Centre for Doctoral Training Secondments and Partnership Co-ordinator in London

At UCL Mechanical Engineering, we develop and apply core competencies to produce world-class research into a wider range of engineering challenges than most would imagine. Amongst many other avenues we are:

• Leading research into low carbon shipping
• Designing the greenest engines and novel sustainable fuels
• Studying the flow of red blood cells in channels thinner than a human hair
• Using 'lighter than air' building materials to develop the solar power stations of the future
• Developing the most advanced brain models for dementia
• Designing propulsion systems for advanced multihull ships.

The new Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health Technologies is a joint Centre across UCL and Ulster University with over 30 project partners across healthcare, industry, and the charity sectors. We anticipate recruiting around 80 PhD students across 5 cohorts, each student completing a 4-year PhD with a first year that emphasises training and collaboration.

Our training covers everything from modular learning to critical assessment skills and is strongly multi-disciplinary, bridging the gap between engineering, physical, clinical sciences, healthcare, and industry. Each PhD project is co-led by an engineering and clinical/industry specialist from our pool of over 100 supervisors. In the first year, every student will have the opportunity to complete a secondment with one of the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) partners (for example, healthcare, industry) and will have training in diverse topics including medical regulation, ethics, entrepreneurship, scientific computing, each co-delivered by academics and project partners.

The comprehensive training programme ensures our students develop the skills to identify unmet clinical needs and engage with partners from a range of sectors. They will be able to confidently produce academic research papers, deliver presentations at conferences and make significant contributions to their chosen research project.

This role reports to the CDT Manager and will work closely with the Centre Management team for day-to-day duties. The post sits jointly in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (the home Department for the Centre Director) and the Faculty of Engineering's Institute of Healthcare Engineering (providing the cross-cutting multidisciplinary engineering, physical and health sciences connections across the University). The postholder will provide a first point of contact for secondment and partnership co-ordination and will play a key role in its strategic development and operational delivery.

We are delighted to be recruiting for a Secondments and Partnership Co-ordinator to join our Centre for Doctoral Training. Please note that this hybrid role is a part-time opportunity offered on a 0.5 FTE basis and is funded through to 2032.

This role will project-manage collaborations with internal (UCL) and external (academic, industry, charity, hospital) partners. The post holder will work alongside the Centre Director, Manager and Management Team (across UCL and Ulster University) to develop and deliver the strategy of the Centre.

This role will require ongoing and close collaboration with researchers and administrative staff at the Centre's partner institution, Ulster University (UU). To succeed, the postholder must be efficient, organised and take great care in attention to detail.

The relationships you build will be intrinsic to the success of your role. This will include engaging with Faculty and Central UCL services colleagues to maximise opportunities for the department, as well as working alongside other members of the professional services team so that together we can support our academic colleagues and students.

The role requires interaction with many people within and external to UCL thus a professional attitude, willingness to help and a positive outlook are required to execute the duties outlined.

We would be delighted to receive applications from candidates who meet the following requirements:

• Degree or equivalent experience
• Experience of working with organisations in the commercial sector or third sector.
• Experience of developing and maintaining excellent customer relations, including managing stakeholder expectations
• Positive, pro-active, professional, constructive, and collaborative approach
• Proven ability to develop networks and build professional relationships
• Creating and supporting simple and consistent work processes
• Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills
• Good organisation skills, with an ability to prioritise, to work to deadlines, manage own variable workload, and work independently
• Critical thinking skills including critical analysis and reasoning
• The ability to make and carry out decisions and know when to confer with colleagues or to refer matters onwards
• Empathetic and sensitive approach with an interest in student experience and sensitivity to confidential issues
• Innovative and problem-solving with the ability to adapt and accommodate change

Please reference the attached Job Description & Person Specification on the UCL jobs board for more insight into the post's essential and desirable criteria.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our department holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.