Salary: Grade 8 (£45,585 - £54,395 p.a. depending on experience)

This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you an experienced and ambitious Research and Innovation Development professional looking to further your career at the institutional level at one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities? Are you an advocate for an inclusive, equitable, open, and  supportive research culture? Are you a confident leader, capable of building productive working relationships with research colleagues, senior leaders, and external stakeholders? 

Research culture describes the environment in which research and innovation happens. It includes the ways in which we collaborate, communicate, and interact; the behaviours, expectations, attitudes, and values that shape how our research is developed, conducted, disseminated, and used; and the mechanisms by which our work is recognised and rewarded.

The University’s Strategy 2020-2030 states that we can only achieve our ambitions in research, education, and societal impact through a collaborative, diverse, inclusive, and supportive culture. In line with changing research practices across the sector, as well as as well as funder and other regulatory mandates such as the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the University has become a leading institution in fostering a more positive research culture for its current and future generations of research teams. This requires leadership, vision, strategic focus, and courage. 

As Research Culture Manager, you will support the implementation of the University’s Research Culture strategy, following its launch in September 2023. Through a range of agreed projects, you will monitor and evaluate our existing research culture in respect to diverse forms of research activity; equality, diversity, and inclusion in research; open research and impact; and supporting and developing researchers and their teams. 

Reporting to the Dean for Research Culture, you will engage with researchers and research enablers to advance a portfolio of projects. Operationally, you will improve and maintain systems and processes to facilitate these activities, and to evidence their value. You will line manage a small number of direct reports, chair the Research Culture Strategy Working Group, and liaise with external research stakeholders, e.g. funders, publishers, policymakers, and partner organisations to develop strong collaborative networks in the pursuit of an improved research culture.

To be successful you should have excellent organisational and communication skills, relevant project management and culture change experience, and the ability to work collaboratively and confidently with a range of diverse stakeholders, using negotiating and influencing skills to achieve successful outcomes. An understanding of the research cycle and its infrastructure in a Higher Education setting is essential for this post.

The University of Leeds is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. It is a charter member of Athena SWAN and holds the Bronze award. 

What we offer in return

Interviews will take place in the week commencing 11th December 2023.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Professor Catherine (Cat) Davies, Dean for Research Culture

Email: [email protected]  

Tel: +44 (0)7725 561514