About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting time of change for HEFCW as we prepare to move into the new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER), the new arm’s length body responsible for overseeing and funding post-16 education and research from August 2024.

As the largest funder of research in Wales, we currently provide in excess of £100 million a year to support the research activities of universities in Wales. Our Research, Innovation and Engagement Team is responsible for setting the direction of and implementing the policies and funding streams underpinning this investment. We are recruiting a Senior Research Manager to lead its research policy agenda within this team.   

Job description

You will manage a range of research-based initiatives, working in partnership with other bodies, including government within Wales and the UK, as well as UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). In particular, you will work in partnership with the UK higher education funding bodies in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to determine the design of the next exercise assessing the quality of research, building on the Research Excellence Framework. You will manage the development, implementation, monitoring and review of HEFCW’s funding streams for research, and ensure we support positive research cultures through our engagement with other policy initiatives.

Person specification

Educated to a degree level (or with equivalent professional experience), you will be an experienced professional within the areas of research and/or higher education from a higher education institution, research funder or public sector organisation. You will have significant experience of implementing research policy and funding arrangements for the university sector, either within Wales or elsewhere in the UK. You will be able to successfully manage complex projects with minimal guidance, and communicate challenging issues confidently and clearly. The ability to communicate bilingually in Welsh and English is desirable.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,256, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales contributes £12,219 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

For more information and a full job description, please click Apply 

HEFCW is a Disability Confident and Living Wage accredited employer.  We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace and we particularly encourage LGBTQ+ applicants, disabled applicants and people from an ethnic minority background, who are currently under-represented at HEFCW.  We are pleased to accept applications in Welsh and English.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.