Play a pivotal role in shaping one of the UK's strongest research submissions. The School of Technology is seeking an experienced, collaborative and organised professional to lead its preparations for REF a strategically significant programme that underpins both the School's research reputation and a major proportion of the University's QR income.
The School of Technology performed exceptionally well in the last REF, with its Units of Assessment ranking among the top in the country and contributing to annual QR income of over £12.6m. As REF Manager, you will have the opportunity to work at the heart of this success, coordinating activity across three Units of Assessment within the School and directly supporting one of them. Your work will directly influence the quality, readiness and impact of the School's submissions.
In this influential role, you will lead the planning and delivery of the School's REF activity, ensuring that guidance from Research England and the University is implemented consistently and effectively. You will manage the REF project plan, oversee policies and processes, track progress and risks, and foster best practice across departments. You will also act as the primary point of liaison with School leadership, UoA Chairs, departmental administrative teams and the central REF Management Team.
You will lead a small team providing administrative support for UoA12 and will build a wider network of REF support colleagues across the School. You will provide clear, accessible guidance on outputs, impact case studies, People, Culture & Environment statements and staff eligibility, helping colleagues navigate complex requirements with confidence and clarity.
You will bring strong administrative or project management experience from a higher education or similarly complex environment, and you will be comfortable working with a range of academic and professional services colleagues. You will be an effective communicator with excellent organisational skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving and the ability to manage detailed work to tight deadlines. Experience of the REF or other research evaluation processes, along with team leadership experience, will be highly advantageous.
For full details of the role - including responsibilities and the person specification - please see the Further Particulars linked below.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 April 2029 in the first instance.
If you would like to discuss the role informally, please contact Shui Lam, Secretary of the School )
Please quote reference NN48742 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Key information
Department/location
Office of the School of Technology
Salary
£42,254-£56,535
Reference
NN48742
Category
Academic-related
Date published
10 February 2026
Closing date
26 February 2026