a recipient or organising funding competitions)
• Experience with managing a complex budget and writing budgetary reports
• Experience with contracting researchers, including consideration and monitoring of ethics, due diligence, etc.
• Experience in event organising (e.g. workshops, conferences, public outreach)

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.