King's College London

About Us

King’s College London is a renowned institution at the forefront of ground-breaking research. An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Research Management & Innovation Directorate for the position of Dean of Research Infrastructure. The team is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to fill this newly created role.

The Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID) at King’s is dedicated to providing comprehensive and wide-ranging professional support across the research ecosystem. This includes ensuring that the university maintains and develops relationships and research partnerships with funding organisations both domestically and internationally; leading King’s work on capital funding bids; and managing the university’s investment in research.

Led by Director Dr Bryony Wakefield, RMID works closely with Vice President (Research & Innovation) Professor Bashir M. Al-Hashimi and the Vice-Principals, in collaboration with research management colleagues across the Faculties and our partners, to provide the best environment, support, and networks for our community - from postgraduate research students to senior academics. Our teams of professional services staff provide advice, support, platforms, and services to our research community.

We are seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to fill the newly created role of Dean for Research Infrastructure.

About the Role

THIS VACANCY IS OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

The Dean of Research Infrastructure is responsible for strategy, policy and advice relating to research infrastructure across King’s College London, working closely with Faculties, senior leadership, and Professional Services colleagues, particularly in the Research Management & Innovation Directorate. The Dean will contribute to supporting strategic partnerships, consideration of policy regarding investment in research facilities, and the development of an Infrastructure Roadmap.

This position is designed to ensure that King’s research infrastructure is fit for purpose and future-proof, empowering our academic community to deliver world-leading research. The successful candidate will provide academic leadership in aligning research facilities with the University’s research strengths and ensuring they are both environmentally and financially sustainable.

This role is suited to individuals who are passionate about contributing to the career development of academic and technical staff by enabling them to conduct high-quality research through access to state-of-the-art facilities. The Dean for Research Infrastructure will play a key role in building research capacity across the institution, working collaboratively with academic and professional services teams, as well as external partners such as King’s Health Partners (KHP), The Francis Crick Institute, the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), and the Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI).

This position offers an exciting opportunity to shape the future of research at King’s College London by ensuring our infrastructure supports and enables world-class research. If you are passionate about fostering innovation and supporting the development of researchers, we encourage you to apply. This position will report to the Vice President (Research & Innovation).

This is a part time post (0.4 FTE), and you will be offered a 3-year fixed term contract from the date of appointment.

About You

To be successful in this role, candidates should have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Experience in an academic leadership role with a proven ability to lead strategic initiatives and influence across multiple stakeholders.
2. Demonstrated understanding of how research facilities contribute to impactful research outcomes. While experience as an experimentalist is an advantage, candidates without experimental experience but with a passion for research infrastructure and a desire to learn are encouraged to apply.
3. Strong knowledge of environmental sustainability initiatives and experience in managing the financial sustainability of large-scale infrastructure or research facilities.
4. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and with external partners. Ability to foster positive working relationships with academic, technical, and professional staff.
5. Proven analytical skills and the ability to develop creative solutions to complex, multi-faceted problems.
6. Strategic thinker with a future-focused mindset.
7. Strong leadership presence, capable of driving change and influencing at all levels.
8. Passion for research infrastructure and its role in advancing high-impact research.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience working with research facilities in partnerships with organizations such as The Francis Crick Institute, KHP, LCN, RFI, or similar.
2. A background in experimental research or experience in a technical research environment.

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.

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.