Buckinghamshire New University
Research Support Administrator
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Full Time (37 hour per week) - Permanent - Location: High Wycombe
Salary - £26,093 - £28,778
We’re not trying to fit in with the higher education status quo. We’re challenging it. We’re doing things differently - because our students, our staff, and our world need us to.
So this is an exciting moment to join us. We’re boldly reimagining what a university can be: a place rooted in social mobility, a community where difference is celebrated, and an institution that empowers people to become more than they thought possible.
Join Buckinghamshire New University’s Research & Knowledge Exchange Office and play a key role in supporting research activity across the institution. You will provide administrative support throughout the research funding lifecycle, helping academics develop and submit funding applications, coordinating peer review processes, maintaining research databases, and supporting successful projects through post-award management.
The role also contributes to the University’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) activities and provides financial and compliance support for research grants, audits, and reporting. Working closely with academic, professional services, and finance colleagues, you will help ensure excellent service, regulatory compliance, and accurate record keeping.
We are seeking a highly organised and detail-focused professional with experience in research support, research funding, or financial administration within a higher education environment. Strong numerical, communication, and IT skills, particularly in Excel, are essential, along with the ability to manage competing priorities and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders
What We Offer
- Generous holiday entitlement (30 days per annum, plus bank holidays & closure days)
- Hybrid working (dependent on business needs)
- Training & development support opportunities
- Contributory pension scheme
- Free gym membership for our on-site gym
- A range of staff discounts with major retailers.
Please click here to see our wide range of benefits available for employees.
Please click here for our behavioural based interview question bank.
Please click here to view our employee handbook.
If you have the qualities and attributes representative of the University’s values and ambition, we would be delighted to hear from you.
For further information about this role please contact Brandon Shaw (Brandon.Shaw@bnu.ac.uk)
All applications are to be made in full and online.
We are committed to promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace and aim to continue building an environment where everyone thrives and can be themselves.
Please let us know if you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process. We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that would enable you to perform to the best of your abilities in your role. Please reach out to the People team on People@bnu.ac.uk if you have any specific needs or if you would like more information on how we can support you
We ensure that our interview/shortlisting Chairs complete the relevant e-learning and/or inclusive recruitment training.
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Closing Date: 16 August 2026
Interview Date: w/c 24 August 2026
If you are invited to interview for this role, you will need to provide evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK and if on a visa, current visa and status. Sponsorship is dependent on the salary level of the position therefore due to the salary for this post, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship to the successful candidate.
BNU is a Disability Confident employer and as such you will be given the opportunity to declare a disability as part of the application process.
Job Description
Job Title: Research Support Administrator
Faculty/Directorate: Research & Knowledge Exchange Office (RKO)
Grade: D
Location: High Wycombe
Hours: 37
Responsible to: Research Governance & Excellence Manager
Responsible for: N/A
Job Purpose
To support academic and PSE colleagues in developing and submitting research bids, and when those bids are successful to contribute to post-award management.
To support the administration of the Research Excellence Framework at BNU.
Support the RKO in the maintenance of databases and the management of administrative functions.
Main Duties & Responsibilities Of The Role
- Supporting research within the University throughout the application process: providing administrative support and facilitating the research grant application submission process by liaising with University academics and other stakeholders, assisting with the preparation of costings, updating databases and other IT systems and ensuring all administrative requirements have been fulfilled prior to submission of application, then following up outcomes of submitted applications and updating results on the University’s databases.
- Providing administrative support to the University’s research grant applications peer review system by identifying reviewers, tracking responses from reviewers on databases, establishing timelines, ensuring these are communicated to all parties and actively ensuring timelines are adhered to with effective diary management.
- Updating and maintaining the University’s research database and research pipeline files and systems to ensure compliance with regulatory control and with internal grant administration policies and procedures as set out by both the funder and University policy.
- Providing administrative support for awarded research grants throughout the lifecycle of the grant: ensuring compliance with the funder’s contractual and administrative requirements, processing the grant offer letter, setting up the grant in the University’s systems and undertaking a range of financial tasks on the University financial system such as, invoicing, carrying out regular grant maintenance tasks such as a grant set-up and amendment using the research grant database, preparing claim submission report preparing budget reports; always ensuring financial information is accurate and complies with external and internal regulations and policies by working collaboratively with the University’s finance department.
- To provide administrative support toward BNU’s REF submission.
- Providing financial administrative assistance for external and internal audits, to include checking and balancing of transaction lists, production of evidence for example receipts and invoices, collating and checking timesheets.
- Comply with relevant legislative and other requirements (e.g., the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR; Health and Safety; UKVI; and Equality and Diversity) in all working practices.
- Such other duties temporarily or on a continuing basis, as may reasonably be required.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
A = Application T = Test I = Interview
Education, Qualifications & Training
Means of Testing
- Degree qualification or equivalent
A
Knowledge & Experience
- Demonstrable experience of working in the higher education sector with focus on funding for research, development and innovation and relevant research funders’ policy
A/I
- Experience of supporting research funding bids at pre and post award levels
A/I
- Experience in setting and managing budgets, and in costing funding bids
A/I
- Knowledge of the UK academic research environment
A/I
- Knowledge of research funders’ rules and systems
A/I
- Ability to deliver an excellent customer experience
Skills
- Digitally able and proficient in Microsoft Office applications, in particular Excel.
A/I
- Administrative experience in a busy customer focussed environment on a research support or financial role
A/I
- Numerical skills with experience of working with finance systems and procedures and a sound understanding of costing projects and managing budget
A/I
- Organisational skills with the ability to prioritise work and deliver against demanding deadlines, whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
A/I
- Interpersonal skills with an ability to build credibility and trust with a wide range of people
A/I
- The ability to work both proactively and independently but also as part of a wider support team
A/I
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage and prioritise a challenging and varied workload whilst working to deadline
A/I
- Ability to communicate, both orally and written, detailed information effectively and professionally with a wide range of individuals at all levels within the organisation and externally
A/I
Special Requirements
- Able to undertake duties at different premises including any University campus as required
A/I
BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS
The BNU Behaviours Framework (BBF) Is a Framework For All University Staff That Sets Out The Key Behaviours That Exemplify The DRIVE Values And Ethos Of The University. The Nine Categories Provide a Clear Steer On Behavioural Expectations That Will Help Support a Step Change In The Performance And Culture Of The University. The Three Key Behavioural Indicators For This Post Are As Follows
Delivering excellent service
- Providing the best quality service to external and internal customers/students/stakeholders. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up customer service standards.
Working together
- Working collaboratively and across boundaries with others in order to achieve objectives. Recognising and valuing the different contributions people bring to this process.
Achieving results
- Consistently meeting agreed objectives and success criteria. Taking personal responsibility for getting things done.
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