King's College London

About Us

Based in the research team in the Social Science and Public Policy Faculty Office this exciting new post will be pivotal in transforming the “in-flight” experience of our large community of research students. Coordinating everything from record keeping and reporting, to allocating grants, to serving on a range of committees to liaising on complex casework you will be the Faculty’s go-to expert on all things PGR.

The Faculty has five Schools each admitting PhD students into its Departments and Institutes, each with considerable autonomy and agency.

Based in the buzzing Bush House complex on Aldwych, and led by the Executive Dean and the Director of Operations, the Faculty Office facilitates work across the Schools and represents the best interests of the whole Faculty at cross-College meetings. It comprises research and education teams, a business function, and communications and project management.

About the role

Working closely with the Associate Dean Doctoral Studies, the Head of Research Operations and College Directorates the Senior Faculty Research Manager PGR Manager is responsible for coordinating across five Schools and will work to support a sizeable community of PGR students (800+) and their supervisors, liaising across College as necessary to achieve optimal outcomes.  You will be expected to maintain up-to-date awareness of of PGR considerations across the UK HE sector and to apply this knowledge in all that you do. You will play a key role in driving forward the continuous improvement agenda, improving processes, enhancing the PGR offering and developing effective new initiatives in line with Faculty and College strategy.  You will line manage the Senior PGR Officer (0.5fte) and have oversight of the work of School-based colleagues, working with Heads of Operations to plug gaps in provision as necessary.  You will oversee the efficient and timely administration of the Faculty’s PGR funding schemes and provide proactive support for senior staff in securing philanthropic funding.

Other important responsibilities include representing the Faculty appropriately on College-wide Boards, committees and task groups ensuring that SSPP operates in accordance with the various policies on which we are held to account, such as the Concordat for Researcher Development, Athena Swan and the Research Excellence in HE award.

This is offered as a full-time post although a part -time appointment would be considered for the right candidate.  You will be offered an indefinite contract.

About You 

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: 

Essential criteria

1.       First degree or other appropriate qualification

2.       Excellent IT skills (particularly MS Office, Sharepoint, Power BI, student management and Registry systems)

3.        Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to produce concise written material and reports for a range of audiences   

4.       Substantial knowledge and experience of the UK HE PGR landscape and significant demonstrable experience of operating at a strategic level; able to contribute meaningfully to discussion and planning

5.        Excellent analytical and numerical skills; a high level of accuracy and attention to detail 

6.       Demonstrable evidence of working on own initiative to effect positive and appropriate change, working independently yet with appropriate checks and balances, and with a proactive approach

7.       Experience of organising, supporting and playing a key part in committees, working groups and professional networks

8.       Excellent organizational and time management skills to meet multiple fixed deadlines and manage a constant and varied portfolio of requests

Desirable criteria

1.        Experience of line management or leading a team 

2.        Postgraduate level qualification or equivalent 

3.        Familiarity with HR processes and policy around equality 

4.        Experience of events management 

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information 

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community. 

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.