UKAgeNet Manager in Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university. We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement, a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Research Manager to join the Healthy Lifespan Institute (HELSI) at the University of Sheffield and support the activities of UKAgeNet, a network of more than 70 UK research organisations focused on ageing and age-related diseases. UKAgeNet works to shape national research policy by representing shared priorities to research funders and influencing national and local governments.

As Research Manager, you will coordinate the network’s activities, organise high-profile events involving a wide range of stakeholders, and play a key role in raising UKAgeNet’s profile. You will draft opinion papers that summarise discussions and consensus across the network, as well as write blogs and social media content that communicate its expertise to a range of audiences. You will also oversee project administration and finances, monitor progress against milestones, and ensure timely reporting. Some flexibility will be needed to engage with stakeholders and attend events.

You will have a background in scientific, medical, public health or social science research, with experience of writing high-quality scientific or policy-related documents and working collaboratively across large teams and interdisciplinary partnerships. Experience of policy development or engagement would be an advantage.

Main Duties And Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the day-to-day management and delivery of UKAgeNet, ensuring activities are delivered effectively and in line with agreed objectives and timelines.
• Organise and deliver meetings, workshops, conferences and other high-profile events involving researchers, policymakers, funders and other stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with UKAgeNet members, partners and external stakeholders to support collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Draft high-quality opinion papers, briefing documents and consultation responses by synthesising discussions and evidence from across the network.
• Produce engaging communication materials, including blogs, website content and social media posts, to promote UKAgeNet’s activities and impact.
• Monitor project plans, budgets and reporting requirements, ensuring appropriate governance and financial procedures are followed.
• Support the Director and Executive Group in delivering the strategic objectives of UKAgeNet and identifying opportunities to enhance the network’s profile and influence.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification:

• Degree in a scientific, medical, public health or social science discipline.
• Experience of managing complex research projects, programmes or networks involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience of organising meetings, workshops or conferences involving a range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrable ability to produce high-quality written outputs, including synthesising complex discussions and evidence into reports, briefing papers, scientific or policy documents.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including monitoring budgets, milestones and reporting requirements.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams and external organisations.
• Confident in using a range of IT systems and digital collaboration tools to support project coordination, administration and communication.
• Experience of producing engaging content for website and social media to communicate the network activities to a range of audiences to raise the UKAgeNet profile.
• Ability to work independently managing competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience of research policy or policy engagement (Desirable).

Further Information:

• Grade 7 Salary
• Work arrangement: Part-time
• Duration: 2nd September 2026 to 31st May 2027
• Line manager: Ilaria Bellantuono
• Direct reports: Ilaria Bellantuono

If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.

For informal enquiries about this job contact Ilaria Bellantuono, Director of the Healthy Lifespan Institute: on i.bellantuono@sheffield.ac.uk.

Next steps in the recruitment process: Candidates will be informed of the interview date once the advertisement has closed. This will consist of an interview and a presentation. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 27th July.

If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact Ilaria Bellantuono on i.bellantuono@sheffield.ac.uk.

We are a Disability Confident Leader. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right.

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