Research Operations Manager (POLIS) in London

The Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy is home to one of the largest, most diverse and international communities for social research and education in Europe. We have world‑leading expertise across social science disciplines, with recognised strengths in security studies, political economy, global health, social risk and resilience, and education and social justice.

The School of Politics and Economics is home to the only department of Political Economy in the UK, dedicated to rich interdisciplinary scholarship on the multifaceted links between politics and economics, to the department of European and International Studies which particularly specialises in the analysis of global integration and governance, and international political economy, and the King’s Russia Institute which supports interdisciplinary research on Russian and Eurasian politics, policy and economy.

The School of Security Studies is dedicated to understanding global security issues in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. With extensive expertise from its Department of War Studies, Defence Studies Department and King’s Institute for Applied Security Studies, it forms one of the largest multidisciplinary communities of scholars in the world, engaged in the teaching and research of all aspects of conflict, war, security and defence.

An experienced Research Operations Manager is needed to bring proactive, high‑quality cross‑department support to the academic leadership team preparing King’s College London’s Politics and International Studies submission to REF 2029 (Unit of Assessment 19). The submission is large and complex: there is a significant volume of data to manage and attention to detail will be key, as will the ability to keep on top of multiple priorities and fixed deadlines. The postholder will be expected to be self‑motivated and able to work with appropriate levels of independence and collaboratively with a range of colleagues both academic and professional, engaging in a number of networks.

The post will be based in the School of Politics and Economics, but split across the constituent schools and departments which form the submission, including the School of Security Studies, through which the post is jointly funded. There is a community of REF‑related professional services colleagues in SSPP and the wider College with which this role will interact, attending and contributing to meetings and feeding back appropriately to ensure consistency, compliance and timeliness.

This is a part time post (21 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31 December 2028.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

• Essential criteria

• Significant experience of supporting research operations within higher education, including financial management
• Excellent abilities in data management, analysis and reporting
• Proven ability to manage and coordinate logistically complex projects and activities, and to develop, implement and manage administrative processes and procedures tailored to specialised projects
• Demonstrable ability to engage effectively with and build relationships with a range of stakeholders, both internally and externally, in support of large-scale and high performing teams.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including experience of strategic communication of policy and objectives.
• Proficient IT Skills (including Word and Excel) and a high level of numeracy.
• Experience of facilitating, monitoring and reporting on public engagement and knowledge exchange in support of research impact

• Strong working knowledge of the UK research funding environment
• Familiarity with research management platforms such as Pure

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university. The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination. When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day. We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages. Interviews are due to be held on Thursday 12th March 2026.