Senior Research and Knowledge Exchange Manager

Location: Remote working and London-based (as per business requirements)

Benefits: Benefits package including 25 days holiday allowance pro rata (excl. bank holidays), group life assurance, group income protection, pension schemes
and private healthcare

Reports to: Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Services

Line Management Responsibilities: 1 x Research Administrative Assistant

Start: ASAP

The role

Do you have experience of working in research and knowledge exchange development and support within a university? Are you looking for a flexible position with the option of remote working (with on-site working when required)?

Northeastern University London (NU London) is seeking a Senior Research and Knowledge Exchange Manager to play a central role in the University’s growing research enterprise. Working closely with the Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Services, the postholder will lead on research and knowledge exchange funding development, guiding academics through all aspects of proposal development from initial concept through to submission.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in pre-award research development within a UK university, with the expertise to advise on every dimension of a research proposal. They
will be comfortable working across the full research lifecycle and will act as the primary point of contact for research and knowledge exchange matters when the Director is unavailable.

This is a small, collaborative team in which individuals genuinely shape how things are done. NU London offers the opportunity to be part of an institution at a pivotal stage of growth, combining the agility of a start-up with the resources, networks, and global reach of a major international university.

About Northeastern London

NU London is the European campus of Northeastern University, a large, top-tier, research-intensive institution based in Boston (annual grant income $200m+), with campuses across North America and London. Founded in 2012 as New College of the Humanities, with taught degree awarding powers granted in 2020, NU London has established itself as a prestigious institution in the heart of London, with campuses at One Portsoken Street and St Katharine’s Dock.

NU London currently has over 50 research faculty across three faculties (humanities, social sciences, and computing, mathematics, engineering and natural sciences), two Northeastern research institutes, and seven interdisciplinary research clusters. The University welcomed its first PhD students in 2023 and has ambitions to apply for Research Degree Awarding Powers and submit to REF for the first time at the end of 2028.

NU London’s research spans some of the most consequential challenges of our time. Its Network Science Institute - the European hub of Northeastern's globally renowned NetSI - brings together expertise in complexity science, epidemiology, and computational neuroscience, including European Research Council-funded work on how the brain processes higher-order social interactions. The Humanities Centre and NULab pursue digitally innovative, publicly engaged scholarship, from reconstructing the lives of Black Britons through archival mapping to large-scale computational analysis of women's contributions to the Enlightenment. Most recently, the Intelligent Networked Systems Institute launched in January 2026 with significant strategic investment, positioning NU London at the frontier of 6G, Open RAN, and IoT research with strong industry partnerships.

With research activity expanding rapidly across multiple institutes, and a first REF submission on the horizon, NU London offers a research professional the chance to build, not just maintain, the infrastructure that supports world-class research.

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with academics to advise on all aspects of research proposals, including strategic fit, scheme eligibility, structure and coherence, budget development, ethical and regulatory considerations, and compliance with funder requirements.
• Lead on the development and submission of research and knowledge exchange funding applications, from initial concept through to institutional approval and submission.
• Develop and maintain insight into UK and international funders (UKRI, Horizon Europe, charities, government departments), mapping opportunities to NUL’s strategic priorities.
• Build and maintain relationships with funding bodies, external partners, and collaborating institutions.
• Lead training and capacity-building activities, including grant-writing workshops and funder briefings.
• Support researchers in applying for internal Northeastern funding schemes.
• In the Director’s absence, act as the primary point of contact for research and knowledge exchange matters across the University.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties within postholder competence as requested by the Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Essential)
• Master’s and/or PhD (Desirable)

Selection Criteria

Essential

• Substantial experience in research development within a UK university, including knowledge of UKRI, Horizon Europe, and other major funding sources.
• Demonstrated success in coordinating complex funding applications, with the ability to improve proposal quality through critical review across all aspects of a submission.
• Ability to advise confidently on the full range of pre-award considerations, including funder compliance, research integrity, data management, and budget justification.
• Ability to identify and develop strategic funding opportunities aligned to institutional priorities.
• Experience of building external partnerships with universities, industry, charities, public sector, or international collaborations.
• Knowledge of REF, KEF, research culture, Trusted Research and current UK policy developments.
• Excellent numeracy and experience of full economic costing of research proposals.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, with proven experience of engaging stakeholders at all levels of seniority.
• High self-motivation, proactivity, and organisational capacity.

Desirable

• Experience of developing or contributing to institutional research policies or governance documentation.
• Understanding of key contractual elements in research and knowledge exchange agreements, including intellectual property.
• Line management experience.

Application Process

Applications should be made via the 'Apply' button above.

Please ensure that your application includes a CV and a covering letter. Applicants should address the selection criteria and indicate how their background and expertise align with the job role. You may use bullet points if you wish.

Candidates are welcome to make informal enquiries. Please email Alice Caryer: alice.caryer@nulondon.ac.uk

Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary. Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.