Funding Lead

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) - Head Office
Salary: £56,745 per annum 
Band: UKRI F
Team:  NERC Funding Operations, Business Delivery, and Insight
Hours: Full time minimum 0.8 FTE
Contract Type: Fixed term (18 months) 
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available
Closing Date: 15/05/25

This is a key role for the oversight and leadership of funding operations for NERC within UKRI. 

The Funding Lead is a business-critical post, based in the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and is fundamental to the design and delivery of the UKRI funding profession and organisational change for UKRI.

The Funding Lead will be a subject-matter expert, with deep expertise in the funding landscape, accountable and responsible for identifying areas for funding innovation, and leading the development of new ways of working and continuous improvement. 

This is a newly harmonised role across UKRI that will evolve over the coming 12-months. The role will take part in the leadership within the UKRI Funding Service and work closely and collaboratively with other UKRI Council Funding Leads. It will provide an information flow to and from the central funding service and will be part of a network to share and collaborate on the development of funding opportunities to allow for aligned scheduling and resourcing.

The role reports into AD Funding Operations and Governance within NERC, with a future matrix line management arrangement, recognising the new ways of working into the UKRI Funding Service, in development. 

Purpose: 

The Funding Lead will take responsibility for leading NERC funding operations. They will ensure alignment with the UKRI Funding Service, overseeing the embedding of process, training, and guidance for the UKRI funding service and take part in the leadership of the funding service across UKRI. You will champion the UKRI funding service and profession within NERC and be a first port of call for questions relating to funding from staff. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Leading funding operations in NERC, giving direction, support, and influencing to ensure consistency and alignment with new ways of working, policy, and process within NERC.
• Lead the NERC funding operations team of C.12 colleagues, with direct line management of three reports across grant operations, policy, and expert review.
• Manage the resource required to operate efficiently within NERC, and working across UKRI to secure support where additional resource is required to manage peaks across the UKRI business, within budgetary limitations.
• Engage with the UKRI Funding Service to shape the funding environment across UKRI actively contributing subject matter expertise to developing the scheme, policy, and process environment for funding.
• Embed new ways of working by leading the development of skills and capabilities of colleagues, identifying needs, driving innovation, and developing opportunities and solutions in funding within NERC.
• Responsibility for funding opportunity scheduling in NERC and alignment to organisational delivery across the funding service.
• Leading to support and embrace change programmes including implementation of new ways of working, actively prompting the behaviours/core values of the profession.
• Provide input and support into UKRI work streams, governance, business structures and shared capabilities, including transformations plans and organisational change.

Person Specification

The below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I)

• Experience delivering funding operations in a complex and changing environment, including expertise and understanding of funding policy, process, and expert review relevant to NERC/UKRI. (S/I)
• Experience of managing and representing a team, and a supportive and motivational people leadership approach. (S/I)
• Working knowledge of project and business change management principles and delivery. (S/I)
• Ability to shape and plan the delivery of strategic goals. (S/I)
• Strong communication skills with key stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes and buy-in even for ‘unpopular’ messages. (I)
• Ability to facilitate and carry out options analysis in order to recommend next steps to senior colleagues in a logical and objective manner. (I)
• Influence and negotiate decision-making, enabling an adaptable and evolving approach to ensure the best outcomes. (I)
• Working knowledge of applying resource planning and management in order to best enable short term delivery, as well as working to longer term/strategic objectives. (S/I)
• Ability to identify risks and mitigations or associated challenges and adaptability in approach for managing risks. (S/I)
• Evidence strong prioritisation skills. (S/I)

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package! We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org