Head Of Research Careers And Culture

4,000 professionals, 0 days wasted, 1 incredible purpose. Together we are beating cancer.

Head of Research Careers and Culture

Salary: £70,000 - £85,000 depending on experience

Reports to: Director of Research

Department: Research & Innovation

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (other flexible-working requests will also be considered if it meets business needs)

Location: Stratford, London with high flexibility (we would expect you to be in the office 1-2 days per week) The role will also require some travel in the UK to our research hubs and occasional international travel.

Closing date: Monday 1st July at 23.55. This vacancy may close earlier if a high number of applications are received or once a suitable candidate is found, so please do not delay submitting your application to avoid any disappointment.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That's why we're looking for someone talented, someone who wants to develop their skills, someone like you.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Head of Research Careers and Cultureto join us and lead on our clinical and non-clinical Research Careers strategy. You'll have direct line management of a team of three Programme Managers and you'll work collaboratively with teams across the directorate.

What will I be doing?

• Lead the development / implementation of our strategy and opportunities for research career training & development to ensure we support a diverse range of outstanding cancer researchers and retain them in this field.
• Lead the Research Careers funding portfolio with oversight of the response mode training budget for clinical and non-clinical fellowships and career awards, working closely with colleagues in Research Operations and Communications to deliver award funding awards.
• Work across the whole range of Cancer Research UK-funded training roles to maximise the opportunities for them to be part of a supportive community with opportunities for training & development. Work with the range of Cancer Research UK funded roles to understand the wider workforce training needs
• Lead the development of action plans to improve the impact of the research we fund through increasing equality, diversity and inclusivity in the people we fund, the opportunities for people to take part in the research we fund and the impacts of that research on all communities. Delivery of this strategy will be through teams across Research and Partnerships and Research Operations and Communications departments with close engagement and influencing of colleagues across Directorates (including particularly Policy, Information and Communications).
• Develop strong relationships with the research community, at all career stages, and senior external stakeholders, including other research funders, government, NHS and industry partners, and work across multiple levels within the Charity.
• Develop and use your subject expertise in Research Careers and Culture to shape internal strategy relating to research support and to effectively represent Cancer Research UK in external discussions on Research Careers and improving EDI in research
• Manage the Research Careers and Culture team, supporting their development and balancing workloads to deliver the aims above.
• Deliver other strategic initiatives as requested by the Director of Research and Partnerships.

What skills are we looking for?

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in life sciences / medical research
• Significant experience of Research environments and career development through roles in university and/or clinical and/or commercial and/or research funding organisations and ideally more than one of these
• Understanding of the issues that need to be addressed to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the research we fund and the people we support, and ideally practical experience and effective delivery of initiatives seeking to address some of these
• Ability to work collaboratively across internal teams to address complex issues and to creatively develop and deliver strategic goals
• Proven experience of managing finances and resources to a significant budget
• Ability to represent CRUK externally with strong personal impact, with experience of managing and influencing multiple stakeholders and partnerships
• Experience of leading a team to deliver agreed objectives with demonstrable impact and supporting a collaborative working environment across the department and directorate

What will I gain?

Every one of our employees contributes to our progress and is supporting our work to beat cancer. We think that's impressive.

In return, we make sure you are supported by a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools, policies, and processes to enable you to do your job well.

Our benefits package includes a substantial retirement plan, a generous and flexible leave allowance, discounts on anything from travel to technology, gym membership, and much more.

We don't forget people have lives outside of work too and so we actively encourage a flexible working culture.

Our work - from funding cutting-edge research to developing public policy - will change the world. It's exciting to be part of our team.

How do I apply?

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.

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