Recruiting for UKRI and UK SBS

Operations Manager RICHeS

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Professional
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2400013Q Requisition #

Arts and Humanities Research Council

RICHeS Operations Manager 

Salary: £36,650

Hours: Full time or Part Time (minimum 0.8FTE) 

Contract Type: Open ended 

Location: England-Cheshire-Warrington 

Grade: UKRI Band D 

Positions Available: 1

Closing Date: 15 Jan 25

Proposed Interview Date: W/C 03 Feb 25

Org Context

Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) is a new £80 million investment into the UK’s heritage science sector. To deliver this exciting new programme, AHRC is developing a RICHeS Infrastructure Headquarters (IHQ) to manage the programme on a day-to-day basis. This new team will be based at Daresbury and be responsible for managing the investment, engaging with the heritage science community, and measuring the impacts of the programme. Key activities for the team in 2024 and 2025 will be supporting grant holders, designing, and delivering future funding opportunities, managing the RICHeS subdomain website, and capturing programme and project level impacts.   

Purpose 

An opportunity has arisen for an Operations Manager to join the new Infrastructure Headquarters (IHQ) for Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS). RICHeS is a major investment into the UK’s conservation and heritage science capability and capacity and will drive the generation of a national research infrastructure that enables access, innovation and collaboration.   

The Operations Manager of RICHeS IHQ will support day to day operational management of the RICHeS project and IHQ, including budget management, risk management and post grant support, as well as line managing an Operations Officer.  

We expect IHQ to be a busy workplace with visits from internal colleagues and external stakeholders, and the post holder will be expected to manage diaries, organise tours and visits, and plan events. The post holder will support the development of IHQ as a workplace for the IHQ team and hub for the wider heritage and conservation science community and be a supportive and collaborative member of RICHeS IHQ.

The landscape of conservation and heritage science research infrastructures is broad, diverse and dispersed across a range of organisations, and includes facilities, equipment, and data services. This role will provide an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of the heritage and conservation science sector, and the post holder will be expected to deputise for the Senior Operations Manager at meetings and events, and to present the work of RICHeS to external stakeholders.  

The post holder will provide post-grant support for recipients of RICHeS funding, working with UKRI and AHRC colleagues to answer questions and resolve problems, ensuring that grant holders are engaged, collaborative and focused on delivery.  

The post holder will support the RICHeS research strategy, managing external reports and disseminating outcomes. The post holder will support the development of  the Heritage Science Data Service for heritage and conservation science, working closely with the grant holder(s) to ensure delivery, access and impact. 

The post will report to the RICHeS Senior Operations Manager. The post will be expected to work effectively with a network of colleagues who lead on different aspects of AHRC’s work (including operations, communications, finance and research), as well as STFC colleagues based at Daresbury and other colleagues within UKRI.

This is a new and exciting area for the AHRC and one in which there are a wide and growing number of interested stakeholders and opportunities for future innovation and collaboration. The role will therefore need you to be operationally focused and adaptive, as well as interested in building and maintaining relationships within UKRI and across the sector. 

Main Outputs

  • Support day to day operational management of RICHeS including maintaining project, business and operational plans. 

  • Provide post-grant support for RICHeS funding recipients on reporting, project delivery, and project change requests. 

  • Provide support to the Heritage Science Data Service to ensure access, reporting, monitoring and alignment with community need. 

  • Manage the RICHeS project risk register 

  • Support the Head of RICHeS and Senior Operations Manager in the development of the IHQ site, facilities and national infrastructure access. 

  • Develop and maintain close working relationships with colleagues across AHRC and UKRI to align activities and priorities, and to follow UKRI financial, grant management and recruitment processes 

  • Deputise for the Senior Operations Manager and represent both RICHeS and AHRC at internal and external meetings and events 

  • Support the planning and delivery of engagement, networking and training events 

  • Support diary and logistical management for visits, workshops and tours 

  • Work closely with RICHeS IHQ and AHRC colleagues to build knowledge, capture impacts and ensure IHQ engages with the heritage and conservation science and community 

Shortlisting Criteria 

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting  

(I) – Assessed at interview  

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

Essential:

  • good communication and interpersonal skills  (S&I)

  • ability to work collaboratively within a team (S&I)

  • ability to manage workloads to meet deadlines and priorities (S&I) 

  • ability to build relationships with new partners and stakeholders   (S&I)

  • ability to follow business processes and use problem solving skills to suggest improvements and find answers to questions   (S&I)

  • numerical skills and ability to manage, plan and/or analyse financial information   (S&I)

Desirable:

  • knowledge of AHRC’s role in supporting arts and humanities research (S&I)

  • project and/or operational management skills (S&I)

  • experience of or interest in heritage and conservation science, the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums sector or research infrastructures  (S&I)

Please note that this role will require the post holder to be willing to travel and to work away from the office and on occasion outside normal working hours.

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)

About The Arts and Humanities Research Council 

The AHRC supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.  

Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/  


About UK Research Innovation (UKRI) 

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. 

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation. 

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.  

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.  For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.


How we support EDI in the workforce 

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’


Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. 

 
How to apply 

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and 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. 

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us. 

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