Job Description

As a Research Facilitator/Officer Manager in the Department of Psychological Medicine you will be responsible for providing executive support to Professor Matthew Hotopf Vice Dean of Research/Director of the BRC and PI on RADAR-CNS and will also assist with the provision of a high quality research administration service for the Professor and his team, collaborating closely with the RADAR CNS Project Management team. You will act as first point of contact for Professor Hotopf and his team, organising and supporting meetings.  The post holder will assist with all stages of the grant application process/grant set up using the online platform (Worktribe), will take the lead with all aspects of recruitment, contract variations, team absences and induction of new staff.  You will assist the senior academics with  financial reporting and forecasting of current grants advising of potential over/underspends.  The post holder will also be responsible for the office management/space needs for the floor which is currently occupied by Professor Hotopf’s team and two further teams.

The successful candidate will have experience in a similar role, preferably in an academic research environment and be educated to A-level standard. They will have excellent organisation skills with the ability to plan and prioritise and work flexibly to meet deadlines, excellent communication skills and attention to detail. Excellent all round IT related skills and the willingness and ability to learn new systems quickly is essential. They must have good problem-solving skills with the ability to use initiative and be proactive.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract

This is a full-time  post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

• Provide Executive Support to the Vice Dean of Research/Director of the BRC, and any other academic as assigned by Business Manager  

• Collaboration with RADAR CNS project management team 

• Assist will all aspects of grant applications using Worktribe, as well as post-award management 

• Assist Senior Academics with financial reporting using Business World 

• Assist with all HR processes using People XD 

• Assist research teams with online manuscript submission as well as literature searches, “PURE” management, Open Access compliance and GDPR compliance.

• Coordinate recruitment of PhD students by liaising with EST and registry, assist senior managers to optimise the student experience. 

• Assign and manage space for new staff and students, and conduct inductions. 

• Organise workshops and conferences. 

• Liaise with estates and facilities where relevant 

• Office management, purchasing, taking minutes and any other administrative task as determined by Business Manager 

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.

The Faculty is (currently) undergoing a reshaping exercise which will impact on the Professional Service Staff (PSS) roles and responsibilities. Therefore the duties and responsibilities outlined above in relation to department support may be subject to change. 

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria 

• Educated to A level standard 

• Experience in an academic/HEI/research environment 

• Good understanding of the research funding environment and research grants administration 

• Excellent IT skills, including the MS Office suite 

• Experience of financial management including budget development, using complex spreadsheets and databases 

• Excellent interpersonal, and oral communication and organisational skills with an ability to inspire trust and confidence in colleagues at all levels. 

• Good written communication skills and an ability to produce papers and other documents clearly and concisely. Accuracy and excellent attention to detail.  

• An ability to take accurate minutes 

• A willingness to learn new skills and new software as required 

• Ability and willingness to work under pressure in a deadline-driven environment. 

• Ability to work independently using initiative to problem solve 

Desirable criteria 

• Experience/knowledge of research grant funding using Worktribe 

• Experience of using finance systems (Business World) 

• Experience of working in a HEI environment  

Further information

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance. 

Administrator ; facilitator; finance