UPEN Head of Knowledge Mobilisation (Place)

The Head of Knowledge Mobilisation (Place-based policy) maternity cover at UPEN is a strategic post that will focus on leading on the delivery of key programmes of work to support and champion place-based academic policy engagement across the UK. This post will join the UPEN Programmes Place team to deliver strategic opportunities for engagement, collaboration and influence across the funding, policy and university landscape.

The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) was set up in 2018 by approximately ten higher education institutions. It now has more than 110 UK university and policy members. Institutional leads from each university comprise the knowledge exchange brokers/policy impact colleagues whose responsibilities include disseminating opportunities to relevant colleagues within their institution. In 2025 UPEN was awarded funding from Research England and ESRC to deliver a project focused on infrastructure and capabilities for academic-policy engagement in the UK.

UPEN additionally recognises that university research and knowledge exchange has an important role to play in regional development, particularly in the context of Devolution. Academic policy engagement partnerships are becoming increasingly important as they provide an opportunity for universities to contribute directly to their own local and regional policy needs, and potentially the priorities of other places across the UK.

Reporting to the UPEN Programmes Co-Director (Academic) and supporting the Place Pillar Co-Leads and Institutional Leads, you will play a leading role in developing infrastructure and support for UPEN members on place-based policy through its associated work strands. You will deliver strategic place programmes with the Place team and coordinate UPEN’s evolving devolved infrastructure, ensuring it reflects the place needs of its members.

Working with academics and professional services staff across the UK, you will ensure UPEN’s members are well-positioned to access new regionally focussed funds for research, innovation and knowledge exchange. You will work closely with funders, universities, local and devolved governments, as well as Westminster and Whitehall.

You will be a leader with experience of delivering academic-policy engagement infrastructure programmes, including experience of place-based academic policy engagement. You will therefore have thorough understanding of devolution and its impacts for academic-policy engagement, and experience of working across a diverse range of universities in the UK, recognising the different added values institutions bring to place-based policy. You will possess excellent stakeholder management and leadership skills (e.g. in coordinating, facilitating, planning and delivering activities; and in negotiating or influencing outcomes) and general programme management and coordination experience. This post will require travel.

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year!
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 14.5% of salary
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Kayleigh Renberg-Fawcett, Head of Knowledge Mobilisation (Place), UPEN

Email: k.e.renberg-fawcett@leeds.ac.uk  

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