Centre Manager

The School of Security Studies is a vibrant, multi-disciplinary community of researchers and teachers on all aspects of conflict, defence and security. Our research has direct and sustained impact on international security debates, policy and practice. The School of Security Studies has between 150 and 200 full-time academic staff, and several of the world’s leading experts in the academic study of security and defence issues. The School comprises the Department of War Studies on the Strand Campus in London, the King’s Institute for Applied Security Studies, and the Defence Studies Department, in Shrivenham, near Swindon. The Centre Manager role will be co-located with the War Studies department in London, with the expectation of spending two days a week at the Strand Campus, and the option for the remainder of the working week to be spent working remotely.

King’s College London, partnering with the University of Nottingham, has been awarded £10 million in funding from the Leverhulme Trust to establish a new Centre for Research on Slavery in War. This centre brings together a multidisciplinary research team, existing well-founded research programmes and a supportive research environment to conduct fundamental and applied multidisciplinary research related to the role and significance of slavery in conflict, past, present and future.

 

We are seeking an experienced Centre Manager to be the operational linchpin of our centre, ensuring the seamless delivery of our ambitious programmes. This pivotal role is ideal for a highly experienced individual who excels in project management, HR, research management systems, budget management and the organisation of events. Forming part of the School of Security Studies’ professional services team, but working in close partnership with the Centre’s Director, you will contribute to the development of the Centre’s strategic vision and lead on its administrative operationalisation through the development of robust systems, efficient processes, and the fostering of a culture of excellence.

 

This will be a full-time position based at the Strand Campus of King’s College London, requiring presence on site there at least two days a week. The role holder will also have the possibility to occasionally visit Nottingham University, building strong working relationships with their administrative staff. The Centre Manager will play a key role in helping set up the Centre prior to its Autumn 2025 formal launch and will work to support the development of its research activities, its staff and profile, and the co-ordination and management of its research programme. The Centre aims to become a high profile, internationally renowned focus of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research within its first three years of operation.

 

As a senior member of the Centre, the Centre Manager will help determine and develop its direction and growth, bringing strategic ideas and leadership capabilities to the role. The postholder will also build networks and connect directly with many stakeholders and collaborators, both internally and internationally, across industry and academia, to strengthen the Centre’s reach and to help accelerate the work of the Centre. The ideal postholder will have a strong understanding and experience of interdisciplinary research, with an interest in slavery and conflict as complex global issues.

 

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31 August 2030 extendable for a further 5 years following both an internal and external review of the Centre’s progress.

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