Contract Research Finance Lead

Salary: £33,966 to £36,024 with progression £44,263

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 16 February 2024

The Role

Newcastle University Finance Hub is a large team of skilled and experienced colleagues who manage the financial business activities of the University. We provide a professional and proactive service to our students, colleagues and stakeholders. We are committed to supporting the personal and professional development of our team.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Contract Research Finance Lead within our Contract Financial Management team. The team provides expert funder advice and financial management for University research and non-research projects, which can involve multi-million-pound budgets and multiple domestic and overseas institutions.

This is a broad-based role which provides plenty of interest and variety. You will lead a team of up to ten colleagues, take responsibility for a diverse portfolio of projects and use your initiative and judgement to make decisions and resolve problems. 

We are looking for a confident communicator who can build positive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. You must be able to work under pressure and provide expert guidance on complex research projects. To thrive in the role you will be able to support and develop individuals to reach their potential and provide an excellent service.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be addressed to Darren Storey (darren.storey@ncl.ac.uk).

Please ensure you upload a covering letter with your CV when applying for this role.  Only applications received via the Newcastle University website will be considered for shortlisting.

This is a full time open ended (or flexible) post and blended working is available.

Key Accountabilities

• Leadership of a team (of up to 10 Research Finance colleagues) within CFM responsible for the financial management and accounting of projects 
• Ensuring University staff adhere to funder contractual obligations and deadlines for up to 1,000 current projects, with a total value of up to £150m
• Actively participate in the recruitment, training and development of colleagues within CFM
• Provide expertise and guidance to staff within the team on relevant SAP and University procedures and funder regulations
• Take responsibility for the production of claims for the more complex and high-profile projects to strict deadlines, in accordance with funder regulations and University policies
• Develop and implement effective post award processes to meet the requirements of the Deputy Directors of Financial Performance and Financial Services
• Work collaboratively with the CFM Finance Manager, Research Finance and Financial Service teams to deliver a proactive, and seamless post award finance process for grant holders and other internal stakeholders
• Liaise with external auditors and schools to ensure that research projects are audited in accordance with specific sponsor requirements
• Liaise with external funders on the production of financial statements, resolution of queries and understanding of changing funder requirements
• Manage the creation of projects in the SAP financial management system, in order to facilitate the most effective structure to allow appropriate controls
• Oversee the maintenance and update of data on the SAP financial management system relating to projects (e.g. structure, budget and timescale)
• Direct and implement the timely closure of completed and reconciled projects
• Where applicable, apply to research funders for extension in funds where applicable, or advise and guide Principal Investigators to do so
• Widen the general understanding of post award project finance through the preparation and delivery of courses/workshops across stakeholder groups
• Work with colleagues in the CFM management team to contribute to the continuous improvement of operational systems and processes, and to develop and share best practice

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Experience of working within a financial environment and offering a high quality level of financial support on external grants to both internal stakeholder and external funding bodies
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills to build relationships with key stakeholders and advise non-finance staff of the possible implications of non-compliance with funders’ financial regulations
• Possess strong oral and written communication skills and have highly developed IT knowledge
• Excellent numeracy skills displaying accuracy and attention to detail
• As an effective team player, you will be highly motivated and organised, adaptive to change and should display initiative in bringing forward new ideas coupled with a practical approach to problem solving
• Experience of working in a multi disciplinary team, to ensure effective working relationships between CFM and other internal sections and external bodies
• Experience of staff management and ability to lead and develop individuals
• Previous experience using SAP accounting software
• Working knowledge of costing and pricing issues
• Appreciation of VAT and foreign currency issues

Attributes and Behaviour

• Effective leadership of the team to ensure high quality financial support delivered to stakeholders
• Communicates with colleagues effectively at all levels
• Works in a planned and structured way but with an ability to adapt to change, and uses both their own, and others time, effectively 
• Have the ability to work under pressure in prioritising own workload, as well as that of the team, in order to meet funder and University deadlines
• Focuses team and departmental development on wider organisational priorities
• Seeks opportunities to improve ways of working and to deliver enhanced results and process efficiencies
• Develops colleagues effectively through support, training and sharing of skills and knowledge
• Acts as a role model for University values and guiding principles

Qualifications

• It is desirable that you are a qualified CCAB Accountant or part qualified with extensive accounting experience. Proven technical expertise is essential

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26647