Head of Research Culture

Job description

King’s is committed to ensuring the research conducted by our staff and students is of the highest quality and underpinned by a culture of integrity. Creating and maintaining a positive and supportive research environment is key to this. To support this, we have created a Research Culture Team to be advocates for, and provide institutional leadership on, the development of a collaborative, inclusive, healthy and supportive research culture within King’s. It is planned that this will be achieved by designing, coordinating and implementing an ambitious programme of change within Faculties and providing support for local initiatives. 

The Head of Research Culture will work closely with the Dean of Research Culture and will lead a programme of faculty engagement and support for local Research Culture initiatives. They will also lead on planning, reporting and budgeting and team development as well as communications and data workstreams. They will be responsible for overseeing the monitoring and evaluating multiple aspects of research culture within the faculties such as research governance, ethics & integrity, researcher development, reward and recognition, open research and equality, diversity and inclusion in research, and to drive forward initiatives that support improvement in these areas. 

The successful candidate will support the Dean of Research Culture in ensuring that the King’s research environment is fair, inclusive and rewarding, that there is a culture of respect and trust among all colleagues, that researchers are supported in their professional development and career aspirations, and that research is conducted in an ethical and lawful manner and to the highest standards of rigour and integrity. We are seeking candidates with excellent organisational and communication skills and the ability to work confidently and assertively with a range of senior stakeholders, using negotiating and influencing skills to achieve successful outcomes. 

The post will be hosted by the Department of Research Governance, Ethics and Integrity but will be primarily based in the faculties. The post will be managed by the Dean of Research Culture & Director of Research Governance, Ethics and Integrity. The post will manage a team of two Research Culture Managers 

This role will have a hybrid working model with a requirement to be in the office a minimum of 1 day per week. 

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract   

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

Key responsibilities

• To lead, in conjunction with the Dean of Research Culture on the continued development of the research culture strategy. 
• To lead on the outreach to research leaders, academic and professional services colleagues across the University to identify and strengthen ongoing research culture activities and impacts, ensuring comprehensive buy-in to the research culture strategy and acting as a conduit to ensure local initiatives are developed, supported (including sourcing funding) and implemented. 
• To work with relevant research leads in areas such as Research Governance Ethics & Integrity, Centre for Research Staff Development, Libraries and Collections and HR to establish a portfolio of new faculty-based research culture projects that will have University-wide impact, ensuring close strategic alignment across all stakeholders. 
• To lead on the ongoing assessment and evaluation of research culture at King’s and on ensuring that the targets of the research culture strategy are met. (To include continuous data and evidence gathering and the development and monitoring of key metrics for reporting purposes). 
• To develop and maintain an awareness of business and sector developments pertaining to research culture, building a high level of knowledge of internal and external developments in this field and providing timely evidence-based advice to senior management. 
• To lead and develop a research culture communications plan ensuring that the King’s research community are an integral part of the research culture agenda through informative updates and provision of opportunities to engage. 
• To ensure the proactive provision of specialist advice and guidance to the research community through signposting to relevant teams who can advise on areas such as research integrity, open research and staff research development. 
• To lead on the continued assessment of funding opportunities for research culture, convening working groups and developing bids as required. 
•  To lead on the development of any policies, processes or systems that are determined to be required as the research culture agenda develops. 
• To represent the university externally at meetings of professional bodies and networking groups ensuring that King’s has an active voice in national discussion related to research culture. 
• To develop and proactively manage a proactive Research Culture team to ensure that all projects and initiatives are managed effectively and efficiently, and that comprehensive and high-quality support and guidance is delivered. 
• To have oversight of the establishment of any committees or working groups to support research culture, ensuring that these have appropriate representation to function effectively. 

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. Educated to degree level or a minimum of 2 years relevant administrative experience. 
2. Research experience either through conducting research or in a support role. 
3. Experience of implementing strategic plans in an academic or business environment, including resource management and development of KPIs to achieve objectives. 
4. Excellent stakeholder management skills with a proven ability to be able to work with senior leaders and peers in a collaborative and consultative manner that enables delivery. 
5. Ability to write concise and persuasive reports, proposals and business cases for senior stakeholders 
6. Experience of leading a team, providing effective motivation and leadership. 
7. Ability to problem solve and think strategically 
8. Experience of working independently, showing initiative and making high level decisions. 
9. Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, working under own direction. 
10. Ability to demonstrate professionalism and command respect with academic and non-academic staff at all levels. 

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of setting up a new function/team 
2. A project management qualification. 
3. Experience of working in higher education environment.

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