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The University of Cambridge is one of the world's oldest universities and leading academic centres.

The Cambridge Research Office (CRO) provides strategic leadership and operational support for the full range of research services that underpin the University’s globally recognised research excellence. The effectiveness of the CRO is critical to maintaining the position of Cambridge among the top five universities worldwide.

In 2023/24, the University’s external research income exceeded £500 million, with over £170 million received in block grant funding for research, capital investment, innovation, and knowledge exchange.

The CRO comprises over 200 professional staff and acts as the central administrative hub for research activity across the University. It oversees research policies and procedures and manages the full spectrum of pre- and post-award activities, including application support, financial management, contract negotiation, quality assurance, risk management, audit, and compliance.

The Office coordinates the submission of approximately 3,000 funding applications each year, with a combined value of around £1.4 billion, and manages around 1,400 new research awards annually.

The CRO also plays a strategic role in the development and oversight of the University’s research activities. This includes central responsibility for the University’s REF and KEF submissions; research governance and integrity; management of major research funder relationships; and supporting the establishment and development of partnerships across the public and private sectors.

The Office also supports large-scale funding applications, Interdisciplinary Research Centres, Strategic Research Initiatives and Networks, and the coordination of Strategic Research Reviews and institutional impact and knowledge exchange activities.

The Research Office provides professional support to a number of university committees, including the Research Policy Committee and the University Research Ethics Committee, and has lead responsibility for regulatory compliance in areas such as export control and the National Security & Investment Act.

Working closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation, and other senior academic leaders, the CRO provides strategic coordination to ensure the University can effectively secure and manage funding across research, knowledge exchange and innovation, while enabling strong partnerships regionally, nationally and internationally.

The Head of Post Award is responsible for the Research Office post award service and support teams and holds strategic responsibility for the financial management of the University’s portfolio of Research Funding. This includes oversight of the post award lifecycle of grants to ensure compliance with funder requirements, internal policies and financial regulations.

The Head of Post Award is responsible for leading and managing the successful oversight of the University’s portfolio of externally funded Research grants with a total award value of over £3 billion. The role-holder is responsible for the provision of a high-quality professional service to the University, which; will ensure the operation of an efficient & effective post award team and; provide research related financial & accounting services. They will also ensure the provision of appropriate and timely reporting to all levels of the research community and other internal stakeholders provide proactive leadership in the development of systems and processes to enhance the governance environment and support both internal and external stakeholders.

The role will also play a key role in the wider strategy and day to day operations of the Research Office working closely with assistant directors of the respective school facing teams as part of the Director’s Senior Leadership Team. There is also a strong need to work in collaboration with other UAS divisions, such as Finance, Education Services and Human Resources.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Oversight and Management

• Responsible for the effective financial management of the University’s portfolio of externally funded Research Grants in accordance with the financial procedures and regulations of the University and funder terms and conditions.
• To understand and ensure sponsor requirements for reporting, monitoring and auditing are met that these are complied with in a timely and satisfactory fashion. Including overseeing the preparation and submission of final expenditure statements, claims, and audits.
• Responsible for the provision of expert direct support and guidance relating to Post Award management across the University, ensuring that all staff are aware of the services provided by Research Office and know to whom they should go for support;
• Proactively identifying and mitigating financial risks within the post-award portfolio, escalating complex issues and working with internal audit or external bodies as required.
• Support strategic decision-making by producing clear financial insights and contributing to research income planning, recovery of indirect costs, and sustainability of research activity.
• Delegated authority to certify research claims accuracy on behalf of the University.
• Lead the development of systems, practice and process to embed sound financial practice within the post-award function.

 Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure robust compliance with funder terms and conditions, institutional financial regulations, and external audit requirements across all post-award activity.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex or high-risk financial compliance issues, working closely with assurance risk and compliance, finance, and Governance and Compliance Division.
• Work with the Assurance, Risk and Compliance team to develop and maintain internal controls, checklists, and assurance processes to mitigate financial, reputational, and regulatory risks.
• Support the preparation for and response to funder audits, internal audits, and other external reviews, ensuring accurate and timely provision of evidence.
• Monitor changes in funder regulations, audit frameworks, and sector guidance, and proactively adapt internal processes and guidance in response.
• Provide expert advice and training to academic and professional staff on compliance obligations and risk mitigation strategies.
• Promote a strong culture of accountability and risk awareness within the Post Award team and across the wider research community.
• Provide strategic leadership in embedding robust financial governance by co-designing and overseeing a proactive internal review framework, ensuring sustained compliance with accounting standards and external funder requirements in partnership with the Assurance, Risk and Compliance function.

Leadership and Team Management

• Responsible for providing leadership and setting strategic direction for the Research Office Post Award function, leading on all strategic decision-making for the post award teams, determining overall administrative priorities and deciding on changes to staffing, structures and procedures.
• Responsible for identifying and implementing strategic improvements for the grants management process, providing novel approaches to achieve service enhancements utilising available systems. Identifying best practices and new approaches to improving the capabilities of the team, but also other administrative and academic staff across the University to enhance their effectiveness.
• Continually develop the team in order to provide a high-quality service working alongside department staff.
• To work to provide an integrated service offering across the teams within the Research Office, collaborating with Research Development, Contracts, and central Finance to ensure a seamless transition from award to active management and project close-out.
• Manage the integration of post-award administrative business processes with other Research Office business processes and those in departments to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
• Support the Director and Deputy Director of Research Service and the PVC (Research) on a range of projects relating to the University’s strategic aims for research. Work closely with School facing assistant directors to respond to School priorities.
• To be a member of the Research Office Senior Management Team and contribute to the development of its strategies and services.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead the continuous review and enhancement of post-award processes to drive operational efficiency, reduce risk, and improve service quality for academic and professional users.
• Identifying best practices and new approaches to improving the capabilities of the team, but also other administrative and academic staff across the University to enhance their effectiveness
• Identify and implement opportunities to streamline workflows, ensuring alignment with funder requirements and institutional policies.
• Collaborate with UIS, Finance, HR and and Research Systems teams to specify, test, and roll out improvements to finance and research administration platforms (e.g. Worktribe, Fusion, MyHR)
• Engage with national networks and peer institutions to identify sector best practices and adopt innovative approaches to research support delivery.