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LGC manages research funding schemes and related initiatives for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, managing public investment in excess of £500m per annum.

The Graduate Scheme in Research Management provides a unique opportunity to experience all aspects of research funding management, helping to shape the future of healthcare, social care and public health.

The posts are based at LGC’s Grant Management Group (GMG) in Twickenham. Joining the graduate scheme provides the opportunity for internal collaboration with staff as well as exciting external liaison, with interfaces to UK Government, academia, industry and the clinical community. Occasional travel to other NIHR centres and locations may be required.

Our staff are experts in managing research funding on behalf of major organisations for the benefit of wider society. GMG delivers research management, communications and engagement, and provides expertise into the funding and management of commercial and technological innovation. You’ll receive mentoring, professional development and training from experienced colleagues in our specialist teams.

As well as this chance to become knowledgeable and proficient in aspects of General Research Management facing the public sector, this year we are extending our offer to graduates who are particularly interested in developing a career in either Corporate Services or Research Impact and will be appointing three graduates in 2023.

Our Corporate Services teams include finance, corporate governance, risk management and assurance, information governance, business planning, continuous improvement, policy (development and compliance) and human resources. Research Impact includes monitoring, evaluation and learning activities related to our portfolio of funded research, and implementing the NIHR Outcomes Framework.

What you will do on our scheme:

Each step of the 22-month programme will challenge you and develop your managerial skills. You will have the chance to build your strengths and explore your career aspirations. We enable you to:

1) Understand how health research studies are awarded funding and monitored

2) Review an aspect of our work as part of a study in your first six months to deepen your appreciation of our service

3) Pitch to lead a multi-faceted management project to develop our grant management service

4) Deliver this 8-month project with tailored mentoring and coaching

5) Pitch to lead a second management project, potentially in a different area of interest

6) Deliver this second 8-month project with greater autonomy

For the Corporate Services and Research Impact streams, steps 2-6 will be focused on projects and skill development related to the respective streams.

We see the chance to deliver projects as the best way to learn what it takes to be an effective manager. You will be supported throughout, to help you reflect on what you are learning, to develop your talents and plan your career. On completion of the scheme, you’ll be ready to take your career to the next stage, having acquired a comprehensive understanding of research funding management.

Entry requirements:

The ideal candidates will have a curious mind, be innovative in their thinking, have passion to improve and a desire to make an impact on our business.

Education

• Relevant degree (e.g. biomedical, health or life sciences) (Essential)
• Alternatively for the Corporate Services: relevant degree to the corporate services (Essential)
• Transferable skills for scientific/technical office workplace (e.g. project planning, presentation of findings) (Essential)
• Project management and/or business administration training (e.g. via a course module) (Desirable)
• Evidence of financial acumen, (e.g. budget forecasting) (Desirable)
• In addition for the Research Impact stream:
• experience of data analytics (Desirable)
• experience of developing insight from data (Desirable)
• In addition for the Corporate Services stream:
• understanding of the importance of Corporate Governance and risk management (Desirable)
• experience/knowledge of policy development and standard operating procedures (Desirable)

Technical skills

• Reading and summarising scientific, technical or clinical literature
• Report writing
• Information research and analysis
• Data analysis and presentation
• Innovative - able to find solutions to problems using creativity, reasoning and past experience, coupled with information and resources
• Can demonstrate awareness of health research process and ecosystem
• Ability to present complex information in a easily comprehensible manner

Common essential competencies and behaviours:

• Good work ethic – committed, willing to work and learn, punctual.
• Evidence of taking responsibility for effective delivery either as an employee or as a volunteer.
• Communicates (two-way) with ease, demonstrates confidence and establishes trust.
• Conveys information clearly, logically, positively and accurately; both verbally and in writing.
• Evidence of sensible time management and planning to deliver a good product or service in a timely manner, either as an individual or in a team.
• Evidence of being able to build rapport and working relationships with a range of individuals.
• Understands the value of teamwork in terms of combining expertise and capability. Works flexibly in line with different people’s capacities.
• Ability to demonstrate problem solving capabilities.

Why work for us?

Join our team and you’ll be working with an exceptional organisation who manage high quality health and care research funding for the benefit of patients and the public. NIHR is one of the nation's largest funders of health and care research, and this opportunity will help you learn and develop your skills and progress your career.

We provide everything you’d expect including a competitive benefits package, enhanced contributory pension scheme, life insurance, season ticket loans, a laptop for hybrid office and home working, allowance for suitable home working equipment, Benenden healthcare, 25 days' annual leave and a good work/life balance. We take learning and development very seriously and you can expect to be given a broad range of training opportunities.

Employed by LGC, you can find out more about NIHR’s governance by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/our-governance.htm

TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT A COVER LETTER WITH YOUR CV, TO THE LGC CAREERS SYSTEM, SPECIFYING YOUR PREFERRED STREAM

We don’t require specific work experience to join our scheme but do include

examples if you have them (paid or unpaid) in your CV when you apply.

Our selection process

• Stage 1: CV and letter of application. We review your CV and cover letter
  to identify your strengths, interest and potential for the scheme. Please state clearly whether you are interested in applying for the General Research Management stream, the Corporate Services or Research Impact streams.
• Stage 2: Phone interview. This is a chance to discuss your experience, ambitions and motivation to join the scheme.
• Stage 3: Assessment and interview day. This is where you take part in various activities, including group and individual tasks and a 1 to 1 interview.

To see our brochure, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Oe5xouqSQkogS0XVgWGi-xXWTJTGG0Pa/view?usp=sharing