Research and Knowledge Exchange Finance Manager in London

About the Opportunity

Location: Remote working and London-based (as per business requirements)

Term: Permanent

FTE: 1 FTE

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 dependent on experience

Benefits: Benefits package including 25 days holiday allowance pro rata (excl. Bank holidays), group life assurance, group income protection, pension schemes and private healthcare.

Reports to: Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Services

Start: ASAP

About Northeastern University London

Northeastern University London (NU London) is a growing, ambitious university and part of the global Northeastern University network. Originally founded as The New College of the Humanities, the institution has undergone a rapid transformation in recent years, gaining degree awarding powers in 2020, university title in 2022, and expanding its footprint with campuses at St Katharine’s Dock, next to Tower Bridge, and more recently at Portsoken.

As an experience-led university, NU London combines high-quality teaching with a strong focus on real-world, interdisciplinary learning. Alongside this, the University is now actively building its research and innovation profile. With over 50 research-active faculty and a growing doctoral community, we are investing strategically in areas such as data science, AI, and engineering, while maintaining strengths across the humanities and social sciences.

Our Doctoral School was established in 2023, and we are preparing for our first submission to REF 2028. We have also recently gained UKRI eligibility, marking a significant step in our research development. As a relatively new and evolving research environment, we are continuing to build the systems, processes, and culture that will underpin our long-term ambitions.

This is a small, collaborative, and dynamic team where individuals have the opportunity to shape how things are done. Working at NU London offers the chance to be part of an institution at a pivotal stage of growth - combining the agility of a start-up environment with the resources, networks, and global reach of a major international university.

Purpose of role

The Research & Knowledge Exchange Finance Manager is the institutional lead for post-award research finance governance and compliance at Northeastern University London. The role is responsible for ensuring robust financial management, regulatory compliance and audit readiness across the University’s externally funded research and knowledge exchange portfolio. As research income and complexity increase, this post provides strategic financial oversight, safeguards institutional income, and ensures adherence to funder, statutory and sector requirements. The role combines operational financial management with institutional-level responsibility for research income reporting, regulatory returns, and financial governance frameworks that underpin research growth and risk mitigation.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead financial governance and compliance oversight for all externally funded research and knowledge exchange activity, ensuring adherence to funder terms and conditions (including UKRI and Horizon Europe/ERC).
• Provide strategic financial oversight of post-award activity, including budget monitoring, risk management, funder reporting, audit readiness, and compliance approval of research transactions, ensuring accurate reconciliation and timely completion of all financial activity.
• Lead preparation and submission of institutional research income returns, including REF finance return and HE-BCI reporting, and monitor publicly funded income against TRAC thresholds, initiating readiness planning where required.
• Oversee financial management of funded PhD studentships and grant-funded staffing commitments.
• Act as the institutional subject matter expert for research finance within Workday, ensuring system integrity, reviewing agreements for compliance prior to setup, overseeing accurate and timely data entry, and resolving complex issues to maintain alignment between system controls and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain robust financial control frameworks, processes and standard operating procedures to support institutional research governance.
• Provide expert financial guidance to Principal Investigators and senior leadership, including regular portfolio reviews covering balances, activity, forecasting, and closeouts, and manage prior approvals and project changes across the full award lifecycle to ensure compliant and sustainable research delivery.
• Lead financial planning, monitoring and forecasting for the RKE Services operational budget, advising the budget holder on resource allocation, risk and sustainability.

Qualifications:

• Accountancy qualification or other professional qualification e.g., ARMA Certificate (desirable).

Key Criteria:

• Extensive experience in UK higher education research finance.
• Experience of working with research finance systems and contributing to system development or implementation.
• Experience of managing complex externally funded awards, including UKRI and European funding.
• Experience contributing to or leading statutory research finance returns (e.g. REF, HE-BCI, TRAC or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of research finance compliance, audit and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven ability to develop financial governance processes and operate effectively across institutional systems.
• Experience of working collaboratively with academic and professional services stakeholders.
• Experience of financial reporting, forecasting and providing insight to decision-making.

Application Process:

Please ensure that your application includes a CV and a covering letter. Applicants should address the selection criteria and indicate how their background and expertise align with the job role. You may use bullet points if you wish. Candidates are welcome to make informal enquiries. Please email Alice Caryer (alice.caryer@nulondon.ac.uk). Names and contact information of references should be provided through the cover letter. References will only be sought for finalists. Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary. Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. This role may be eligible for visa sponsorship, requiring visa sponsorship would mean a hybrid working arrangement.

Position Type: Research

Salary Range: £50,000 - £55,000

Additional Information:

About the University: Northeastern University London (NU London) is a prestigious higher education institution based in the heart of London and is part of Northeastern University’s global campus network. Overlooking the River Thames near Tower Bridge, NU London offers academically challenging educational programmes designed to inspire innovative thinking, encourage interdisciplinary study, and provide global experiences. The bright and modern campus offers award winning, contemporary facilities for students and staff including state of the art audio visual technology in its teaching and meeting spaces. Inspired by excellence, infused with an energy of ideas and ability in motion, at NU London, being a part of our staff is to be a part of a collective of entrepreneurs and educators, builders and thinkers. NU London is growing quickly, offering opportunity and growth for our staff. Currently hosting 1,500 students, our aim is to have 4000 students by 2028/29.

Choose NU London: As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, the University supports staff maintaining a good work/life balance, your health and wellness are of utmost importance to us, and our offerings encompass: 25 days annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays and winter break holidays (normally 2 days between Christmas and New Year). Access to personalised Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plans and opportunities. Support with private medical insurance. Eye test reimbursement. Cycle Scheme vouchers. 24/7 employee assistance/ support via our Employee Assistance Programme. Access to deals and discounts for food & shopping in the local area.

Enquiries: Informal enquiries may be made to: Alice Caryer. They can be reached at the following: a.caryer@northeastern.edu. However, all applications must be made in accordance with the application process specified. Application process: Applications should be made by 00:00 on the job posting's end date (if applicable). Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary. Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page that addresses the criteria for the role and a full curriculum vitae. The panel will be shortlisting for this position on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close this post before the closing date if we receive a large number of applications. Please note all employees of Northeastern University London are required to undergo at least a basic DBS check. Our organisation acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of our students and staff, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements. You must adhere to the above if you are offered a role with NU London. For staff’s own wellbeing, for part time roles, the expectation is if you have multiple roles, they should not exceed full time (37.5 hours per week), and for full time roles, the expectation is that this will be your only role (apart from intermittent roles). Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from all underrepresented groups, including the Global Majority. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.