Research Officer – Strategic Programmes

This role sits within the Strategic Programmes Team Research team in the Research Directorate, an ambitious, proactive and growing team that is driving forward initiatives to bring more clinical trials to the UK for people living with dementia. With the first generation of disease modifying treatments recently approved, this is an exceptional opportunity for an individual with strong research experience who understands the clinical research environment in the UK, to contribute to ground breaking work in dementia research, aligning with and advancing on the Government's new investment initiatives in the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals.

As a part of this dynamic team, the Research Officer for Strategic Programmes will actively contribute to the development, implementation, management and evaluation of ARUK’s strategic initiatives. This role involves working collaboratively with various teams within ARUK and aligning with the organisation's overarching objectives. This role requires an individual who is well-informed about the current developments in dementia research and can facilitate communication and partnerships to foster new opportunities.

• Supporting the Implementation and Evaluation of Strategic Initiatives
• Assist in the monitoring and annual review processes of various strategic initiatives including the Drug Discovery Alliance (DDA) and Brains for Dementia Research (BDR) to ensure our strategic programmes deliver impact contributing to the wider dementia research ecosystem.
• Support the development of future programme strategy through landscape analysis, collating external expert opinion and working with partner funding bodies.
• Participate in the development of content for meetings and assist in preparing briefing materials for different committees and boards, ensuring papers are written clearly and on-time.
• Responsibility for allocating, collecting and collating peer reviews for each initiative as appropriate.
• Support in preparation and organisation of external meetings, including travel and budget tracking in collaboration with the Research Programmes Manager.
• Drafting minutes for key meetings and ensuring actions are captured appropriately.
• Support the Research Programmes Manager for Strategic Programmes and the Head of Strategic Programmes in developing relationships and collaborations with partners and stakeholders, providing relevant briefing materials where needed.
• Work closely with the wider Research Team to embed involvement of people with lived experience into strategic programmes.

• Engage in cross-departmental and cross organisational meetings to contribute ideas and share insights.
• Support meetings with other funders to explore potential partnership opportunities and prepare briefings for Research Leadership teams where appropriate.
• Further develop expertise on how to conduct annual reviews and improve ways of working by working with organisations such as the AMRC and by attending relevant workshops and meetings.
• Collaborate with the Research Team to support the assessment of impact from strategic initiatives and communicate these findings both internally and externally.
• Contribute to external events as a representative of the charity including national conferences with the aim of positioning ARUK as an authority on dementia research.

• Experience in project coordination and collaboration facilitation.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and adhere to deadlines.
• Familiarity with the UK funding landscape.
• Basic understanding of the drug discovery process.
• Prior experience in a team environment.
• Demonstrable commitment to inclusive working, placing value on equity and diversity.
• Commitment to ARUK’s vision, mission and values.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to capture and summarise key information to different stakeholders.
• Organised and able to coordinate various projects concurrently.
• Self-motivated with a proactive approach to work.
• Willingness to learn new skills.
• Able to work well as part of a team.

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals. This includes when attending the office for various meetings/events.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, particularly from those in the global majority, those with disabilities, men and those from the LGBTQIA+ community.