About us
Research England is a funding council within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK. UKRI works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish.
Research England aims to create and sustain the conditions for a healthy, dynamic, diverse and inclusive research and knowledge system in English universities. We provide government grant funding for high quality research, knowledge exchange activities and infrastructure. We provide funding and long-term strategic direction to English universities for research and knowledge exchange activities. In 2024, we funded 135 universities; a public investment totalling £2.7bn.
Purpose of the Role
You will be part of a friendly and productive engagement team, part of the Insight and Engagement (I&E) directorate at Research England, UKRI. The engagement team comprises five posts who work together to engage across the range of universities funded by Research England; the team is the face of Research England, and we foster positive and trust-based relationships with our sector.
In line with our engagement strategy, you will nurture strong relationships with senior R&D leaders, (predominantly pro vice chancellors and directors within universities, and chief executives of stakeholder groups).
We need to work collaboratively to represent Research England well. This is a key part of working in our small engagement team of five. We support each other by:
Sharing the work to ensure we are well-informed about internal and sector-wide policy issues, including liaising internally, keeping attuned to debate, emergent thinking, and decision-making, both within the Research England and UKRI, and wider HE, policy contexts
Working together to share policy insight externally to help influence and inform our sector
Sharing sector insight with colleagues to help inform emergent policy and the wider HE policy landscape
Person specification overview
To be successful in this role:
You will have extensive experience of building and sustaining successful relationships with senior external stakeholders
You will have (or quickly develop) a strong understanding of the HE sector
You will work with autonomy
You will be confident in your ability to influence senior leaders and will use nuanced judgement to shape your conversations with the sector
You will be articulate, considered, diplomatic and self-assured, remaining resilient in challenging and fast-paced situations
You will need to constantly strive to see the bigger picture and have an enquiring outlook that seeks out new insights
You will have the ability to professionally challenge and guide people to help them understand sector developments and what these developments could signify
Main job function
The engagement team works proactively to form meaningful relationships across all the universities we fund. You will establish trust-based relationships that take the temperature of the sector. Your portfolio will be geographically spread across England with responsibilities in identified cities. Currently, this represents a strategic investment of approximately £0.5bn (2024). Within your portfolio, there will be large, medium, and smaller multi-discipline universities, as well as institutions that have a particular specialism, for example, medical and life sciences, or arts. You will visit and engage with a diverse portfolio of universities regularly, both online and in person, and seek to understand their missions, seeing their world-leading research and knowledge exchange activities first-hand.
You will take note of university strengths and characteristics and be alert and responsive to emerging issues. You will feed back the experiences, challenges and the risks faced by the universities in your portfolio and play a key role in identifying sector trends, providing advice to colleagues across Research England and UKRI. Through our work, colleagues are kept abreast of contextual issues and have access to high-quality insight. Our work enables Research England to engage in discussions which affect the health of research and innovation in England and, working with the devolved nations, develop a collective understanding of the wider UK research and innovation system. The intelligence the engagement team gathers shapes the HE policy landscape.
You will contribute to the wider activities of Research England through discrete project work alongside engagement activity. This may include projects with a strategic, policy-based or operational focus that will involve close working with colleagues across Research England or UKRI.
Activities
Externally facing:
Build vital, enduring relationships, engendering credibility and respect from key contacts in universities
Act as a source of expert advice for senior contacts in universities
Implement Research England’s engagement strategy within jointly agreed engagement practices
Attend external events on behalf of Research England to engage and build relationships with key contacts
In partnership with other engagement colleagues, convene groups of sector leaders
Promote and act as a sounding board for funding opportunities administered by Research England including, UKRPIF, CCF, E3, SIPF, RED
Proactively seek to understand the impact of Research England’s funding in universities in your portfolio
Work collaboratively with colleagues to keep abreast of HE policy developments and assess their likely impact upon research and knowledge exchange within universities
Horizon scan to educate yourself on potential sector issues
Internally facing:
With the other Engagement Leads, develop and implement a strategic engagement programme, primarily for self and other senior leaders of Research England
Work with the Head of Insight and other I&E team colleagues to support processes that systematically capture insights and intelligence, as well as contributing expert knowledge of institutions to give shape and nuance to outputs
Lead work with senior leaders across Research England to enhance the engagement team’s understanding of emergent policy
Work closely with senior leaders across Research England and identified UKRI teams to share sector intelligence and enhance sector understanding
Support periodic reviews of the engagement strategy, helping to ensure our work is meeting the needs of Research England
Positively engage in identified cross council working, and task and finish groups
Outputs:
Co-create visit programmes/ events (for self and other senior leaders) in collaboration with your universities to provide meaningful insight into the sector to help build knowledge and understanding of our sector
Develop and deliver presentations and briefings on rapidly evolving sector issues
Represent Research England to key stakeholders, drawing on policy, analysis and insights
Produce or contribute to high-quality briefings and reports for senior officials, crystallising and highlighting issues of importance.
Other:
Undertake discrete project work alongside engagement activity
Undertake other work, as appropriate, at the discretion of your line manager
There are no direct line management responsibilities for this role.
Shortlisting criteria
(S) – Assessed at shortlisting
(I) – Assessed at interview
(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview
Essential:
External relationships: successful track record in building mutually beneficial relationships with senior external stakeholders. Must be over a sustained period and in a complex sector (for example: university, the public sector, a research funder, health service, local government etc) (S&I)
Internal relationships: experienced in building relationships and influencing senior internal colleagues. (S&I)
Team player: demonstrable experience of working successfully through collaboration. Contributing to the success of other teams and contributing to corporate goals (S&I)
Decision making: the ability to adapt to changing situations, take the initiative and originate action (S&I)
Change: ability to be innovative and challenge established thinking in self and others and to offer insights and ideas with practical application coupled with the ability to drive change (S&I)
Written work: engaging and accurate, and suitable for advising senior leaders (S)
Organisation: works proactively and can plan work in line with appropriate strategies, policies, processes, and protocols (S)
Education/ experience: to degree level or equivalent professional experience/ qualifications (S)
Analysis: subtle, nuanced analysis of intelligence, using your own intuition and judgement (I)
Resilience: demonstrable personal resilience and the ability to remain focused on the bigger picture, responding to challenges in a calm and measured manner (I)
Knowledge/understanding – complex messages: ability to develop thorough understanding of and distil complex information, to communicate in a straightforward and articulate manner. Operate with political understanding and sense, in a complex environment of change and uncertainty (I)
Communication – influencing: excellent listening, influencing, and negotiating skills, including influencing senior leaders and external stakeholders to achieve optimal outcomes (I)
Communication – speaking: an engaging manner with the ability to communicate in a succinct, engaging, and convincing way? (I)
Desirable:
A sophisticated understanding of higher education policy (S&I)
Operational Information
Research England is based in Bristol, co-located with the Office for Students. UKRI’s head offices are in Swindon and London. The post holder should expect regular travel to these sites. While expenses will be paid for travel to universities, Swindon and London offices, expenses will not be paid to travel to Research England’s office in Bristol.
The post holder must be able to travel across England on a regular basis (expect to travel at least once a month, which will probably involve an overnight stay). Travel to universities/ institutions is usually made by public transport, however having a full driving licence and access to a car would be helpful for this role.
Applications:
Online applications only for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter to the attachments section (ignore free textbox for cover letter under ‘Experience’ section) which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘Experience’ section of the application process.
Additional information
Developing talent:
We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e-learning, classroom training and on-the-job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.
Benefits:
UKRI can offer the successful candidate:
– Flexible Working
– 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays
– Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme
– Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider
Visit our dedicated benefits webpage for more info: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Application URL:
https://www.careersportal.co.uk/UKRI-careers/jobs/engagement-lead-4595