DiSSCo UK Senior Impact & Evaluation Manager

Salary: £46,743 Per Annum
Band: UKRI Band E
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8 FTE)
Contract type: 3 years Fixed Term
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Closing Date:

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About the Role

The Distributed System of Scientific Collections UK (DiSSCo UK) is a £155.6 million investment for a national infrastructure programme to digitise 37 million natural science specimens. To deliver this exciting new programme, AHRC, alongside their delivery partner the Natural History Museum (NHM), are developing a DiSSCo UK delivery team to manage the programme on a day-to-day basis. This new team will be based at Swindon (with strong links to London) and will be responsible for leading the contract with the external evaluation supplier, leading on benefits management, engaging with relevant communities, measuring the impacts of the programme, and ensuring that impacts, outputs and outcomes are reflected upon, reported and communicated in a timely and effective manner. Some of the key activities for the team will be supporting grant holders, designing, and delivering future funding opportunities, and capturing programme and project level impacts.

The DiSSCo UK Senior Impact & Evaluation Manager will ensure DiSSCo UK delivers against its objectives and has the evidence to support this. This role will oversee the DiSSCo UK programme-level evaluation, project reporting and data capture, and the programme’s commissioned research strategy. The role will report into the DiSSCo UK Team Head and will liaise with all members of the team. The role will co-manage an Investment Manager role with the Senior Operations Manager.

The role offers opportunities for travel, professional development, and the chance to develop your experience of evaluation processes and benefits management.

As this role will involve interaction with grant holders and stakeholders, as well as attendance at events and conferences, the role will involve regular travel, including overnight and possible international travel.

Your Responsibilities

• You will supervise the programme-level evaluation, which comprises a baseline, impact evaluation and process evaluation. You will be the main contact for the evaluation suppliers and will convene the meetings and other activities required to provide appropriate oversight and dissemination of findings. You will maintain the programme level M&E plan and Benefits Realisation Plan.
• You will supervise data capture, reporting and monitoring for current and future DiSSCo UK grant holders. You will engage with AHRC, UKRI, and NHM colleagues to ensure DiSSCo UK reports against Measuring AHRC’s Success criteria and Infrastructure-fund level requirements.
• With the Investment Manager, you will supervise the DiSSCo UK governance structures and support on Business-Case Gate Reviews in collaboration with DiSSCo UK Team colleagues, ensuring documentation and T&Cs are maintained, undertaking recruitment of new members and deputising for the DiSSCo UK Team Head as appropriate.
• You will engage with cross-UKRI initiatives, as appropriate, and hold the relationship with UKRI and AHRC data, impact, and evidence colleagues.
• You will oversee the commissioned research programme, in collaboration with colleagues and partners. You will identify knowledge gaps and strategic priorities, and commission research to benefit the team, programme, and wider sector. You will oversee the procurement of research reports, with administrative support from the Operations Officer
• You will create reports, briefing notes and slide packs to demonstrate the impacts and benefits of the DiSSCo UK programme, including commercial benefits and spillovers. You will communicate impacts and outcomes for a variety of audiences. You will support the Team Head, Senior Operations Manager and Investment Manager with data and evidence to maintain their work areas.
• You will work collaboratively and effectively with DiSSCo UK colleagues (including those based at the NHM), adapting and communicating to ensure shared goals are met and staff feel supported.
• You will work with NHM colleagues to support the work of the DiSSCo EU European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC).
• You will co-manage the Investment Manager, providing line and task management, and support their professional development.

Person Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I)

Essential

• Understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation terminology and principles, such as the purpose of M&E, different types of evaluation and how evaluation reports can be used. (S&I)
• Experience of benefits mapping or experience of identifying and evidencing the impacts of an investment, project, or activity. Some experience of procuring goods and services using established processes would be useful. (S&I)
• Ability to collect, manage and present data accurately (visual design skills and experience of producing infographics and experience of using data visualisation tools will be useful). Clear and effective presentation of data for a variety of users, and the ability to identify and explain trends in data will be required. (S&I)
• Experience of leading or managing activities with multiple internal/external partners. Some understanding of commercialisation within research projects and research areas would be advantageous. (S&I)
• Experience of managing and mitigating risk in projects. (S&I)
• Good team working skills, including collaborating with colleagues to prioritise tasks and maximise resources. (S&I)
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to explain complex ideas and advocate to external stakeholders. (S&I)
• Experience of managing or supervising staff and supporting staff development. (S&I)

To apply you must attach your CV (2 pages max.) and a covering letter (2 pages max.), ensuring that your cover letter addresses the essential shortlisting and interview criteria. 

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