Capacity Development and Training Manager

Salary: £47,389 to £50,253 with progression to £56,535 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 31 October 2025

The Role

Launched in August 2025, the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium (NIHR MDC) is a £50 million, five-year NIHR investment which brings together a diverse range of organisations with expertise in research, capacity development and working with people and communities to deliver a step change in maternity outcomes and developing future research leaders in this area of need. The research carried out by the consortium is organised into five theme and two workstreams and will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy. Nine University-led collaborations comprise the MDC.

The NIHR MDC is co-ordinated from Newcastle University (Research and Capacity Development) and the University of Birmingham (Research). The postholder will be based at Newcastle University and work closely with the Consortium team at the University of Birmingham. The University operates blended working but it is expected you will spend the majority of your time on site.

You will plan and manage a range of activity related to career development and training in maternal health and care associated with the delivery of the NIHR MDC’s capacity development plan. The Capacity Development and Training Manager under the guidance and direction of the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development and managed by the NIHR MDC Programme Manager (Newcastle), will coordinate the delivery of a range of capacity development programmes and training initiatives (including internships, PhD studentships, post-doctoral fellows and community researcher opportunities) to those within and external to the MDC. Each of the nine collaborations has a Capacity Development Lead and they form the NIHR MDC Capacity Development Leads Group which is chaired by the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development. The post-holder will work closely with the Capacity Development Leads Group.

The NIHR MDC has been established to increase the evidence base to address maternity inequalities, facilitating a multidisciplinary whole systems approach to address uncertainties across research, innovation and implementation. It will task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle maternity inequalities. The research will have strong community engagement and be guided by inclusive principles. The research will be accessible to those developing policies and services to ensure it delivers the impact needed to improve pregnancy outcomes, access to, and experience of, maternity services.

The NIHR MDC’s research will help answer the most important questions facing policy makers, Local Authorities and service providers organised across five themes and two workstreams. To do this, we need to inspire and equip the next generation of research leaders in maternal health and care. The UK-wide Consortium will develop an innovative and transformative capacity building programme of career development awards and opportunities that are linked and embedded within the MDC’s research themes and workstreams, reflecting who/what is needed to address maternity inequalities.

The Consortium will focus on growing long-term research capacity and expertise, especially within underrepresented disciplines, professions and underserved communities; inspiring and supporting the next generation of researchers with the right skills mix to work across clinical, practice and research sectors.

The Capacity Development and Training Manager will coordinate a variety of capacity development and training opportunities for trainees and researchers at all levels within and external to the NIHR MDC. This will form an integral part of the NIHR MDC capacity development and training plan and career development by the provision of a comprehensive programme of training and mentorship to support the next generation of researchers in maternity inequalities research and care. The postholder will work closely with the Consortium team at the University of Birmingham.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to be part of this new Consortium and to play a key role in developing and delivering capacity development and training.

The Capacity Development and Training Manager will ensure operational aspects of the capacity development training programme are delivered in accordance with the NIHR MDC capacity development and training plan and that specific objectives are achieved by monitoring and reporting progress, making suggestions and recommendations to the NIHR MDC co-lead for Research and Capacity Development, and MDC Programme Manager. The role will also involve evaluation of all schemes and training activities. The Capacity Development and Training Manager will provide support and contribute to the agenda of the Capacity Development Leads Group meetings. The Capacity Development and Training Manager will report directly to the MDC Programme Manager.

The role requires extensive understanding of, and experience in, the development, delivery and evaluation of capacity development and training as well as project management skills and experience.

This is a fixed term contract until the end of July 2030.

If you have any queries, please reach out to JUDITH.RANKIN@NEWCASTLE.AC.UK 

Key Accountabilities

• Take operational responsibility for the day-to-day management and delivery of the Consortium’s capacity development and training plan including providing a programme of training to increase capacity and capability for maternity inequalities research and provide opportunities for career progression
• Working with the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development and the Consortium’s Programme Manager and with external stakeholders, undertaking a training needs survey of those conducting or aspiring to conduct maternity inequalities research
• Scope the existing training available nationally, negotiate with training providers to ensure access to training, as appropriate, and work with the Consortium’s Communications Manager to develop a capacity building portal that effectively signposts to existing training opportunities
• Working with the Capacity Development Leads Group and external stakeholders, identify gaps in training and plan, design and deliver training programmes and, where appropriate, commission external provision to fill these Proactively monitor these programmes, identifying and managing all relevant risks and issues, and initiating appropriate corrective action to ensure that they are delivered on time and within budget
• Develop and manage the Consortium’s capacity development schemes working closely with the Community Engagement workstream and the Capacity Development Leads Group to ensure there is diversity in applications to the schemes through a programme of proactive engagement
• Ensure that all awardees have equitable access to high quality training, development opportunities and mentorship that supports their career development
• Undertake evaluation of all schemes to ensure effective quality assurance of the capacity development programme, ensuring it offers value for money and that any national policy and regulatory requirements and good practices are embedded
• Develop and deploy appropriate processes to capture, report and retain evidence of delivery in accordance with the requirements of the funder and stakeholders
• Work with the Consortium’s Communications Manager to promote the successes of the programmes, regularly provide content to update the NIHR MDC website and manage associated training communications through social media and publicity material
• Manage, monitor, control, and report budgets for the capacity development programme, working closely with the MDC Programme Manager and university finance teams, to ensure that career development opportunities and training are delivered on time and target.  Produce progress reports to the MDC’s Executive Board, meeting reporting deadlines as required
• Represent the MDC at local, regional and national meetings, at national and international conferences, preparing and delivering presentations as appropriate
• Work with colleagues in other parts of the NIHR infrastructure including the NIHR Academy, NIHR ARCs, NIHR Schools, and NIHR BRCs as well as the Research Delivery Network, Local Authorities, and industry to develop synergy, joint working and shared activity that will support the delivery of the NIHR Consortium’s business plan.
• Undertake other tasks relating to capacity development and training as agreed with the co-lead for Research and Capacity Development
• Identify own learning needs, including appropriate courses to ensure up to date knowledge and skills

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of leading on the delivery and evaluation of capacity development and training within and across complex organisations
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills including diplomacy, motivation, negotiating and influencing.
• Significant experience of project management and demonstrable ability to deliver results on time and within budget
• Proven high level of decision making and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrable ability to lead initiatives, prioritise and plan appropriately within a strategic framework
• Success in developing effective working relationships with colleagues at all levels and across a range of disciplines and partner organisations
• Ability to work independently, and to make decisions on complex or overlapping matters
• Strong digital literacy skills and ability to communicate and collaborate easily using digital tools
• Well-developed understanding of funding and financial management procedures

Desirable

• Experience of working with research funders
• Knowledge of the UK research funding landscape
• Experience of working collaboratively with academic, professional and managerial staff at a senior level, within healthcare, academic or research setting

Attributes and Behaviour

• Able to effectively collaborate and communicate with a variety of colleagues and stakeholders. Acts in a collaborative, inclusive, transparent and open manner, acting with integrity and able to build high levels of trust.
• Able to see the “big picture”, to think strategically and to consider the detail in complex situations, including where there are conflicting priorities
• Ability to think creatively to come up with new ideas, good problem-solving skills and ability to imagine beyond the status quo
• Uses benchmarking to analyse external practices, gain a deeper understanding of the issues and to identify opportunities
• High drive and initiative, able to demonstrate professional resilience
• An articulate, confident communicator, ready and able to deal with difficult situations and to challenge where necessary
• Works collaboratively with others, plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across an organisation where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued
• An energetic and “can do” approach which will inspire and enthuse others, ready to take the lead in driving forward initiatives

Qualifications

• Educated to degree or equivalent level qualification plus experience in a similar capacity development and training-related role or significant vocational experience, demonstrating development through progressively more demanding, relevant roles
• Professional qualification in relation to training, development, organisational development or project management and/or relevant professional experience

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28717