Job Description
The Medical Research Council (MRC)
Salary: £45,272 per annum
Band: UKRI E
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 30 hours per week)
Contract Type: 12 months Fixed Term (potential to extend to 2030 subject to business case approval)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available
Closing Date: Sunday 28th September 2025
We are looking for an experienced Programme Manager to support the delivery of the next phase of Our Future Health and other strategic projects within the MRC Major Investments Team. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual to support the development and implementation of a high-profile programme that will deliver real-world, potentially transformational impact in improving future health and contribute to the development of other projects that will make major contributions to delivering MRC strategic priorities.
About the role
The MRC Major Investments Team leads the development and the delivery of a number of programmes including Centres of Research Excellence (CoRES) engaging with colleagues across MRC, the research community and other funders to establish a portfolio of new challenge-led investments.
MRC has taken on the role of Delivery Partner for the DSIT Programme Our Future Health (OFH), the UK’s largest ever health research programme. OFH is an ambitious collaboration between the public, charity and private sectors bringing people together to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat disease. Its aim is to recruit up to 5 million adult participants from diverse backgrounds and improve health outcomes for its participants and the wider UK population by providing feedback directly to participants, linked to evaluation of suitable health interventions, and enabling large-scale health data analysis.
The Programme Manager will play a key role in supporting the delivery of the next phase of Our Future Health working with MRC and UKRI colleagues and with DSIT, OLS, Our Future Health and the external research and innovation community to help ensure the realisation of the expected benefits. In addition, they will contribute to developing and delivering the wider portfolio of MRC major investments, promoting creative approaches and supporting wider organizational learning.
The Programme Manager will:
* Act as the day-to-day point of contact for OFH within MRC to support delivery in line with the requirements of the Business Case and timely monitoring and reporting
* Support budget management and forecasting
* Work within the agreed Governance structure to identify and mitigate risks to the Programme
* Assimilate intelligence or feedback and working with stakeholders to resolve or prioritise competing issues pertinent to programme delivery
* Develop an excellent understanding of OFH and act as a subject matter expert within MRC and UKRI
* Work with other MRC and UKRI programme managers to share good practice and build organizational knowledge of complex project management
* Provide input to briefing for the MRC Executive Chair, MRC Senior Executive Team, UKRI, DSIT, and DHSC
* Contribute to the development and delivery of other MRC Major Investments and associated activities as required
Person Specification
The below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I)
* A degree in an area of science relevant to the MRC (S)
* Significant research (in academia, industry or NHS) or research-related experience (e.g. research funding/strategy management or publishing), demonstrating strong understanding of the biomedical/health research landscape and a broad understanding of scientific issues (S)
* Experience of planning, managing, and delivering projects or programmes in a multi-stakeholder environment (S/I)
* Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to independently plan, prioritise and progress multiple workstreams (S/I)
* Ability to handle, analyse and present complex information (scientific, financial, policy, ethical). (S/I)
* Excellent written communication skills, able to tailor style to a range of scientific and executive, and non-technical audiences. (S/I)
* Excellent numeracy skills, with experience of handling budgets. (S/I)
* Effective collaborator and team member (S/I)
* Experience of working in the research and innovation sector, or demonstrable understanding of the sector (S)
* PhD in an area relevant to MRC(S)
Working relationships:
Reports to: Associate Director Major Investments
The role involves developing and maintaining a broad range of working relationships within MRC and UKRI and externally:
* DSIT and OLS
* Our Future Health
* Other directorates/teams within MRC Head Office
* Other Research Councils across UKRI
* Members of the scientific community
* Members of MRC Science Strategy Board and Council and other advisory and governance groups
* Research charities, NIHR and other public funding bodies
* Commercial organisations with a biomedical R&D interest
Other key information
The post holder will be based in the Swindon Office but will be required to travel to London on occasion and to attend meetings/workshops in other UK and/or overseas locations.
The MRC operates flexible working between office locations and home, in line with business needs and maintaining a strong office presence.
UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.
We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!
A list of benefits below:
* 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
* Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
* Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
* Flexible working options
Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!
For further information on our benefits please see:
Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org
About Us
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
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 UKRI .
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 applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. 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.
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.
About the Team
Within UKRI, the MRC seeks to improve human health by investing in world-class research, from fundamental science to early clinical trials and preventive medicine. Working in partnership with other UKRI councils, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and devolved administrations, the NHS, charities and industry, we are a dynamic organisation continually evolving and embracing new opportunities to achieve our mission first framed over a century ago. With an annual budget of over £800m, MRC provides support both to individuals, through fellowships and grants, and to institutions, such as the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and the Francis Crick Institute.
Within UKRI, the MRC seeks to improve human health by investing in world-class research, from fundamental science to early clinical trials and preventive medicine. Working in partnership with other UKRI councils, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and devolved administrations, the NHS, charities and industry, we are a dynamic organisation continually evolving and embracing new opportunities to achieve our mission first framed over a century ago. With an annual budget of over £800m, MRC provides support both to individuals, through fellowships and grants, and to institutions, such as the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and the Francis Crick Institute.
For more information about MRC, please click here
#J-18808-Ljbffr