Position Details
Research and Strategy Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £58,225 to £67,468 with potential progression once in post to £87,974
Grade: 9
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 24th February 2026
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.
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.
Background
The REF2021 concluded that the University of Birmingham is one of the best universities for delivering impactful research in the country and by 2030, the University of Birmingham intends to be one of the world's top 50 leading universities across both education and research.
By uncovering opportunities within the changing research landscape and responding to the needs of our industrial, policy and creative partners, the Research Strategy & Services Division works alongside our inspiring researchers, to deliver solutions to improve people’s lives, society, and our planet. We also collaborate across other strategic areas of the University, to build partnerships that connect our research and education activities and translate our expertise into real‑world outcomes.
As a newly established Division within Professional Services, we are dedicated to fostering collaboration and working as one team to support the research ambitions of the University; improving processes and supporting innovation to provide a sector‑leading service to our researchers, partners, funders, and the beneficiaries of our research; and providing an inclusive and exciting career path for our professional research support community, in an environment with personal development at its core.
Our Division provides high‑quality insight and support to all elements of the research life‑cycle, from business engagement & research partnerships, and research strategy & development, through to research grants & contracts, post‑award research finance and research impact, all supported by a number of cross‑college teams providing underpinning expertise in research systems and data, research ethics and governance, the REF and research policy.
The Director of RSSD, Dr Catherine Cochrane, is the most senior Professional Services research lead at the University, and reports to the Registrar & Secretary & Chief Operating Officer, Nicola Owen. From August 2023, Catherine and the Research Division will have worked alongside our Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Rachel O’Reilly MBE FRS, to drive forward the University’s research agenda.
Role Summary
As part of a strategic reorganisation, we are investing in a new role: Assistant Director, RSSD (Head of Research Performance & Systems Innovation). This role will lead a newly formed team with responsibility for research performance oversight and planning, REF management, systems innovation, and research data and analytics. This is an exciting opportunity to work in close partnership with academic and professional services colleagues to shape a new and agile approach to institutional research delivery—one that is insight‑led, digitally enabled, and strategically aligned with the University’s Birmingham 2030 ambition.
Leadership responsibilities
* Strategic research performance planning, ensuring alignment between research strategy, and performance targets.
* Research Excellence Framework (REF), leading the institutional REF submission, overseeing planning and delivery, and ensuring compliance with external assessment requirements.
* Research systems, ensuring that key institutional platforms (e.g., Pure, Worktribe, and other research management systems) are fully integrated and optimally support researchers and administrators.
* Research systems innovation, working with colleagues from across RSSD and Professional Services to realise the potential of digital innovation in a research support function.
* Research data governance and analytics, leading the approach of the Senior Research Leadership Team, to research intelligence, business analytics, and data‑informed decision‑making.
Main Duties
* Lead the Research Performance & Systems Innovation Team, ensuring a collaborative and high‑performing function.
* Act as the University’s institutional lead for REF, overseeing all aspects of REF 2029 planning and submission, and serve as a key advisor to the Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor (Research), Director of RSSD, REF Board, and the University Executive Board on matters related to research strategy, REF, and research systems.
* Chair the Professional Services REF2029 Oversight Group, providing cross‑institutional leadership and coordination across all elements of the REF submission, including Outputs, Impact, People, Culture, and Environment.
* Develop systems and processes that enhance research assessment capabilities while reducing the administrative burden on academics.
* Lead institutional engagement with Research England, UKRI, and other relevant external bodies, ensuring Birmingham is well‑positioned in national research assessment exercises.
* Provide strategic oversight of research systems, ensuring that platforms such as Pure, Worktribe, and Core Fusion are effectively managed and continuously improved.
* Oversee the Research Systems Oversight Board, ensuring that research systems meet evolving institutional needs and external compliance requirements.
* Lead on institutional approaches to open research data, business intelligence, and research data analytics, ensuring that data is leveraged effectively to support research excellence.
* Lead a culture of systems innovation within RSSD, working with College Hubs and other Professional Services teams to identify opportunities for digital process improvement, realising the full benefits of digital innovation across all our teams. Lead the ‘Systems Innovation’ workstream as part of the wider RSSD Change programme.
* Work collaboratively with Finance, IT Services, the Planning Office, Colleges, and other Professional Services teams to integrate research planning, REF, and research systems into a cohesive institutional approach.
* Provide leadership and support for research compliance, audits, and external reporting requirements.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Essential
* Senior leadership experience within a complex, research‑intensive environment, with a proven ability to deliver strategic outcomes.
* Significant experience of leading large, complex, cross‑institutional projects or programmes in a research‑intensive environment, with a proven ability to advise, coordinate and deliver successful outcomes in partnership with senior academic and professional colleague.
* Experience managing research systems (e.g., Pure, Worktribe, Core Fusion) and driving system enhancements.
* Strong analytical skills, with expertise in research data governance, business intelligence, and predictive analytics.
* Proven ability to lead change programmes, integrating digital tools and strategic planning in research support.
* High‑level stakeholder management skills, including engagement with senior academic leaders, funders, and external regulatory bodies.
* Experience developing research planning frameworks, aligning strategy, performance measurement, and institutional reporting.
Desirable
* Expert knowledge of REF and national research assessment frameworks, with experience leading institutional REF submissions
* Experience working with UKRI, Research England, and other external funding bodies.
* Expertise in digital transformation and research data strategy.
* Understanding of research ethics, governance, and compliance frameworks.
Please ensure that a Cover letter and CV is attached with your application.
Informal enquiries to Samantha Weaver, email: s.weaver@bham.ac.uk
View our staff values and behaviours
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.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr