I-REACCH Research Culture Officer

Location: Hybrid Working

Vacancy terms: Full time, fixed term contract to 30 April 2026

Hours per week: 37.5

Advert closes midnight on: 05 May 2024

About the role

Are you passionate about improving research culture across the Higher Education sector? The Wellcome Trust has funded a team of researchers to find new ways to innovate, influence policy, and make a difference to staff and student participation in how we work together. We hope that you will apply to join in this exciting career opportunity.  

You will pro-actively help to shape the future direction of research culture at the University of Leicester. Our shared aim is to be inclusive, promote equity and extend diversity. Five workstreams (see below) are going to test new ideas and ways of enhancing the progression of people who often feel excluded from a university career structure. We are seeking someone to take on a project manager role who likes to make a difference in their working life and can co-ordinate and inspire others to make a step-change in research culture. 

Funded by the Wellcome Trust as part of its Institutional Funding for Research Culture scheme, you will be joining a dedicated team to deliver the I-REACCH (Inclusive Research Culture Achieved through Culture Change) project. As research culture officer for I-REACCH, you will bring your engagement experience and influencing skills to support the delivery of a new and exciting piece of work for Leicester University. 

I-REACCH is a range of complementary pilot projects, focused on under-represented groups, which will combine data collection/analysis, bespoke intervention development, engagement and evaluation through five objectives (O).  

O1. Trial active inclusive recruitment practices for increased diversity
O2. Develop bespoke inclusive tools for career progression
O3. Boost citizenship engagement and advocacy to enhance an inclusive culture
O4: Engage with research leaders to create empathic models of inclusive leadership for sustained change.
O5: Robustly evaluate each of the pilot projects

You will be supervised by an experienced Project Leadership Team (Across Life, Engineering and Social Sciences and Professional Services), and work closely with our newly formed, innovative ‘Mirror Co-Investigator’ team comprising researchers, technicians and staff with lived experience of research culture challenges who are uniquely placed to shape our research activity and developments. 

About you

Joining us with a degree and experience of research or research support in a University setting, you will play a vital role in the co-design, co-development and co-delivery of the I-REACCH programme. Your engagement skills and awareness of research culture will ensure that the provision meets (and where possible exceeds) Wellcome Trust requirements and expectations including reporting milestones. The daily tasks will involve you liaising with colleagues across the University to ensure effective communication and learning from the project to ensure maximum organisational impact. You will need to be highly pro-active and energized by our vision for a more inclusive research culture. 

We want this post to add value to your career and offer a meaningful enhancement to your skills and experience through active mentorship, upskilling and meaningful career development.

Additional information

We welcome informal enquiries and would be pleased to share more information about the post, so please do not hesitate to contact: Dr Alex Goddard (he/him), co-investigator and Head of Doctoral College, alex.goddard@le.ac.uk.

Applications for job share will be considered.

Advert information