Senior AHRC IAA Coordinator

Hours: full time or part time hours considered up to a maximum of 1FTE / 36.5 hours.

Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).

Location: Brighton, United Kingdom

Contract: fixed term until 31 March 2026

Applications must be received by midnight of the closing date.

Expected Interview date: To be confirmed.

Expected start date: As soon as possible

The School of Media, Arts & Humanities (MAH) is seeking a proactive and organised administrator for the new role of Senior AHRC IAA Coordinator to join our Research Professional Services Team. The role holder will be key to the coordination of the IAA, and the delivery of its funded projects, which runs until 31 March 2026.

This post presents an opportunity to provide operational support for the delivery of the University’s AHRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) fund. These dedicated funds enable researchers in the Arts and Humanities to bring about positive change in the wider world beyond academia. The role-holder will work closely with the AHRC IAA Programme Consultant, the IAA's academic lead (Prof Matthew Dimmock), the MAH Research Portfolio team and the University’s wider research support community, to enable academics to realise the impact of their research. This includes supporting IAA-funded training, network-building and engagement activities with creative and cultural organisations, the public sector, businesses, policy makers, voluntary organisations (including through the Impact Advisory Board) as well as the public.

The Senior AHRC IAA Coordinator will have general responsibility for the administration of the AHRC IAA programme, and supporting the delivery of its funded projects, including:

• acting as the first point of contact for the programme, with researchers, other staff members and external contacts, including through managing the IAA inbox;
• handling internal seed-funding processes, including application, review and reporting documentation, and participating in relevant meetings;
• financial administration, such as raising purchase orders, monitoring and updating budgets, and corresponding with suppliers, freelancers and casual workers, to ensure collaborative activities and payments follow the necessary processes;
• organising events, meetings and workshops, including booking rooms, catering and liaising with attendees;
• overall monitoring of progress against timelines and deliverables, and collating data for reporting purposes and coordinating reporting to the AHRC;
• enabling the delivery of IAA-funded project engagement activities with partner organisations and the public, by supporting correspondence, planning, bookings and payments, printed/digital materials, evaluation, as well as on-site event support.

The successful candidate will: be a proactive problem-solver with excellent organisational abilities; have an interest in research in a higher education context, with a passion for delivering positive change in the arts and cultural sector and beyond; have well-developed interpersonal skills, an ability to communicate effectively and a good understanding of financial processes and budgets.

Please contact Katherine Blackadder (AHRC IAA Programme Consultant & Assistant Research Impact Manager) K.Blackadder@sussex.ac.uk or Medeni Fordham (Senior Research Manager) M.Fordham@sussex.ac.uk with informal enquiries.

“Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.”

For full details and how to apply please click the 'Apply' button, above.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

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