University of Birmingham
Programme Manager SOC ACE Research Programme - College of Social Sciences - 107603 - Grade 8
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Programme Manager SOC ACE Research Programme - College of Social Sciences - 107603 - Grade 8
Programme Manager – Serious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) Programme
Position Details
School: School of Government Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Salary: Full-time starting salary is £47,389 to £56,535, with potential progression to £63,606 upon confirmation.
Grade: 8 Contract: Full Time, Fixed-Term (up to September 2027) Closing Date: 12 July 2026
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity (requires agreement from your current line manager).
About the University
Our Philosophy & Commitment
The University of Birmingham values diversity, fosters an inclusive environment, and prioritises the personal and professional growth of our staff.
We offer:
- Sector-leading development through the Birmingham Professional programme, including career-enhancing opportunities.
- Flexible working arrangements tailored to individual needs, supporting work-life balance.
- Generous benefits, including:
- 40 days paid leave per year.
- One paid volunteering day annually.
- Occupational sick pay and pension scheme.
- Three high-quality, subsidised day nurseries.
- A vibrant campus with on-site amenities (sports centre, shops, cafés, museum, and botanical gardens).
- Major transport hubs (train station, main bus routes) on-site.
About SOC ACE
SOC ACE (Serious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence) is a £13m, five-year programme led by Professor Heather Marquette, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO). It supports public-good research focused on serious organised crime (SOC), illicit finance, corruption, and transnational threats, with a political and real-world impact agenda. Successfully funded 61 research projects, producing 100+ publications, SOC ACE now enters its final year.
Key Focus Areas:
- Consolidating learnings to generate new cross-sectoral insights.
- Ensuring widely accessible, high-impact outputs with policy and practitioner engagement.
- Supporting the intellectual push and knowledge exchange needed to catalyse real-world change.
Role Summary
The Programme Manager oversees the day-to-day operational, financial, and administrative functions of SOC ACE in line with the Director’s strategic direction, while ensuring compliance with FCDO guidelines and University policies.
Core Responsibilities (Final Year Focus):
- Operational Delivery & Closure Management
- Manage the programme’s final-year transition in alignment with UOB and FCDO closure requirements.
- Ensure full financial and administrative closure, archiving and documenting learnings for future reference.
- Close research grants, capturing final performance data.
- Lead audit readiness for programme transition.
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Finance & Budget Management
- Own and manage the SOC ACE programme budget, ensuring financial transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
- Authorise all expenditure, maintaining compliance with UOB’s procurement, expense, and payment policies.
- Verify and solicit FCDO invoices, collaborating with Post Award Team for submission.
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Funder & Stakeholder Communication
- Represent SOC ACE to FCDO, with regular reporting (quarterly, annual, and closure), and maintain relationship management.
- Adhere to FCDO’s Programme Operating Framework, managing risks and audit compliance.
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Research Grant Oversight
- Partner with the Director to approve research funding and awards (risk management, due diligence, contract approvals).
- Oversee the Programme Officer in research reporting, finance, and risk escalation.
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Knowledge & Communications Support
- Oversee SOC ACE’s brand/voice—website, newsletter, social media, and external-facing communications.
- Capture and synthesize outputs, impacts and case studies (e.g., REF submissions, stakeholder communications).
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Team Leadership
- Line manage Five members: Programme Officer, Project/Finance Officer, Senior Research Communications Officer, and Administrative Assistant.
- Themes: Trust, clarity, collaboration, equity, and development.
Main Duties
1. Programme and Funder Management
- Ensure compliance with FCDO’s Programme Operating Framework and funding Accountable Grant terms.
- Align and review annual delivery plans with the Director, leveraging financial data to inform strategic decisions.
- Lead quarterly/annual/closure FCDO reporting, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Maintain evolving performance trackers, offering data-driven insights and deadline awareness.
- Build and sustain relationships with FCDO’s Programme Manager, directing onward to relevant experts.
2. Research Grant Administration
- Ensure timely, quality-compliant delivery of research outputs per annual plans.
- Coordinate research grant funding, balancing financial and operational risks through due diligence, approvals, and publicist dissemination.
- Work closely with grantees, fostering a culture of partnership and trust for maximum impact.
- Review research publications (peer review, libel diligence) via version-controlled systems.
3. Finance, Operations & Administrative Excellence
- Oversee budgetary decisions—Revenue forecasting, variance analysis, risk-based guidance, adherence to spend controls.
- Vet and approve expenditures, liaising with the Director on major decisions.
- Manage solicitor and supplier contract lifecycle, upholding accountability.
- Handle University operational compliance (contracts, risk management, administrative closures).
4. Results, Monitoring & Impact
- Drive the capture and evaluation of grant outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
- Develop impact trajectories, including REF case studies, collaboration with UOB’s Impact Team.
- Monitor performance against floretto/lower case program-logical targets.
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5. Research Communications
- Steward SOC ACE’s external communications strategy, including website updating, newsletters, social channels.
- Support tailored campaign outputs, pairing Director’s contributions with nuclei of expertise.
6. HR & Team Management
- Ensure scholars have the people and materials needed for program excellence.
- Practice transparent and inclusive leadership, inclusive of workload-fledge objectives.
- Actively promote EDI & accessibility via workplace flexibility and community-building.
Informal Enquiries
Contact: Name: Lyndsey Hand Email: lyndsey.hand@bham.ac.uk
Person Specification
Essential Skills
✅ Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or**.your professional experience**. ✅ 2+ years of research-grade programme management experience. ✅ Deep familiarity with research grant processes (funding structures, compliance, grants expenditure). ✅ Budgetary responsibility, strategic forecasting, and variance. Financial grace with financial nuance. ✅ Capacity to negotiate with senior stakeholders while advocating alliances. ✅ Agility in interpreting operational/executive Middle Office-level policy. ✅ Swarming collaborative and in-theatre environments, handling linear and non-linear deadlines. ✅ RSM-grade proficiency in both written English (grammar variegation).
Essential Competencies
🔹 Decision-making under pressure, balancing risk appetite/safety nets. 🔹 Apt synthesis of tools, analysis, and directional performance-based narratives. 🔹 Clutch disciplined organisation and time/batch management. 🔹 Nailing edge adhesions, avoiding slippage until accuracy achieved. 🔹 Proceeding unmanagedly when minimal guidance is given.
Desired (but not mandatory)
- FCDO-partnerships with any background.
- Insider view of political and gross risk sensitivity.
- Acquaintance with UOB’s HR, Recruitment, and Internal myleadership structures.
Organizational Policy Compliance
Our anti-AI submission policy mandates authenticity in applications to avoid generic impressions. Over-use of AI will likely end before shortlisting.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Birmingham, we champion diverse talent and uphold equal opportunity. Programmes include Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter, and Disability Confident activations as we maintain sustainability and impact as core pillars in institutional innovation. Partnerships and inclusion remain pivotal to constructing a cohesive, supportive community.
Learn more about our inclusion initiatives at university website↗.
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