The post is situated in the Intellectual Disabilities Research Institute (IDRIS) in the School of Social Policy and Society. IDRIS is an applied cross-University research institute established in October 2024 with the appointment of Professor Richard Hastings as 125th Anniversary Chair and Professor of Psychology Health and Social Care. IDRIS also includes, in Social Policy and Society, three other professorial staff, an associate professor, two senior research fellows, an institute manager, a full-time administrator, and a number of research fellows, research associates, and PhD students. Most staff are employed on/funded through external research grants, including those funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Other members of IDRIS are based in Schools and Departments across the Colleges of the University. IDRIS works in close co-productive relationships and with people with intellectual disabilities, family carers, with social care organisations and the NHS, and with disability advocacy and professional organisations. IDRIS’s research and policy/practice impact is across the lifespan and across sectors (education, health, social care). IDRIS staff are engaged mainly in research on the development and evaluation of interventions and services to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.

Role Summary

The IDRIS Research Project Officer will work closely with the Institute Manager, the IDRIS administrators, and IDRIS researchers across our portfolio of research grants and core activity. The successful applicant will carry out a variety of finance, procurement, and HR activities such as budget monitoring and management, communicating with key stakeholders, and grant administration. Individual projects may require bespoke support, this may include Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement work, desk-based research work such as literature reviews, data collection (e.g., via surveys, interviews), pilot work informing grant applications, and event planning. They may need to work to support or advocate on behalf of individuals with learning disabilities. They will also serve as a deputy to the Institute Manager.

Main Duties

The Research Project Officer will assist in the management of larger projects through the provision of well-developed and timely project management support, and will also oversee core Institute work, for example managing research staff employment contracts or running Institute events. You will be expected to work proactively and use your initiative and planning skills to set your own priorities to ensure progress is maintained as expected, identify any issues and propose solutions while working closely with academic staff.

• To support Research Project delivery, Project Boards, workstreams and working groups within an overall project or manage elements of larger projects or smaller projects.
• Support may include some or all of the following:
• Carrying out project planning activities;
• Identifying milestones which will need to be adhered to;
• Assist in the collection of research data and analysis; potentially through literature review, survey and pilot research, qualitative research methods, or transcribing video or audio interviews conducted by project researchers
• Milestone tracking/key performance indicator tracking;
• Developing and proposing solutions for any issues;
• Recommending improvements to project management;
• Preparing progress reports for project boards or other meetings;
• Assisting in budgetary monitoring and management, including reporting;
• Assisting with stakeholder management, developing and maintaining regular contact with internal and external stakeholders, including members of the public, to understand requirements;
• Assessing and escalating issues and risks as appropriate.
• Provide guidance as required to support staff and any students who may be assisting with or conducting research.
• Assist with recruitment of institute staff and management of employment contracts.
• Contribute to developing communications plans, presentations, journal publications and promoting the projects and outcomes of projects/workstreams.
• Maintain an up to date knowledge of project management methodologies.
• Determine short term priorities for own work, ensuring you maximise quality, efficiency and continuity.
• Manage one part-time project administrator.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff.
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document. [https://bham.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/HRDC/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B7c460d71-5114-45aa-b9dd-1692b59aeea4%7D&action=default&mobileredirect=true]

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications). Where no equivalent qualification is held, extensive practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Significant practical experience in research support or research roles, experience of using project management tools.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy and to analyse information and data.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including the wider MS Office suite of programmes including excel and powerpoint.
• Ability to understand policy, processes and procedures, but also to recommend improvements and implement changes.
• Excellent analytical skills used to produce reports, identify issues and resolve them decisively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. The postholder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues, external collaborators and members of the public, and provide excellent customer service at all times while developing and maintaining excellent collegial working relationships with academic staff and external stakeholders, including people with learning disabilities and their families.
• A high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy, and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues.
• A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility,