Salary: from £39,260 p.a. + benefits (fixed term contract up to 31 March 2024)
Location: central London office and remote working
Closing date: 17.00 BST, Monday 17 April 2023
Do you want to help inspire and support biomedical and health researchers to reach their full potential?
Supporting the next generation of researchers through innovative career funding and support is one of the Academy’s strategic priorities and at the heart of our vision of good health for all supported by the best research and evidence. We are looking for a senior programme officer to join our team and take forward our work in this area.
The senior programme officer will be responsible for the administration and delivery of part of the Academy’s career development programmes portfolio, including a diverse range of career development events, workshops and conferences. You will take the lead of the day-to-day delivery of at least one programme or project and contribute to the development of more junior team members. This will involve working alongside the Programmes and wider Careers team with support from our Fellowship of world class researchers, interacting directly with researchers, facilitators, and expert consultants.
Our career development programmes portfolio includes the Academy’s flagship mentoring programme, the INSPIRE Programme to encourage medical, dental and veterinary students to consider a career in research, the SUSTAIN programme supporting female research leaders, and FLIER; a pioneering leadership programme. We have also just launched an exciting new Cross-Sector programme which will work across the UK to bring together innovators and researchers from different fields to promote health innovation. In addition, we offer a programme of support for our active grant awardees and programme participants (PILLAR) and all of our alumni (HIVE).
You’ll have a degree, or equivalent experience, and experience of event or programme management. You’ll have experience of dealing with external organisations and individuals, working with various databases and online platforms for events, and producing high-quality printed materials and digital content. Some experience managing budgets and working with funders on contracts would be beneficial. You will be confident in working with people across all levels and in representing the team and the organisation at both internal and external meetings. Excellent communication and team working skills are key attributes we are looking for, in addition to a desire to support the careers of the next generation of researchers.
The Academy’s benefits include generous leave allowance, Academy pension scheme, agile working options and travel assistance, amongst others. The Academy is based in offices near Oxford Circus, and staff are working in a flexible hybrid format.
CVs in isolation will not be accepted. No agencies please. Unfortunately we are not able to sponsor visas.
Closing date: 17.00 BST, Monday 17 April 2023
Interview date: Monday 24 or Tuesday 25 April 2023
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Senior programme officer recruitment: what to expect from us
We understand how much time, effort and personal investment goes into job applications and interviews. We really appreciate you applying for this role and this is what you can expect from us:
Before you apply
We want our job statement to be as accessible as possible. We hope things are laid out clearly and we’ve tried to avoid jargon. Just let us know if there are terms that need explaining, or if we can provide the information in a more accessible way, such as a larger print copy.
While you are applying
We ask for a CV and cover letter - the cover letter gives you a chance to demonstrate your ability to do the job, the CV helps us understand your previous work or education experience. We don’t need long pages of text - keep it brief and focus on examples.
We don’t expect applicants to have done it all! Don’t let the things you haven’t done put you off applying. We offer lots of training and we want roles at the Academy to build people’s skills for the future.
When we assess your application
Our assessments will focus on the ‘Key responsibilities’ and ‘Skills and abilities’ listed in the job statement. If you can reference them in your application, that helps us pick out your most relevant skills.
Inviting you for interview
We want the interviews to be as accessible as possible so can hold them online, please let us know if you need any adjustments or support. For example, if you are neurodiverse, we are happy to allow more time for your interview and will work to make sure our questions are clear and concise. If you have children at home or other caring responsibilities, you can request an interview time that works for your commitments.
Our interviews are a friendly chat – we’re a nice bunch and we know you are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing you! There are no trick questions and we are not trying to catch you out. We want you to be as relaxed as possible. If you want to pause and take a breath, or to go back to something later, let us know.
Interview questions – we want our questions to bring out your ability to do the job, not your ability to answer questions quickly. For that reason, and to relieve some of the interview anxieties we all feel, we’ll send you the interview questions beforehand, so you have time to think of your best examples. For neurodiverse candidates, or those with other needs, we can send them earlier - just let us know when we invite you for interview.
There will also be a short task to complete on the same day as the interview, this is for us to see your written communication skills, alongside the chat we have during the interview. There is no preparation needed beforehand.
The interview panel will be Dr Elizabeth Benedikz and Helen Denyer, who are programme managers. We welcome feedback on our approach to this recruitment, please let us know your comments and ideas, and contact us if you have any other questions about the role: [email protected] and [email protected].
Senior Programme Officer JD March 2023