Job description

King’s College London Chemistry is seeking an experienced administrator to provide high quality administrative support to academic staff in the grant seeking and grant management aspects of their roles. The role holder will be responsible for creating, implementing and the continuous improvement of processes that enable the smooth operation of research administration in this growing department.

About the Department of Chemistry

King’s vision is to firmly establish a contemporary department, which realises the transformative power of Chemistry in interdisciplinary research.

We believe that realising the profound impact chemical sciences has across discipline interfaces is central to the scientific advances that are needed to solve some of the most pressing problems of the 21st century in medicine, energy, and the environment. This can be achieved by exploring innovations in Chemical Biology, Biomaterials Science, Bioelectricity, Synthetic Biology and Nanomedicine and key partnerships including the Francis Crick Institute and industry.  

We are passionate about chemical education and offer modern BSc and MSci degree programmes in Chemistry, and our flagship programme, Chemistry with Biomedicine. All programmes offer the opportunity to undertake a Year’s Professional Placement   https://www.kcl.ac.uk/chemistry/undergraduate.

We believe an inclusive workplace delivers greater impact and key part of our ethos is equality, with a dynamic and fulfilling culture for all, and an emphasis on tackling the under-representation of women in science.

If you are excited by the opportunities we offer, we would like to hear from you. You can find out more about us at:

  www.kcl.ac.uk/chemistry

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ99w9SJdZ8

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibdDn3gmrEg

  http://www.kcl.ac.uk/nms/depts/chemistry/index.aspx

About the Faculty

The Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES) comprises Chemistry, Engineering, Informatics, Mathematics, and Physics – all departments are highly rated in research activities and have a wide-ranging portfolio of education programmes.  

Celebrating diversity and supporting staff is important to us and we offer a range of provision including flexible working, caring support (including a Parenting and Carers Fund and the Carer’s Career Development Fund), training, and a variety of diversity and inclusion networks. Staff can apply for flexible working to help them balance the demands of their professional and personal commitments and we offer comprehensive leave policies for parental, adoption, surrogacy, dependant, and shared leave. 

The university is making investment in NMES and both student and staff numbers are growing. Our staff come from over 45 countries and 56% of our students are from outside the UK. Principally located on the Strand Campus in the heart of central London, further details available at   www.kcl.ac.uk/nms and   http://www.kcl.ac.uk/chemistry. 

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract. This is a full-time post.

Key responsibilities

• Working with the Research Development Manager (RDM), assisting academic staff in identifying funding opportunities (both external and internal) and providing expert guidance on funder regulations, terms and conditions of awards, and internal and external processes and policies.  
• Develop and implement Department-specific guidance and processes.  
• Developing expertise with systems and regulations including WorkTribe (budget creation and approvals), PURE (research data and publications records), funder portals (grant submissions), ResearchFish (research outcomes), Open Access (publication policy). 
• Administer and support academic staff in each step of the grant submission process from creating budgets, completing non-scientific sections on funder portals, coordinating internal peer review, ensuring compliance with funder and College policies and ensuring applications are progressed in a timely manner to meet internal and external deadlines.  
• Maintaining accurate records of previous, current, and planned grant applications to enable the provision of data enabling departmental planning, reporting, and decision making. 
• Proactively monitor the financial status of awards and grants, providing timely advice and regular updates to PIs and relevant professional services colleagues. 
• Support the recruitment of research staff and the administration of their contracts, working with colleagues in Department Operations and HR. 
• Department Research Committee secretariat.  
• Work with departmental technical services and business teams in the management of research resources.  
• Facilitate and encourage research staff participation in Departmental life and activities.  
• Assist the Head of Research, Head of Department, and Department Manager to promote and implement Departmental research strategy. 
• Update Department research webpages, SharePoint, and information on the institutional research management system (PURE), as well as on external media platforms (social media). 
• Disseminate research news across the Department, surfacing and communicating success stories to the Faculty External Relations team. 
• Proactively support external relationship and engagement activities such as industry networking events, seminars and colloquia.  
• Actively engage with the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda and related departmental, faculty & college action plans as required.  
• Build and maintain effective relationships with academic and professional services staff across Departments, Faculty, and the College including by participation in college networks and contributing to the alignment of the research function across the university.  
• Demonstrate commitment to personal development through attending internal and external training opportunities, reviewing professional publications, and establishing personal networks. 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria  

1. Experience of administration in the Higher Education sector  
2. Customer service orientated 
3. Data and financial management, analytical and reporting skills Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate clearly and appropriately with a range of professional service and academic colleagues 
4. Experience of creating and implementing processes. 
5. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.  
6. Ability to balance competing, shifting priorities under pressure of deadlines and workload.  
7. Accuracy/ability to pay attention to detail.  

Desirable criteria 

1. Knowledge of Higher Education Research practice and policy.  
2. Experience of supporting or contributing to the delivery of high-impact, quality research processes. 
3. Experience of using content management systems.