Head of Knowledge Exchange Strategic Projects & Partnerships

Research England

Head of Knowledge Exchange Strategic Projects & Partnerships

Salary: £54,043 per annum
Hours: Full time

Contract Type:  Open Ended
Location: Westward House, Lime Kiln Close, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8SR
Grade: UKRI F 

Closing Date: 29th September 
Interviews will be held week commencing: w/c 14th October 

About Us
The post holder will join the Knowledge Exchange (KE) Policy Team in Research England, UKRI. This team supports the higher education sector to enhance its work with businesses, public sector and local communities for the benefit of the economy and society. The team work to meet Government priorities to provide assurance that universities are delivering efficiency and effectiveness in all forms of KE, in appropriate ways. Working with colleagues internally, in institutions, with academic and other experts and Government and other partner organisations, the post-holder will develop and deliver policy across a range of areas of activity within knowledge exchange.

We use the term ‘knowledge exchange’ to cover the multiple interactions between universities and businesses, public services, charities and communities to create societal and economic benefit. These interactions include joint research and development projects, consultancy and training, knowledge transfer partnerships and setting up new companies and social enterprises. 

Purpose

This is a key role in the Research England (RE) Knowledge Exchange policy team – you will develop a strong understanding of policy development in relation to knowledge exchange (KE) activity across strategic project and formula funding, and of the importance of data and evidence in policy development. You will deploy this to provide technical leadership on approaches to strategic project funding in KE and key stakeholder management, including playing a key role in RE's national KE metrics programme to develop new and improved KE data and evidence.  Specifically, you will lead the technical development and delivery of RE’s KE competitive funding, CCF-RED, working with senior colleagues to devise innovative policy approaches and methods and advise on evidence, particularly for evaluation purposes.

You will engage fully in policy discussion including with internal senior management and national and HE sector policy makers, problem-solve, understand and interpret implications in setting long term policy. You will be expected to contribute to commissioning of research and evaluation, for both formula and competitive funding, to produce both quantitative and qualitive evidence in particular for use in Spending Reviews, making links and drawing on expertise of relevant external experts. You will also work on other projects within the scope of the Knowledge Exchange Policy team including to support developing approaches to formula funding as part of the recently announced HEIF Reform.

You will work closely with Associate Director of KE Strategic Projects and Partnerships, in addition the Head of KE Data & Evidence and Associate Director of KE Data & Evidence on broader RE KE policy development. You will also a lead a small sub-team within the wider KE team.

Main outputs and activities

• Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of, and act as an authoritative source of advice on, knowledge exchange policy and interpretation of analysis with the ability to distil key points for a range of audiences.
• Lead on policy on, and delivery of, methods and processes for allocating funding for KE working within context of overall RE KE policy priorities, contributing to KE formula funding but with a primary focus on strategic and project funding, including contributing to wider RE approaches. This will include:

o   Significant contributions to the effective distribution of competitive project funding for KE, leading on the technical policy development and delivery of CCF-RED programme, including supporting the design of competitive calls, leading evaluation processes, and responding to queries from providers.

o   Supporting senior colleagues on the development of KE wider policy and funding, making recommendations on how policy objectives can be addressed, taking into consideration availability of appropriate evidence and institutional burden

o   Leading on methods to deliver policies and priorities, and their implementation, specifically in the context of project funding and to contribute to the delivery the recently announced HEIF reform.

o   Working with policy and analysis colleagues in RE to ensure that KE policy reflects wider RE standards on and funding approaches and data definitions/use.

• Playing a key role in the development and delivery of RE’s national KE metrics programme leading on managing key stakeholders and strategic partnerships in a complex and novel work programme, commissioning activities to support metric development on particular topics as required to meet RE data needs, and providing technical advice on approaches to Associate Directors and Director for KE.
• Work as part of the team to assist with consideration of evidence and analysis to inform research and evaluation and monitoring of KE policy, KE project funding and elements of HEIF processes. This will include assisting commissioning external work, contributing to both formula and competitive project funding work in Spending Review exercises.
• Give presentations and lead discussions at external meetings relating to KE funding and policy, including funding and policy decisions.
• Make a significant contribution to effective relations with HE institutions and sector bodies, communicating policy development decisions and funding methods, answering queries and liaising with other RE directorates, including analytical and the Insight & Engagement directorate.
• Contribute to briefing and advice to Government/DSIT and senior Research England and wider UKRI colleagues, taking a leading role in areas of project funding and evidence development as they relate to KE policy.
• Assess, use and present accurately complex quantitative evidence in policy development.
• Problem solving using evidence.
• Internal project management (including managing expert researchers and working closely with statisticians).
• Production of RE Council and relevant Committee papers and other documents
• Represent Research England/UKRI at external meetings and presenting to external groups
• Leading a small team, including direct line management of up to 3 direct reports, to deliver a varied and complex workload, including the delegation of work as required. 

Shortlisting Criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Essential:

• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the UK research and higher education policy, including formula and/or project approaches to KE funding. (S&I)
• Ability to develop an authoritative knowledge of evidence relating to KE, identify policy solutions and share knowledge and solutions effectively with others in order to make effective recommendations about future RE policy (S+I)
• Demonstrable excellent quantitative skills. (S&I)
• An excellent communicator, with ability to communicate to (S+I):

o   complex subjects with people at all levels, including technical analysts, both verbally and in writing, in a clear, concise and fluent manner.

o   and to work effectively with a range of stakeholders, including government, institutions and academic experts, with the ability to represent Research England and UKRI at meetings and events.

• Strong organisational and project management skills, including in relation to commissioning external evaluation and evidence gathering work. (S+I)
• Ability to work flexibly to contribute fully within a team that covers a shared and complex workload, including with challenging deadlines. (S&I)

Desirable:

• Experience of principles of data architecture design, in order to take a systematic approach, seeking a diverse range of inputs in order to find solutions (S)
• An understanding of economic theory, in order to apply them to research and evaluation activity and contribute to Spending Review case development. (S)