Programme Manager SOC ACE Research… at University of… · United…

The Programme Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operational management and delivery of the SOC ACE research programme in line with the Director’s strategic direction and in compliance with funder requirements and UOB policies and procedures. The postholder is responsible for budget management and overseeing financial and operational administration, maintaining programme controls, effective information management, funder reporting, line management of the programme team, and smooth internal communications to ensure information reaches the correct places at the right time to maintain delivery momentum. Given the programme is in its final year, the postholder will be responsible for operational closure of the programme in line with UOB and FCDO requirements.

Position Details

School of Government

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606

Grade: 8

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2027

Closing date: 12^th^ July 2026

This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence.

About SOC ACE

Serious Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) is a multi-year research programme led by Professor Heather Marquette in the International Development Department and funded by the HMG’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Starting in June 2021 and running through to 30 September 2027, SOC ACE funds grants for public-good research on serious organised crime, illicit finance, corruption and transnational threats, that respond to real-world problems, take politics seriously and applies a nose-to-tail approach in engagement with policymakers and practitioners to deliver real-world change. So far, SOC ACE has funded 61 research projects and produced over 100 publications. Now, entering its final year, SOC ACE is consolidating and synthesising its findings to generate further insights on the organised crime and corruption ecosystem, and working to foster research uptake and impact.

Role Summary

The Programme Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operational management and delivery of the SOC ACE research programme in line with the Director’s strategic direction and in compliance with funder requirements and UOB policies and procedures. The postholder is responsible for budget management and overseeing financial and operational administration, maintaining programme controls, effective information management, funder reporting, line management of the programme team, and smooth internal communications to ensure information reaches the correct places at the right time to maintain delivery momentum. Given the programme is in its final year, the postholder will be responsible for operational closure of the programme in line with UOB and FCDO requirements.

Main Duties

1. Programme and Funder Management

• Ensure the programme is managed in line with relevant aspects of FCDO’s Programme Operating Framework and the terms of the programme’s Accountable Grant.
• With the Director set and review annual delivery plans, providing financial information and advice to inform programming decisions that balance delivery, risk, results and budget within agreed parameters.
• Lead on preparation and submission of all funder reporting (quarterly, annual and programme closure)
• Maintain programme-related trackers with timely and accurate information to enable effective programme control, accountability and efficient reporting.
• Hold the relationship with FCDO’s Programme Manager, responding to queries and information requests in a timely and accurate way.

2. Research Grant Portfolio Oversight and Management

• With the Director, ensure delivery of the annual research plan on time, on budget and to the required quality and compliance standard.
• Coordinate research grant funding award process, ensuring risk management is integrated into research grant agreements, appropriate approvals sought, and projects publicised through appropriate channels.
• Manage FCDO and UOB compliant due diligence procedures on all research grantees
• Oversee, guide and support the Programme Officer in research grant administration, including timely reporting, accurate financial reporting, risk escalation, results and management information capture.
• Maintain effective working relationships with grantees, building a culture of partnership, support and trust
• Manage the closure of research grants, ensuring final grant performance data is captured.
• With the Programme Officer, coordinate the review of research outputs, including peer review and libel review where necessary, ensuring accurate version control and document archiving.
• Manage directly delivered SOC ACE activities such as researcher and stakeholder workshops, conference attendance and events.

3. Finance, Operations and Administrative Management

• Own and manage the SOC ACE programme budget, ensuring activity-based budgeting, regular budget vs actual analysis, delivery and risk-informed forecasting, and timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Escalate financial risks and issues to the Director with recommendations on how to resolve/manage them
• As budget holder, approve all programme-related expenditure, consulting the Director where necessary.
• Manage and oversee programme expenditure, ensuring compliance with UOB’s spend-related policies (procurement, expenses, and payment procedures), maintaining programme-level records.
• Lead on the preparation, finalisation and submission of quarterly invoices to FCDO, drawing accurate data from accounting systems, allocating spend to SOC ACE budget lines and liaising with the College of Social Science’s Post Award team towards invoice finalisation and submission.
• Manage supplier contracts, ensuring clarity of requirements, effective communication and delivery accountability.

4. Results, Monitoring and Impact

• Maintain systems for capturing outputs, outcomes and impacts from funded research grants and activity.
• Track publications and additional outputs generated by grant recipients.
• Lead and support the development of impact stories and case studies based on funded research.
• Monitor performance against programme logframe targets and support feasible but ambitious updates.
• In consultation with the Director, develop REF impact case studies for submission to UOB’s Impact team.

5. Research Communications and Engagement Support

• Oversee core communication actions at the programme level to ensure external-facing information is shared in an accurate, appropriate and high-quality manner.
• Oversee update, maintenance and quality of the SOC ACE website as a one-stop shop, ensuring timely publication of research, promotion of associated research outputs, events and impact.
• Monitor and support research communications activities such as SOC ACE webinars, placement in podcast series, SOC ACE blog series and responsive communication products to support reach uptake.
• Oversee and monitor maintenance of SOC ACE’s social media presence, ensuring opportunities to promote SOC ACE research and the work of its researchers are harnessed in a quality manner.
• Oversee and monitor the process of developing and distributing SOC ACE’s Newsletter, contributing information for inclusion in a timely manner, as per the associated SOP.
• Support the Director in responding to ad-hoc requests for tailored high-quality communications outputs.
• Support the promotion of SOC ACE research and activities across UOB through inclusion in College Briefs and School Staff Round Ups.

6. Human Resource and Team Management

• Human resource management within the programme, including resource planning to ensure programme requirements are delivered,
• Effective and supportive team management that enables smooth internal communication and flow of information, maintains clarity of requirements and supports effective teamwork and collaboration.
• Actively promote equality, diversity and inclusion by creating an inclusive working environment, supporting and managing staff with diverse needs, ensuring appropriate workplace adjustments are implemented so all colleagues can contribute fully and achieve their potential.
• Line management of the Programme Officer, Project and Finance Officer, Senior Research Communications Officer and Administrative Assistant, ensuring they’re supported in their roles and able to fulfil their potential.

Person Specification

Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Experience in programme management of research programmes.
• Understanding of research granting programmes.
• Proven ability to manage and interpret complex, dynamic budgets.
• Proven financial acumen and ability to analyse financial information to support decision-making.
• Ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders, including managing upwards, and to build strong, collaborative working relationships across a range of communication styles and working preferences.
• Proven understanding of operational and financial compliance requirements.
• Ability to manage teams and individuals in an inclusive and supportive manner.
• Ability to plan and organise a large workload to meet both internal and external deadlines.
• Excellent English writing.

Essential Competencies

• Risk awareness and sound professional judgment
• Able to interpret and synthesise information towards sound decision making
• Excellent organisational skills and time management
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent ability to work proactively with little supervision
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills.

Desired

• Experience managing FCDO-funded programmes
• Understanding or appreciation of political sensitivities and risk
• Experience of UOB internal operational policies and procedures

Informal enquiries to Lyndsey Hand, email: l.c.hand@bham.ac.uk

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.