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The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Head of Infrastructure
Salary: £54,043 per annum
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Fixed Term ( Concluding 28 Feb 2025 )
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Grade: UKRI Band F
Closing Date: 17 July 24
Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy and associated guidance Recruitment at UKRI - policy and information (sharepoint.com) for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.
About the role:
This is an opportunity for a level-transfer or temporary promotion for a fixed term of 10-12 months from July 2024, to cover the post holder's maternity leave.
The Head of Infrastructure at AHRC is responsible for strategic planning, development and delivery of AHRC's research infrastructure investment programme. The portfolio is wide-ranging, comprising investments with a total value of c.£310m over the next ten years. The post holder leads and contributes to other stated objectives in AHRC's Strategic Delivery Plan, focusing particularly on people, places and innovation. A key part of this role is to develop the relationships across UKRI and externally that will enable ideas and proposals for future programmes to take shape.
Key areas of oversight and responsibility for this period will include:
• Leading to completion and approval the Outline Business Case of DiSSCo (Distributed Systems of Scientific Collections), a £156 million UKRI Infrastructure Fund investment to create a national digital research resource of scientific collections.
• Working closely with UKRI's Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) Team, oversee the recommissioning of AHRC's integrated Data Services; and commission a roadmap for federation and open access.
• Working closely with the Associate Director for Infrastructure and Major Programmes (IMPs), commission research, scoping and analysis for a future Creative Arts Research Infrastructure.
• Oversee the management and delivery of the PORTIA pilots (Participatory and Practice Open Research through Technology in Action).
• Managing the AHRC Infrastructure Team, its budget, risks, stakeholder engagement strategy, and team objectives, and line-managing three Senior Investment Managers for Infrastructure
• Represent AHRC on cross-UKRI working groups such as the Infrastructure Working Group and Digital Research Infrastructure Committee.
Shortlisting and Interview Criteria:
Shortlisting:
* experience of developing and managing large-scale capital projects;
* experience of developing and leading Green Book business cases;
* experience of managing a team/project team and an ability to motivate, manage and develop staff at different levels;
* experience of analysing and interpreting data, building evidence bases and narratives, and demonstrating impact; and
* extensive experience of managing a variety of stakeholders across disciplines, sectors and professions in support of organisational strategy.
Interview:
* Leadership:
o Ability to lead, develop and deliver major projects aligned to organisational strategy from inception to completion;
o Ability to lead, build and motivate a team;
o Flexible, tenacious, imaginative and resilient; able to work flexibly and imaginatively in a time-pressured, fast-paced environment and deliver solutions in periods of rapid change, uncertainty and ambiguity;
o Commitment and ability to actively seek ways to continuously improve effectiveness and efficiency in our ways of working and the impact of our investments;
* Influencing and communications:
o Ability to influence and persuade; to build and maintain constructive relationships with senior leaders and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders;
o Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to analyse complex information/data and draft strategic documents, reports, and briefings for diverse audiences, at pace;
* Technical / specialist knowledge of systems and processes:
o Demonstrable experience of leading and delivering Green Book business cases, including familiarity with mandated approvals and assurance processes;
o Demonstrable experience of developing and implementing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning frameworks and approaches and an understanding of how to communicate impacts and benefits to diverse audiences.
Desirable:
* knowledge and understanding of the arts and humanities funding landscape;
* knowledge and understanding of arts and humanities research infrastructures;
* knowledge of AHRC's funding portfolio and delivery mechanisms; and
* a good understanding of the AHRC's strategy for supporting arts and humanities research;
About The Arts and Humanities Research Council
The AHRC supports world-class research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.
Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/
About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org .
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce' .
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
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