The University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities, and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

RPI supports agreed University, Faculty, and School priorities for research and innovation: income generation, research excellence, PGR experience, partnership development, and knowledge exchange leading to income and/or impact and commercialisation of IP and student enterprise. Our focus is on delivering professional, value-add advice and support to our community of researchers and innovators. We are a well-connected team which understands the priorities of the organisation and our external stakeholders and customers and the external environment in which we operate. Team members collaborate, reflect, develop their skills, and have a risk-appropriate mindset of continuous improvement to our processes, policy, and approach.

Our researchers operate in a complex global environment undertaking innovative, collaborative research and knowledge exchange projects. The Research Assurance Team assesses risks and provides practical advice and risk assessment necessary to ensure this work is compliant with external legislation and frameworks and with internal policies.

This is a busy role requiring curiosity, tenacity, and the ability to communicate complex information in a straightforward, pragmatic way. You will manage a varied workload of enquiries and projects, ensuring all sensitive data is handled with the utmost confidentiality.

While previous experience of an assurance role would be valuable, we are committed to your development. We provide comprehensive training and support to help you translate your existing analytical and organisational skills into this specialist field. In turn, you will demonstrate initiative, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in all you do.

The Primary Focus Of This Role Is To:

• Work collaboratively and supportively in a small team to undertake assurance checks on external partners and funders.
• Produce written summaries of the checks, highlighting risks and making appropriate recommendations for next steps in accordance with an agreed framework.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Conduct proportionate due diligence on research partners under line manager guidance, specifically focusing on lower-risk profiles to support the University’s Trusted Research agenda.
• Identify potential risks (including ethical, legal, financial, export, and national security considerations) using tools and databases (e.g., Sanctions lists, Global Corruption Index, or news searches).
• Produce succinct, high-quality reports for senior colleagues within Research, Partnerships, and Innovation, providing the necessary evidence base for informed decision-making and risk mitigation.
• Maintain accurate and auditable records of all due diligence checks, export control notes, and administrative processes to ensure data integrity and institutional compliance.
• Translate policies into clear, pragmatic advice for a range of academic and professional services audiences.
• Collaborate effectively with internal teams (such as Finance, Legal, and Faculty offices) to ensure a joined-up approach to compliant research activity.
• Handle highly sensitive and confidential information with discretion, strictly adhering to legal standards, GDPR, and institutional best practices.
• Document processes and procedures for training and audit purposes, to ensure they remain efficient and responsive to the evolving research environment.
• Stay informed of national developments in research security and the Trusted Research agenda, engaging with relevant professional bodies (such as ARMA or HERSA) to maintain up-to-date expertise.
• Actively promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of work, fostering an enabling and respectful culture.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.