Salary: £39,748 (plus London Allowances)

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: 12 Months FTC (Fixed Term Contract) - Maternity Cover

Location: UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR), Wellcome – Gibbs Building, Euston, London

Grade: Band E

Closing Date: 17 May 2023

Job Overview:

The Senior Research and Policy Officer will provide critical oversight for the portfolio of work within UKCDR. The job holder will keep abreast of trends and developments in international development research and support stakeholder engagement, sharing their expertise with member organisations and broader stakeholders. The Senior Research and Policy Officer will report directly to the Executive Director and provide additional leadership across the team, supporting the line management, development and learning of two Research and Policy Officers.

Key Responsibilities:

Provide leadership and critical oversight for the portfolio of work within UKCDR

• Lead on strategic project work for projects across UKCDR - from project plan development to the management of the project, to delivery against project objectives.
• Work together with the Executive Director and Head of Operations to ensure an appropriate balance of staff time and resourcing for projects.
• Be accountable for overall project success and ensure appropriate oversight of time, cost and quality, management of risks and issues and sign-off of deliverables.
• Guide project teams on methodology and provide subject matter expertise
• Act as point of contact for senior stakeholders and drive proactive stakeholder engagement throughout the project lifecycle.
• Carry out high-quality research and analysis as required.
• Lead on the writing of reports and other deliverables, including the preparation of papers for meetings of the UKCDR Officials Group and SCOR Board Meetings.

Act as a subject matter expert on international development research

• Keep abreast of key trends and developments in international development research.
• Act as an ambassador for UKCDR by participating as a speaker or panelist in key research meetings, policy and public engagement forums and by providing research and policy advice to member organisations as required.
• Under direction of Executive Director, take on new assignments, work independently on research issues and questions, interface with UKCDR wider stakeholders and provide follow ups.

Support stakeholder engagement and relationship building

• Lead one or more UKCDR funder groups seeking to increase information sharing and collaboration around a particular topic in research for development. This involves stakeholder engagement, policy research and event design and facilitation.
• Maintain selected strategic stakeholder relationships and drive ongoing stakeholder mapping and engagement activities within the UKCDR team.

Support staff development and learning

• Work closely with the Executive Director and Head of Operations to plan and deliver training and development activities for Research and Policy Officers and the wider team.
• Line management of Research & Policy Officers.
• Oversee the induction and training of new Research and Policy Officers.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange and lessons learned within the team.
• Develop new tools and methods as required.

Undertake any other work that may be reasonably required from time to time, including leading or supporting internal initiatives.

Experience & Education:

Essential

• A degree or equivalent experience in a subject relevant to the work of UKCDR
• Experience of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis in an academic, commercial or governmental environment.
• Experience of successfully managing others (either directly or through matrix working).
• Experience of successfully delivering high-profile, high-quality projects.

Desirable

• Post-graduate qualification relevant to international development, or PhD
• Experience of working in public sector partnerships, for example linking government departments, research councils, or research teams, or in partnerships between the public sector and stakeholders.

Skills:

Essential

• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to influence others and build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to see the ‘big picture’ and recognise potential and opportunities.
• Strong project management experience – from conception to development to delivery.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with ability to synthesise information and convey key points clearly and concisely.
• Strong facilitation skills for meetings and project working.
• Good time management skills.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office packages (Excel, PowerPoint and Word).

Desirable

• Working knowledge of statistical methods and analytical tools

Personal Specification:

Essential

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to analyse complex information and summarise key conclusions or recommendations.
• Team player – able to work collaboratively and within matrix structures.
• Flexible professional with a positive can-do attitude.
• An active interest in learning new skills/technologies and applying them
• Attentive to detail.
• Organisational skills.

Background

The UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) is an organisation working with UK government departments and research funders with an interest in international development.
At UKCDR, we believe in accelerating global development through the power of research and knowledge. For over a decade, we have brought UK research funders together to discuss priorities and coordinate efforts to garner maximum impact. We are a neutral and impartial entity governed by the Strategic Coherence of ODA-funded Research (SCOR) Board.

UKCDR carries out the strategic projects on behalf of the SCOR Board, provides the Board with data, tools and good practice to support funders in their evidence-informed decision-making processes and acts as the Board’s secretariat.

UKCDR’s Strategy for the period of 2022 – 2025 leans on three pillars:

• Mapping, analysis and foresight,
• Convening for joint action,
• Sharing information and best practice.

These pillars feed into our overarching ambition to use our expertise and collective voice, to:

• identify where UK research for development has been effective and shown value for money,
• identify the overall impact of the UK’s investment in research for development,
  bridge the gap between “what” is funded and “how” it is delivered,
• increase our impact by working with a range of influential funding bodies and foster relationships with core users: the academic research community (UK and international) and the international development community,
• foster dialogue, draw on complementary skills, initiate discussions and ensure representation and understanding of our international stakeholders’ needs and priorities to jointly address global challenges.

More information

UKCDR Website

SCOR Board Members

UKCDR Team

UKCDR Strategy

UKCDR is hosted by Wellcome in Central London, with HR support provided by UKRI (which directly employs UKCDR staff). The current team comprises 10 staff.

More information about the UK Collaborative on Development Research can be found at www.ukcdr.org.uk.