Research Strategy and Development Partner - Research Strategy and Services Division - 108249 - Grade 8

Position Details

Research Strategy and Services Division

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £48,337 to £57,666 with potential progression once in post to £64,878

Grade: 8

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 25th November 2026

There are 2 positions available

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Role Summary

The University has an exciting vision to build on the success of REF2021, by continuing to transform its research performance across outputs, income, impact, and policy influence. Central to this ambition is the Research Strategy & Services Division (RSSD), a new Professional Services department that is being established to provide a transformative and sector-leading approach to research strategy and support. The RSSD brings together into one connected eco-system professional staff that work within and across the following teams: Research Strategy & Development; Research Support (Grants & Contracts); Research Partnerships, Research Impact & Innovation; Research Policy & Environment; Research Systems & Data; Research Governance; Research Communications; Legal & Regulatory Compliance and Research Finance Accounting. An overview of the RSSD is provided in the organogram below.

The Research Strategy and Development Partner (RSDP) is a key role within the Research Strategy and Services Division (RSSD), contributing to a high-performing, integrated research support function. Working closely with academic and Professional Services colleagues, the RSDP supports the development and delivery of research strategies, facilitates high-quality, typically high-value, multi-disciplinary and complex funding applications, and contributes to a seamless end-to-end research support service.

Reporting to the Head of Research Strategy and Development, the RSDP operates within a collaborative, matrix environment across the RSSD and College Hubs. The role combines strategic insight with hands-on delivery, supporting both the development of major research initiatives and the continuous improvement of research systems, processes, and performance.

The RSDP is part of a wider community of research professionals, working in close partnership with Research Support, Post Award, Research Governance, and other specialist teams to ensure a coordinated and effective approach to research from concept development through to award management.

The role requires a visible, proactive and collaborative approach, building strong relationships across Colleges, engaging regularly with researchers, and contributing to an environment where staff feel supported, empowered and able to achieve their full potential.

Main Duties

• Drive strategic research growth by shaping and delivering ambitious research, impact and funding strategies aligned to School, College and University priorities, identifying opportunities that enhance research excellence, institutional competitiveness and societal impact.

• Lead the development of major research funding opportunities by proactively identifying, designing, co-authoring and reviewing of proposals, and securing large-scale, multidisciplinary and internationally collaborative research initiatives, building strong partnerships with funders, industry, government, charities and global research organisations.

• Provide expert strategic advice and intelligence on the evolving UK and international research landscape, translating policy developments, funding priorities and market intelligence into actionable opportunities, institutional positioning and investment decisions.

• Champion high-quality research development and performance by advising senior academic leaders on funding, research income, partnerships and research strategy, while driving excellence, scale and impact across the research portfolio.

• Secure institutional investment and manage complex research initiatives through the development of compelling business cases, governance approvals, demand management, risk management frameworks and delivery plans that support successful project implementation and long-term sustainability.

• Assess and Manage risk in projects through the delivery of contracts and agreements for research projects and research-related activities (including research infrastructures), contributing to negotiation of partnership structures and key contractual terms in close collaboration with RSSD colleagues. Manage costing and pricing of activities and compliance with regulatory, ethical, insurance and indemnity issues.

• Build and influence strategic partnerships and stakeholder networks across the University and externally, strengthening engagement with key funders, research organisations, industry partners and professional bodies to maximise opportunities and institutional reputation.

• Lead and develop research support capability by mentoring colleagues, fostering collaborative working across Colleges and Professional Services, and championing best practice in research development, funding and partnership management.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent level qualifications) plus significant relevant practical experience. A PhD in an allied subject would be highly desirable

• A clear and demonstrable appreciation of the challenges and approaches in the academic fields within which the role will operate

• Authoritative knowledge of the strategic issues impacting the UK and/or overseas research funding environment, including broader sector/commercial awareness of the relevant subject areas

• Highly developed project and people management, negotiation and diplomacy skills used to bring complex groups of stakeholders together to address significant challenges or opportunities

• Experience of successfully leading the development of major, complex research grants and contracts or similar including detailed analysis and assessment of delivery risks and their mitigation and the co-authoring and critical reviewing of proposal texts

• Substantial experience of engaging, and collaborating, with internal and external stakeholders to build teams, deliver key outcomes or resolve complex challenges across a wide range of activities

• Excellent interpersonal and management skills, with proven experience of using coaching and other appropriate skills to lead, motivate and manage teams, including staff who are not direct reports working across different parts of the RSSD and other Professional Services

• Excellent analytical skills with an ability to analyse complex qualitative and quantitative information and present conclusions clearly and concisely to senior audiences, internal and external.

• Proven problem solving skills that will help to identify and implement significant improvements and efficiencies across the service area and beyond

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders at senior levels.

• Highly proficient IT skills, including the MS Office suite and corporate systems such as WorkTribe or Tableau. Confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required.

• High level of self-motivation and personal accountability with ability to plan and deliver goals to deadlines under pressure and set priorities for a wide range of tasks and duties for the role holder and others

• Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area and ability to monitor and evaluate the extent to which equality and diversity legislation, policies, procedures are applied.

• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.

Informal enquiries to Steve Taylor, email: s.b.taylor@bham.ac.uk

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.