Job Description

Job Title: Head of Gambling Research Programme

Organisation: Arts and Humanities Research Council

Salary: £58,589 per annum
Band: UKRI Band F

Hours: Full Time / Part Time (min 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Fixed Term (24 months)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Closing Date: 13th April 2026

Interview: This is a 2-stage interview process (interview dates TBC)

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

About the role

As Head of the Gambling Research Programme you will be responsible for end-to-end delivery in a high-scrutiny environment of the newly established Research Programme on Gambling, a multidisciplinary initiative funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This fixed term appointment offers a unique opportunity to deliver a significant cross-sector programme that addresses gambling-related harms through collaborative, evidence-led research. The role combines programme delivery, strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and team management.

Within the first year, the post-holder will have established stable governance, mobilised the flagship Centre, ensured clear risk and assurance arrangements are operating, and positioned the RPG as a credible, trusted programme across government and the research community.

Your work will include:

• Overseeing end to end design and delivery of a complex, high profile managed programme.
• Coordinating investment management of the flagship Gambling Harms Research Coordination Centre.
• Identifying, mitigating, and escalating risks as part of formal governance of the programme
• Managing cross-UKRI engagement in the programme.
• Implementing a robust MEL strategy for the programme.
• Supporting regular reporting to DCMS

You will head up a small team and act as the primary point of coordination across UKRI councils, corporate functions, and governance structures to enable delivery.

You will report to AHRC’s Associate Director – Research Programme on Gambling.

Main Responsibilities:

Leadership and strategy

• Providing leadership, direction and momentum for the Research Programme on Gambling in the context of wider UKRI strategy and broader Gambling Levy aims, and developing and contributing to organisational strategy and plans
• Ensuring the programme operates as a managed portfolio, maintaining oversight of dependencies, sequencing, and cumulative impact.
• Shape and implement programme-wide approaches to commissioning, governance, and research funding that reflect AHRC and UKRI’s values, including excellence, clarity, and public benefit.
• Lead the implementation of clear, practicable policies on conflicts of interest, industry engagement, ethics, safeguarding and exclusions to ensure the integrity of the RPG, drawing on UKRI’s frameworks and broader government policy.
• Support horizon scanning and capability development to ensure the RPG helps establish a sustainable, high-quality, and interdisciplinary research ecosystem around gambling harms.
• Represent AHRC and UKRI in national and international fora to position the RPG as a flagship programme in public interest research, contributing to UKRI’s wider strategic objectives in health, inequality, and evidence-led policy.
• Support wider AHRC strategy by ensuring learning from the RPG contributes to AHRC’s thinking on complex and contested areas of public policy, independent research, and innovation systems.
• Being an active and engaged member of our Senior Management Team.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Establishing relationships across UKRI to ensure that the RPG is well embedded, understood, and aligned to UKRI strategy
• Act as a visible and credible ambassador for the RPG, able to navigate contested policy spaces with confidence, diplomacy, and clarity, and assert UKRI’s commitment to independent, high-quality research.
• Building links across UKRI to encourage wider, cross-disciplinary and engagement with Gambling Harms research.
• Playing a leading role in brokering and maintaining relationships with key partners and collaborators externally to build trust, manage risk, and ensure the RPG reflects different perspectives and public interest.

Portfolio management

• Lead the design and delivery of major investments under the RPG as part of a high profile managed programme.
• deliver a proportionate but credible Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework that supports accountability, learning and future strategy
• Supporting good governance through oversight of appropriate MEL, reporting and risk management across the programme.
• Support the sustainable transition of investments from delivery through to completion and long-term impact.
• Embed a culture of learning, evidence and continuous improvement across the programme.
• Overseeing programme budgets and ensuring good budget management.

Team management

• Running a programme team, ensuring all members are supported to perform their roles well
• set clear expectations and develop a culture of delivery and accountability
• model decisive, evidence-led leadership
• Informing ongoing resource planning to support the delivery of the RPG over the longer term
• Ensuring close collaboration between the RPG team and wider UKRI structures.

Shortlisting and Interview Criteria

Essential:

• In-depth understanding of the UK research funding landscape and its broader societal impact. (S/I)
• experience of leading the development and delivery of major, complex projects and/or programmes of public investment. (S/I)
• experience of leading people and teams, including the ability to engage and influence, to collaborate at all levels and to handle multiple perspectives. (S/I)
• confidence to make sound, defensible decisions in fast-moving, politically sensitive contexts. (S/I)
• Strong programme and financial management skills, including risk and evaluation oversight. (S/I)
• strategic thinking skills, including the ability to develop strategy in a fast-paced, changing landscape, and confidence in evidence-based decision-making and horizon scanning. (S/I)
• excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly. (S/I)
• creative problem-solving skills and an ability to work proactively and flexibly to achieve objectives. (S/I)

About Arts and Humanities Research Council

The AHRC supports world-class research, skills and infrastructure that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity. It supports research and postgraduate training in a wide range of subject areas, from ancient history and heritage science to modern dance and digital content. Research into these areas helps us to interpret our experiences, probe our identities, interrogate our cultural assumptions and understand our historical, social, economic and political context. It adds to the economic success of the UK, through its contributions to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. The research we fund can lead to improvements in social and intellectual capital, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation. The infrastructure, digital and physical collections, facilities and resources we help develop and sustain for arts and humanities are integral to UKRI’s broader commitment to a long-term national capability for research.

Further details can be found via the following links: https://ahrc.ukri.org/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI encompasses the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.