Research Grants Finance Officer Research Strategy and Services 106424 Grade 6

Position Details

Research Strategy and Services

Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range 33002 to 35608 with potential progression once in post to 39906

Grade: 6

Full Time Permanent

Closing date: 19th January 2026

3 Positions available

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond support them to succeed and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full almost 5000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we areand how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and depending on the role we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible addition you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year one paid day a year for volunteering occupational sick pay and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus including main bus routes and a train station on campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool shopsplaces to eat and drinkour own art gallery museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Background

The University has an exciting vision to build on the success of REF2021 by continuing to transform its research performance across outputs income impact and policy influence. Central to this ambition is the Research Strategy & Services Division (RSSD) a new Professional Services department that is being established to provide a transformative and sector-leading approach to research strategy and support.

Role Summary

TheResearch Grants Finance Officerplays a key role as part of the wider Post Award management within the Research Strategy & Services Division (RSSD) supporting academic colleagues to deliver successful well-managed research projects. Working as part of a friendly and collaborative team the post holder will provide high-quality financial administration across a portfolio of externally funded awards ensuring financial claims reports and forecasts are accurate timely and compliant with funder requirements.

This is a role that combines financial administration problem-solving and relationship-management. You will work closely with academic project leads colleagues in RSSD and Professional Services partners with strong support training and regular opportunities to learn from experienced peers.

The post holder will contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by sharing good practice helping to streamline processes and supporting a consistent high-quality service for our academics and external partners. This role sits within an established Post Award community where colleagues provide guidance mentoring and day-to-day support to ensure you can develop confidence and expertise across the post award lifecycle of project grants.

Main Duties

• Provideclear practical and timely financial supportthroughout the post award lifecycle for a defined portfolio of project grants including budget monitoring claims reporting and project closure with support and guidance from the Post Award leadership team as needed.
• Build positive and proactive working relationships with academic colleagues and their project managers where applicable helping them to understand financial information optimise their budgets and comply with funder terms and conditions.
• Manage financial claims reporting and monitoring for your project portfolio ensuring accuracy and timeliness while drawing on established processes templates and team support.
• Contribute to the smooth and efficient operation of the Post Award function by identifying opportunities to simplify steps improve handovers and support process enhancements.
• Share good practice across the Post Award teams and support colleagues helping to embed consistent approaches and contribute to a collaborative supportive working culture.
• Monitor a range of monthly KPIs for your portfolio to deliver to expected standards and resolve issues proactively.
• Support preparation for internal and external audits ensuring information is accurate and provided promptly with guidance available from managers and experienced colleagues where required.
• Liaise with external funders as needed to provide financial assurance clarify processes and support colleagues in your academic areas.
• Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Personally model the Values of the University and in particular those in the Strategic Framework and Birmingham Professional.
• Undertake any other duties as required from time-to-time by the Assistant Director/Post Award leadership team Research Strategy & Services Division.

Required Knowledge Skills Qualifications Experience

• Educated to Degree level(or equivalent qualifications) -where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience within a financial background required.
• Evidence of numeracy and literacy with the ability to write clearly and to analyse information and data.
• Knowledge of the UK research funding ecosystem key research funders and an understanding of their processes. desirable but not essential.
• Experience of engaging and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to buildrelationships deliver key outcomes or resolve challenges.
• Experience in improving processes service quality and/or efficiency demonstrating a high degree of initiative personal judgement resourcefulness and flexibility.
• Excellent analytical skills with an ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative information and present this to a wide range of audiences.
• Budgetary monitoring and management including reporting identifying issues and resolving them decisively. High level of attention to detail.
• Proficient IT skills including the MS Office should be confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required. Excellent knowledge of Excel is essential.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with proven experience of collaboration within teams including engaging with peersand providing excellent customer service at all times.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with a range of internal stakeholders.
• High level of self-motivation and personal accountability with ability to plan and deliver goals to deadlines under pressure to meet key performance indicators. and set priorities for a wide range of tasks and duties relevant to your areas of work.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Role context

Roles at this level will require expertise and a detailed understanding of methods systems and procedures in an administrative or professional will either use specialist knowledge or have more of a planning/co-ordination/project role or a role which is supervisory in nature where you may manage a team doing similar kinds of will have the opportunity to exercise a high degree of personal responsibility and initiative which you will use to resolve queries; you will use your judgement to deal with unforeseen problems and circumstances all with limited guidance/supervision.

Core competencies/transferable skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully use the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown appropriate for the level our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things done. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.

Planning and organising

• prioritise and schedule work and resources to ensure on time (where applicable) budget delivery;
• set priorities and quality standards for a wide range of tasks and duties;
• contribute to written documents for example guidelines internal to the area taking account of audience;
• operate with limited supervision as they will have considerable scope for initiative within established work procedures.

Problem solving and decision making

• anticipate and identify issues in own area based on experience;
• make appropriate suggestions for improvements and implement these when agreed in own area;
• facilitate change and articulate the implications and benefits of change to others;
• focus ondetermining short-term priorities of work area and how to maximise quality efficiency and continuity.

Organisational understanding

• quickly develop an understanding of their working area and how it contributes to the success of the University;
• display an interest in how the University operates beyond own working area; develop and share this knowledge with others.

Relationships and communication

• develop and maintain excellent working relationships in own area and more widely as required for collaborative working opportunities;
• communicate clearly and openly with others both within and external to the University and use a range of communication skills and strategies to gain commitment to a course of action;
• demonstrate collaborative working at all times including with others outside the immediate work area.

Informal enquiries to Ravinder Mahoon email:

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications:We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website.