Post-Award Finance Manager

Durham, North East England, United Kingdom Durham University The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

The Role and the Department

Research and Innovation Services (RIS) provides Durham's academic and professional services community with guidance, expert advice, and hands-on support for all aspects of research and research-related work, including securing funding, working with partners, undertaking knowledge exchange, demonstrating impact, commercialising outputs, ensuring good research practice, and supporting professional development.

Within Research and Innovation Services (RIS), our Research Operations Team provides support and services for our academics working across the research and innovation life cycle, focusing on applying for and managing funding and providing professional advice on collaborations and contracts.

The Research Operations Team is comprised of three sections: Pre-Award, Contracting, and Post-Award. These sections work together to deliver a service to support, advise, and provide expertise to our academic community for our extensive and varied portfolio of externally funded projects.

The Research Operations Post Award team is responsible for providing specialist support, oversight and quality assurance for research, knowledge exchange and expert services post-award financial activity. This includes the financial management of live grants, provision of management information to grant holders and senior leadership, financial reporting to funders and external bodies, support for studentship management, and the administration of research grants.

We are seeking an experienced post-award professional with strong research finance expertise to join the Post Award management team. Reporting to a Senior Post Award Finance Manager, you will play a key role in the leadership and delivery of post-award support across the University's externally funded research portfolio.

The role combines specialist post-award knowledge with operational and people management responsibilities. You will be responsible for supporting a portfolio of complex and high-value research awards, providing expert advice on funder requirements and research finance matters, and line managing a team within the Post Award function. Working closely with colleagues across Research Operations and the wider University, you will ensure compliance, promote best practice, support continuous service improvement, and contribute to the development of post-award processes, systems and ways of working. Through this work, you will help deliver a high-quality, customer-focused service that supports the University's growing and increasingly complex research portfolio.

You will have the following key responsibilities;

• Line manage staff within the Post Award function, providing leadership, guidance, support and pastoral care to ensure high levels of performance, engagement and professional development
• Provide training to new and existing staff members as appropriate and mentor team members to ensure a thorough understanding of university financial regulations, research related policies and external funders.
• Manage a portfolio of high-value, complex and strategically important research awards, ensuring effective financial and project management throughout the award lifecycle.
• Provide advice on project set-up, start certificates, recruitment and appointment approvals, project reviews, virements and change requests, funder claims and invoices, final claims, project closure activities, and complex funder and academic queries, ensuring compliance with funder and University requirements.
• Provide a senior check, where appropriate, of the team's work to ensure accurate calculations and reporting.
• Develop and deliver training sessions to relevant university staff on Post-Award procedures.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of new policies and quality standards, procedures and systems for the post award management of Durham's externally funded research activities to ensure effective working and continuous improvement.
• Actively participate in regional and national networks and working groups to represent Durham and share best practice across the sector in research project management, ensuring that Durham is actively engaged in relevant consultations and well positioned to understand and, where appropriate, influence funder policy.
• Deputise for the Senior Post Award Manager as required

The base location for this role is Boldon House, our exciting new professional services hub. Boldon House is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House brings a number of professional services teams together in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working. To find out more, visit the project webpage: Boldon House - Durham University.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:
• You'll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
• We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
• You can access exclu