The role

Overview

Imperial has a greater proportion of world-leading research than any other UK university, according to the Research Excellence Framework. With a research order book of over £1 billion and annual research expenditure of £400 million, Imperial is committed to the highest standards of research funding management.

The Chief Research Support and Compliance Officer (CRSCO) is a senior post within the institution, reporting to the Registrar and University Secretary, and contributing to the University’s academic mission and its international reputation. The CRSCO is a member of the University’s Research & Enterprise, Operations & Infrastructure, and Risk & Compliance Committees. With overall responsibility for the strategic and operational development and management of the Research Support and Compliance Division, the CRSCO must be forward-looking and committed to customer-focused provision. They must develop and maintain the highest possible standards and ensure that the Research Support and Compliance Division contributes to an institutional environment and culture for the University to flourish and remain at the forefront of global research.

Leading the Research Support and Compliance Division, the CRSCO will provide excellent and responsive engagement with our four Faculties, and provide a central portal for support, information and guidance for our external research funders and internal research and support service communities.

The CRSCO will be innovative and visionary, developing policy and setting priorities and objectives and optimising the opportunities which technology offers, in order to ensure that the Division meets the current and future needs of a global top 10 university.

The CRSCO will play a lead role in our Great Service Programme, leading the activity on post-award research management, as we deliver improvements and new ways of working across our HR, Finance and Research Administration services, and implement our new Enterprise Resource Planning system. This will include working with colleagues in University services and our Faculties in providing greater functional alignment across Imperial.

Strategic management and leadership

• To operate as a senior leader across the University, fostering positive relationships with key academic and professional services stakeholders in order to ensure the effective provision of research support.
• To provide inspiring leadership of the Research Support and Compliance Division, ensuring that the strategic priorities for the Research Support and Compliance Division are clear and understood, service delivery is collaborative, clear about its role in supporting research excellence and has the University’s academic mission at the heart of all that it does.
• To advise the University Research and Enterprise Committee on issues which have, or could have, a major impact on delivery of research, within the University.
• To play a leading role in the strategic development of policies in emergent areas across the management of research funding.
• To lead the development and implementation of short-, medium- and long-term strategic plans for research support and compliance, ensuring alignment with Imperial’s overarching research and institutional priorities. This includes horizon scanning, anticipating emerging challenges and opportunities, and ensuring delivery through robust planning, stakeholder engagement, and continuous performance evaluation.

Leading the Research Support and Compliance Division

• To foster strong links with key staff in the Faculties to ensure a sound understanding of academic needs and priorities to inform the approach of the Research Support and Compliance Division.
• To be expert in the requirements and expectations of Government and of Imperial’s research sponsors, ensuring that our control environment is appropriately robust and that the University’s research activities are compliant with appropriate national and international regulatory requirements.
• To be responsible for the formulation, implementation and regular review of policies and procedures which underpin professional standards and consistency in research funding administration and management.
• To be responsible for the good governance of research and related contracts across the University, establishing and maintaining policy frameworks, and providing specialist advice on complex contractual matters.
• To assess the University’s overall performance in research funding and provide assurance to the University that funder requirements are being met.
• To oversee the coordination of funder audits at an institutional level, ensuring appropriate assurance measures are in place.
• To be responsible for research governance and integrity, helping Imperial and its researchers meet the requirements of research governance, ensuring that we fulfil the legal, ethical and scientific obligations of the healthcare research process.
• To be responsible for the support, administration and development of research systems and the provision of strategic and operational management information.
• To be responsible for research security for the University, ensuring Trusted Research principles are managed appropriately and robust policy frameworks and processes are in place to support the academic community.
• To be committed to continuing professional development e.g. through membership of and active participation in relevant professional activities at national and/or international level.

People management

• To provide clear, exemplary leadership in promoting and enhancing diversity, equality and inclusion.
• To develop and sustain high-performance teams, appropriately structured, managed and rewarded, so that flexible, responsive and relevant user-focused services are provided.
• To foster a culture that encourages and supports a high level of professional development.
• To promote a forward-looking and data-driven ethos.
• To ensure good quality communication and decision-making channels are in place.

Resource management

• To develop an appropriate resource plan in accordance with strategic priorities for the Research Support and Compliance Division.
• To be responsible for the Division’s budget and resources, ensuring cost-effective and efficient financial management to provide best value for money.

Great Service Programme

• To be a Board member for this key programme in our Enabling Roadmap, leading on the approach to post-award research management.
• To champion and contribute to any necessary change management processes and ongoing continuous improvement initiatives.

External Activities

• To build and maintain excellent relationships with external agencies in support of the University’s research activity and strategy.
• To represent Imperial at meetings with major charities, research councils, European and UK Government agencies, and actively participate in related networks.
• To serve on committees, working groups, etc. to represent Imperial in areas overseen by the post holder.
• To chair internal and external user groups and professional networks, as appropriate.

Other

• To participate in staff induction and training programmes.
• To undertake relevant training and professional development to improve capability and expertise in areas relating to the role.

All of the following criteria are considered essential.

Education

• A strong educational background to at least Degree level or equivalent work experience.

Experience

• Extensive knowledge and professional work experience in a complex organisation, ideally in or connected to the Higher Education sector, and in a role with direct and senior responsibility for research at a research-intensive institution.
• Proven management experience of large teams with an ability to lead and motivate staff across multiple workstreams and manage through others.
• Substantial leadership experience from directing teams and managing change in complex organisations.
• Experience working with organisations which govern and/or regulate Higher Education.
• Experience implementing and working within regulatory/procedural frameworks.
• Track record of managing through influence in complex organisational structures
• Extensive experience in developing and managing financial and other resources including preparing, managing and monitoring large budgets.
• Experience of working in diverse project teams and contributing at an organisational leadership level.
• Experience of managing a complex and very dynamic workload.
• Experienced at negotiating with colleagues and external agencies and achieving successful outcomes.

Knowledge

• Understanding of the major issues which affect universities and the needs of the academic environment, particularly those with global reach.
• Expert in the requirements and expectations of Government and of Imperial’s research sponsors.
• Knowledgeable about the main trends in scientific, technological, medical and business research.
  Deep understanding of research in higher education and the academic environment, particularly within the subject areas taught by Imperial.
• Knowledge and understanding of the UK Higher Education policy environment.

Skills & Abilities

• Tactfulness, discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong data and numeric reasoning skills.
• Ability to engender a spirit of collaboration and consultation, an inspirational team leader and strong team player.
• Proven organisational leadership skills and ability to introduce new organisational structures, develop strategies and coordinate their execution.
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to work independently, with use of initiative and a positive approach to identify key issues, and manage own and division’s workload.
• Excellent oral and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely at all levels of the organisation, and give positive input to discussion at organisational level groups.
• Political acumen: ability to generate consensus across complex University structures.
• The skills to line-manage staff and manage through managers, to support their personal and professional development and those of their teams.
• Receptiveness to new and innovative ideas and approaches, as well as range of different experiences.
• Ability to work under pressure, with no direct supervision, to tight deadlines and to adapt to changing situations in a considered and calm manner.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain good working relationships with a wide range of people at all levels of seniority.
• Willingness to work adaptively and proactively as part of a team, readily supporting colleagues in times of high demand.