The University of Birmingham is one of the most ambitious institutions in the UK and we are determined to be placed in the global top 50, with investment and strategic plans in place to enable us to achieve our objectives. We are looking for a talented and committed individual to support the RSSD and the academic community to manage the newly opened University of Birmingham European Office in Brussels, providing connectivity into funders and partners in the region and act as a conduit for information and intelligence sharing, ensuring we are aware of and have access to funding and consortia building opportunities. The post holder will manage the day-to-day running of the office, based centrally in Square de Meeus, supporting visiting members of staff to maximise their time, but also have the opportunity to build a network of contacts that will help enable new discussions, collaborations and access to funding either via the EU funding programmes or direct from industry partners. The post will formally report into the Business Engagement & Research Impact Management Team and will help initiate and deliver the development of major strategic research projects and activities. The role will on occasion be required to provide expert strategic support to the University's Executive Board and Senior Management teams in the appropriate Colleges, and leadership to academic and Professional Services teams. Many of these research projects will be multi-disciplinary, cross-College and multi-partner in nature, including with industry. The post holder will be expected to support strategic relationships with a number of key funding and stakeholder bodies and partner organisations within the EU. Leadership, facilitation, tact, collaborative working and negotiation are key capabilities for this post.
Strategic Thinking
* Analyse, review and develop current and future partnerships.
* Undertake frequent horizon scanning business intelligence and analyses – maintain an awareness of the funding and wider political, economic and social environment.
* Identify opportunities and threats that inform new strategic directions and share this information accordingly, making recommendations about how to exploit new opportunities or to manage possible threats.
* Feed into (internal and external) policy consultations and other University discussions of strategic importance relevant to the development and expansion of research capabilities.
* Produce high quality written papers/reports and presentations for a range of audiences including University Senior Leadership, College Senior Management Teams; RSSD colleagues; and academics on a wide range of topic areas associated with the wider responsibilities of the role.
Partnership Working
* Work closely with BERI and the RSSD and liaising with relevant College academic and Professional Services leads, the post holder will represent the University and its interests to external bodies: in particular, European government bodies and funders; key industry partners, as well as philanthropic foundations, and other stakeholders and partners.
* Assist the RSSD to establish and maintain a network of contacts within Brussels and proactively cultivate appropriate partnerships in collaboration with the Directors of Research, academics, relevant College Professional Services leads, Business Engagement Partner(s) and the wider University – through these relationships ensure institutional priorities are communicated to, and understood by, partners and funders and maximise the University's influence on these organisations in order to best position our strategic interests.
* Working closely with relevant senior academic and Professional Services colleagues, support the RSSD and wider University as the professional services lead in maintaining links with key European funding agencies critical to supporting delivery in order to influence and align funder opportunities with the interests and priorities of the University.
* Ensure the University's key messages are being clearly communicated to stakeholders in a timely fashion, including working with Professional Services teams supporting and delivering impact and shaping the use of institutional funds in support of this where appropriate.
New Business / Project Development
* To identify, lead on and connect colleagues to major opportunities for leveraging partnerships to deliver significant investment into the University for new research collaborations, with a focus on Horizon Europe and associated EU funding programmes.
* Facilitate new, multi-disciplinary collaborations between academics and key external stakeholders (e.g. industry, funders and policymakers) by designing and hosting appropriate forums (e.g. research sandpits, discovery days, workshops) to build capacity for major project opportunities.
* Work collaboratively with the University RSSD/BERI team, and others to identify appropriate industry partners, organisations and other funders to develop attractive funding cases.
Office Management
* Working closely with academics and professional services colleagues, the post holder will manage the day‑to‑day running of the Brussels Office ensuring a connected and welcoming environment for staff and guests.
* Joint planning with the team in Birmingham to deliver effective use of the Office and available meeting rooms for staff and guests.
* Ensuring compliance with office contractual obligations and being an active and positive member of the community.
* General Office Management Duties such as hosting, liaison and procurement as required.
* Working autonomously whilst remaining connected to a wider team, and institutional international objectives.
Additional responsibilities
* Actively manage equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
* Supports the University's sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Qualifications and experience
* Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus significant relevant practical experience – where no equivalent qualification is held substantial practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.
* Understanding and experience of European framework and funding programmes, including familiarity of Pillar II and Pillar III funding calls, and the ability to navigate and guide others through complex funding calls with EU member and non‑member state partners.
* Strong networking, diplomacy and consortia building skills.
* Knowledge of project lifecycle management, proposal writing, technology and knowledge transfer and innovation ecosystems.
* Excellent communication and dissemination skills, specifically in translating complex research ideas into accessible information for a range of audiences. Ideal skill to proficiently achieve this in English plus a European language.
* Experience with European funding policy development in terms of understanding timelines for action, ability to act and translating potential policy to reactive action within funding criteria and guidance.
* Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly for a variety of audiences, and to produce and analys[e] source material, information and data.
* Authoritative knowledge of the work practices, processes and procedures relevant to the role, including broader sector/commercial awareness.
* Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
* 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.
UK and International travel may be required for this role.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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.
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