Research and Knowledge Exchange Funding Manager

Permanent, full time, 37 hours per week (1.0 FTE)

Band 6 - £43,482 to £48,823 per annum

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Office (RKEO) at the University of Suffolk is seeking to appoint a Research and Knowledge Exchange Funding Manager to provide high quality, comprehensive pre-award support to academic staff across the University. 

The RKEO supports the full lifecycle of research and knowledge exchange activity—from pre-award and post-award support to research contracts, ethics, and governance. Our research community has grown to over 90 research active staff and following significant investment in several new Research Institutes in 2021, our external research and knowledge exchange income now exceeds £1M per annum. We currently support around 100 funding applications each year (~£9M in applied for funding) and we continue to expand in scale and ambition.

About the Post

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Funding Manager is a key role within the RKEO, delivering expert, hands on pre-award services that include: identifying and disseminating suitable funding opportunities; advising on funder guidelines, eligibility criteria, and scheme suitability; supporting the accurate costing and pricing of proposals in line with full economic costing (fEC) principles and University policies; ensuring effective internal peer review processes are completed; and reviewing applications for quality, accuracy, and compliance prior to submission.

The post holder plays an important role in the development and management of our research management systems, helping to enhance the support we provide and shape future service improvements.

In addition, the role supports the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) and the Associate Director, Research and Knowledge Exchange (Funding and Contracts) with the oversight and strategic management of institutional Research England funding streams, including Enhancing Research Culture, Participatory Research Funding, Policy Support Funding, and Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF).

Further information on research and knowledge exchange at the University of Suffolk can be found here: https://www.uos.ac.uk/research-and-knowledge-exchange/

About You

The successful candidate will have experience providing pre-award support for research and/or knowledge exchange funding within a UK Higher Education environment. They will bring:

• Strong understanding of costing and pricing principles, including full economic costing (fEC);
• Experience supporting applications to major funders such as UKRI, NIHR, Wellcome Trust and Horizon Europe;
• Proven ability to build positive working relationships with colleagues at all levels of seniority, along with external partners;
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively, work flexibly and under pressure, and use initiative to improve processes and services.

If you believe you can make a strong contribution to this role, we would be delighted to hear from you.  Please refer to the full job description for details on the responsibilities and essential person specification requirements. For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Stephen Walford, Associate Director, Research and Knowledge Exchange (Funding and Contracts) at s.walford@uos.ac.uk.

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days per annum, plus 8 bank holidays and any university closure days.
• Enjoy an extra day of paid leave on your birthday, subject to qualifying/service conditions.
• Flexible working, including agile working arrangements, and family friendly policies.
• Competitive workplace pension scheme (USS) – with an employer contribution rate of 14.5%, tax relief on contributions and life cover.
• Staff discounts at a number of local amenities in Ipswich.
• Discounted membership at Adastral Park Leisure and Sports
• Access to a range of high-quality learning and development opportunities
• Discounted rates for staff approved to study a UoS undergraduate or postgraduate course, subject to a set of criteria and conditions.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• Staff recognition annual awards.

Closing Date: Sunday 10 May 2026

Interview Date: Tuesday 19 May 2026

Please see the Job Application Guidance to support your application.

Please note:

We recommend that you apply as soon as possible, even if the closing date is in the future.

Applications received may be reviewed before the closing date and should we receive a high number of applications for this post, or high-quality applications which demonstrate suitability, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early. We may hold interviews as and when applications are received, and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date.

We are a values driven organisation, committed to ensuring we remain a beacon for aspiration and achievement, while providing a great environment to work and study. We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community and we encourage applications from under-represented groups.