Research Support Officer

Advert

Research Support Officer
School of Computer Science & Informatics
College of Physical Sciences and Engineering

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Support Officer to join the School of Computer Science and Informatics. You will be joining Cardiff University, one of the UK’s leading research led universities, as a Research Support Officer providing valuable support for Ethics, Open Access and research grants in a fast paced, busy School.

The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic and pro-active administrator, confident in multi-tasking and prioritising.  You will work closely with the Research Manager to ensure that there is excellent support provided for research.  You will work as part of a small team, taking responsibility for Ethics and Open Access and providing support for grant applications, ensuring that all research activities are professionally delivered and the needs of our staff and funders are met.

This position is part-time (28 hours per week), is open-ended and immediately available.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Lisa Kennedy, Research Manager, – KennedyLC@cardiff.ac.uk .

Informal enquiries in relation to the recruitment / application process can be sent to Simon Hogg, HR Administrator – COMSC-HR@Cardiff.ac.uk .

Cardiff University has a successful School of Computer Science & Informatics with an international reputation for its teaching and research activities. We have seen a transformation of our research environment with the School almost doubling in size. We have moved into a new £39 million purpose-built facility shared with the School of Mathematics called Abacws , designed to facilitate interaction between disciplines and give our research groups new freedom to develop research culture and build identity. We are a research-led School with a longstanding, international reputation for applied research activities, and collaborate with more than 100 UK and international academic and industrial partners.  In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 96% of our submitted research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. The School delivers a stimulating portfolio of BSc and MSc degrees and offers research degrees leading to MPhil and PhD qualifications.
For more information on the School please visit our website:  http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/computer-science

Us
We want to make Cardiff University an institution that is respected the world over. Our vision is to be a world-leading, research-excellent, educationally outstanding university, driven by creativity and curiosity, which fulfils its social, cultural and economic obligations to Cardiff, Wales, the UK and the world. We expect to improve our standing as one of the top 100 universities in the world and the top 20 in the UK.

What we offer
Cardiff University can offer many attractive benefits to its employees, including a competitive salary, 37 days annual leave per annum and a generous pension scheme.  More information on what we can offer can be found at https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/jobs/what-we-can-offer .

Salary: £23,715 – £27,929 per annum (Grade 4)

Date advert posted: Monday 24 October 2022
Closing date: Thursday, 10 November 2022

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting all its employees in achieving the necessary balance between their work and their personal lives. As part of this commitment, the University has developed a flexible and responsive framework of support for staff in managing their work and personal commitments wherever possible. [Applications for posts on a part-time or job-share arrangement would also be considered].

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

Job Purpose
Provide a comprehensive professional administrative service to the School of Computer Science & Informatics, providing support, guidance and administration for research grants, contracts, open access and ethics. Working as part of a small team, ensuring that all research activities are professionally delivered and the needs of our staff and funders are met.
Key Duties

• Provide detailed advice and guidance on research grant, ethics and open access processes and procedures to internal and external customers, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, contributing to the resolution of more complex issues
• To support the Research Manager in research grant administration, assisting academics in the drafting and preparation of research applications, ensuring that documents are produced in the form required by the School, University and funding bodies
• Develop detailed knowledge of University procedures in relation to research funding, open access, ethics, research support and the Research Excellence Framework
• Provide advice on the awarded terms and conditions of research grant budgets. Provide data on research grants using excel and both finance and reporting systems, for inclusion in a variety of management information reports
• Advise grant holders on financial aspects of research grant awards, liaising closely with the central departments of the University
• Assist the Finance team reviewing research expenditure against previously defined budgets and support production of accurate financial reports to budget holders
• Investigate and disseminate information about appropriate research funding opportunities, conferences and other research events
• Advertising, administering and processing applications for internal funding programmes
• Provide support to research assessment exercises such as the Research Excellence Framework and act as the School’s administrative contact as required
• To support the Research Manager in providing administrative support to the Directors of Research, the School Research Committees, and the Research Ethics Committee, setting the agenda, preparing papers, servicing meetings and following up on action points
• Take responsibility for research visitors to the School, processing initial visitor requests and co- ordinating all arrangements for the visit
• Maintain up to date records of staff publications, staff profile information, and ensuring open access policies are adhered
• Maintain up to date records of grant application, awards and other relevant data
• Provide support, as required to the organisation of conferences and other large research events within the School
• Collaborate with others in order to make recommendations for developments of established processes and procedures
• Establish working relationships with key contacts to help improve service levels, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to support the team and department.
• Gather and analyse data to inform decisions, establishing basic trends and patterns in data and creating reports as appropriate
• Instruct and guide other employees across the University within research administration at both pre and post award stage

…continued in additional information

Person Specification

Essential Criteria
Qualifications and Education

NVQ 3/A-Levels or equivalent.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Experience of working in an administrative role with knowledge of research grant administration, ethics, or open access

Proven ability to take responsibility for a distinct area of work.

IT literate with excellent Excel skills and the ability to set up standard office systems and procedures and make improvements as appropriate.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working

Ability to communicate specialist and complex information effectively and professionally to a range of customers with varying levels of understanding.

Proven ability to advise and influence key stakeholders, managing a wide range of questions and issues sensitively and proactively.

Evidence of ability to explore customers’ needs and adapt the service accordingly to ensure a quality service is delivered.

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving

Evidence of ability to solve problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose practical solutions and to resolve problems where there are a range of potential options available.

Evidence of ability to analyse processes and procedures, and advise on improvements, taking action within own area of responsibility.

Evidence of ability to work unsupervised to deadlines, planning and setting priorities for own work.

Desirable Criteria

Degree or an equivalent qualification or equivalent work-related experience.

Experience of working in a Higher Education environment.

Excellent working knowledge of financial processes and procedures with experience of working      with financial software packages such as Oracle.

Experience of using business intelligence systems such as Business Objects.

Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

Additional Information

…job description continued
General Duties

• As part of a team, deliver frontline services to students and staff, answering a wide range of queries, resolving issues and making referrals where needed.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts to help improve service levels, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required.
• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria

It is Cardiff University’s policy to use the person specification as a key tool for shortlisting. Therefore, candidates must evidence they meet ALL the essential criteria and, where relevant, the desirable.
As part of the application process, you are asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure that the evidence you are providing corresponds with the numbered criteria outlined in the person specification. Your application will be considered based on the information you provide for each criterion.

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure you name it with the vacancy reference number: 15417BR.

Your application will be at risk of not being progressed if you do not evidence you have met all essential criteria. The school welcomes the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Job Category

Admin / Clerical