Research Proposal Officer

Salary: £29,605 to £30,487 with progression to £32,982 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: 20 October 2023

The Role

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated, proactive individual to join us and work within the Research Support Team based in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAgE). 
 
Being embedded within the SAgE Faculty gives the post holder the opportunity to be close to the research community, innovative projects, and day to day life in a research-intensive Russell Group university. 
 
You will work closely with academic groups and colleagues to support and develop the costing of projects following recognised principles and guidelines. You will provide support and guidance on non-finance application elements such as ethics, EDI and trusted research.
 
We are looking for a confident communicator who can build positive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. Good numerical and IT skills are essential, and you must be able to work accurately to tight deadlines. To thrive in the role you will need to be well organised and customer focused. 

To learn more about the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering click here 

We are committed to building and maintaining a fair and inclusive working environment and we would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended/hybrid working. During your time spent on the University campus, you will be based in the heart of Newcastle City Centre and be able to take advantage of all that has to offer.

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is

fundamental to our continued success.

We are committed to providing a great range of benefits and discounts for our colleagues, which includes an on-site sports centre and library; flexible working options; a minimum of 25 days holiday (plus  eight public holidays and four University discretionary closure days) and the option to purchase a further two weeks additional leave per year; discounted travel for the Metro and local bus services; 24 hour employee assistance phone line and web portal to provide support and advice with a wide variety of life’s issues; and discounts for national retailers. You can find out more on our benefits web page https://www.ncl.ac.uk/vacancies/benefits/

Informal enquires are welcomed and for more information regarding specifics of the role please contact kate.mcgill@ncl.ac.uk

To apply, please complete an online application and upload a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter is a supporting statement and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples. 

Key Accountabilities

• Working closely with the Assistant Research Manager based in a unit where you will provide comprehensive support and guidance to academic staff on pre-application costing and other nonspecific research related content. Advising on pricing of research and consultancy proposals using the NUProjects system and liaising with Grants and Contracts and Contract Financial Management
• Applying sound knowledge of the faculty and school priorities and processes advise and support PIs with their applications in alignment with the School and Faculty aims
• Understand, interpret and provide advice on funder guidelines, calls and prioritise support
• Provide expert and timely advice in costing and general submission of proposals
• Advise on non-financial elements of the application process (Data Management Plan, Ethics, Trusted Research, Estates) 
• Work closely with other stakeholders (technical teams, outstations, facilities) to ensure appropriate FEC costing
• Plan workload accordingly to support the PI on a one-to-one basis with costing and submission of the application
• Ensure effective control and adherence to both University and external sponsor’s regulations, policies and procedures is maintained within the Faculty
• Provide support to the Assistant Research Manager and School Research Managers as required

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• High degree of literacy, numeracy and IT skills
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Extensive organisational skills
• Experience of managing projects or demonstrate similar evidence
• Ability to plan and prepare approach to a variety of different scenarios
• Experience of influencing and clearly explain value of processes and policies
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise accordingly
• Able to distil relevant information from a range of sources

Desirable

• Experience of working in the research environment
• Experience of working effectively in a large and complex organisation to enable successful collaboration between the Finance, Faculty, School and other
• Experience of SAP financial systems

Attributes and Behaviour

• Embraces change, reviewing and revising plans to meet with changing circumstances, changing ways and policies in light of new information
• Develops and implements new ideas, supporting others during change building on others ideas and suggestions and enterprising in approach
• Has a clear understanding of individual or group motives, making time to listen and clarify understanding of others to avoid misinterpretation
• Communicates effectively, using appropriate tools and methods tailoring content of communication to the audience, changing style, tone and format appropriately
• Considers the desired communication impact required, planning and preparing a suitable approach whilst explaining how own proposals will support the interests of others
• Maintains flexibility in work plans to allow for changing circumstances whilst working in a planned and structured way
• Plans workload and tasks in a systematic way, ensuring all activities are completed on time using systems and tools to ensure records and audit trails are clear and up to date

Qualifications

• Education to at least A level standard or equivalent 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 silver 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.

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

Requisition ID: 26166