Research Grants and Programmes Manager (Welfare)

The Nuffield Foundation is independent, and our founding purpose is to advance social well-being. We achieve this by funding and undertaking rigorous research, encouraging innovation, and supporting the use of sound evidence to improve people’s lives. We tackle pressing, complex questions, open up opportunities and improve lives for individuals, families and communities within a just and inclusive society. Our work addresses the inequalities, disadvantage, discrimination and vulnerabilities that people face, and considers the social and ethical implications of scientific and technological advances.

We are looking for an individual with professional experience of research or analysis to support the development and management of the Nuffield Foundation’s portfolio of research grants within our broad ‘Welfare’ programme, focused on research that contributes to a prosperous, fair and inclusive society. We are particularly interested in individuals with experience of research that focuses on the economy, work, the housing market and demography, and their impacts on outcomes such as national and local growth, thriving communities and families, social mobility and health outcomes.

This role will also support the building of our interests around climate change and developments in science and technology. The role leads on assessing research grant proposals (working with colleagues to determine which applications are taken forward) as well as monitoring and managing ongoing research grants, identifying opportunities and overcoming barriers to maximise the quality and impact of the research.

You will be familiar with a broad range of research methods in the design, development and management of research and analysis projects, with a deeper understanding of some methods across areas such as econometrics, survey design, modelling or qualitative research techniques. You will also be comfortable working flexibly and building knowledge across our other areas of work, so a breadth of interest across our other programmes of work will be advantageous.

In addition to this, you will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be highly organised, and be able to develop collaborative relationships across the organisation. We are committed to embedding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion considerations into all we do, including an active programme of work to make our grant-giving processes as inclusive as possible. An enthusiasm for doing this is essential; experience of having had related work is undesirable but not essential.

This is an excellent opportunity to use your experience to ensure our research is relevant, rigorous, and impactful and ultimately make a difference to people’s lives.

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job.
• Making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc.
• Paying for travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required.

Benefits include a hybrid approach to working, with full time members of staff normally expected to work from our office three days a week, consideration of requests for part time and/or flexible working, 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays, a salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%, life assurance scheme, family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay, cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets, regular opportunities for learning and development, and support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.