Stirling Social Sciences Impact Acceleration Account (SSSIAA)

Post Details

Full time

Fixed term until April 2028

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 01 December 2024.

There is an expectation that work will be undertaken in the UK.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship. Applicants require to have existing right to work in the UK.

The University of Stirling recognises that a diverse workforce benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers and welcome applications from those who would contribute to further diversification of our staff and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is woven into the substance of the role. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds including gender, identity, race, age, class, and ethnicity.

The Post

University of Stirling (UoS) runs an Impact Acceleration Account, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The project is known as the Stirling Social Science Impact Accelerator Account (SSSIAA). It is dedicated to: enhancing impact, knowledge mobilisation and commercialisation of social science research across the University, and building the capacity of Social Sciences academics, their multidisciplinary academic partners and their non-academic collaborators.

The role holder will be responsible for supporting day-to-day management of activities of the SSSIAA. The SSSIAA Administrator will be based within the Faculty of Social Sciences as part of the wider Student and Faculty Operations grouping which brings together faculty-based professional services teams and related central services.

The SSSIAA Administrator will be part of the Operational Management Group and support the overall running of the project on a day-to-day basis. They will support all aspects of programme planning and coordination to facilitate the successful delivery programme until March 2028. Reporting to the SSSIAA Manager, they will work across the University, with academics and professional services to deliver the SSSIAA objectives. The administrator will also work externally with other ESRC IAAs and partner organisations involved in research impact.

There is an expectation that this will be a hybrid role, partially campus based and partially working remotely, according to the UoS’s Agile Working Framework.

Description of Duties

Leadership and Coordination

• Reporting to the SSSIAAA Manager, coordinate a range of duties to deliver an efficient and effective service to the SSSIAA leadership, University staff and external partners; use initiative and exercise sound judgement to resolve any issues that arise, seek appropriate advice, and escalate when necessary

IAA Administration

• Plan, coordinate and monitor project activities, working closely with the SSSIAA academic and partner teams internally and externally to deliver project aims
• Work with SSSIAA Manager, Director and Deputy Director to provide administrative support in all project tasks
• Support the liaison with external partners and a wider circle of SSSIAA stakeholders, acting as a key point of contact
• Work with the SSSIAA Manager and academic leadership to support SSSIAA governance processes and meetings
• Organise SSSIAA events and meetings, virtually and face-to-face, internally and externally
• Administer project communications including social media, SharePoint and web presence
• Work with SSSIAA Manager to monitor project resources and ensure their effective deployment
• Support the administration and monitoring of the SSSIAA funding across its key programmes of activity
• Coordinate the collation of information for SSSIAA reporting to funder and governance bodies
• Supporting the collation of evidence relating to the impact of SSSIAA funded research
• Support other impact-related research activities on an ad hoc basis

Risk Management, Governance and Quality Assurance

• Work with the SSSIAA Manager and academic leadership to support business continuity and risk management planning
• Maintain accurate records in accordance with data protection legislation and professional body requirements

Project and University Wide Activities

• Participate in specific projects on behalf of SSSIAA academic leadership and management; lead small continuous improvement projects, as required
• Work flexibly and collaboratively, providing administrative support across the project and University; contribute to major events such as graduation, conferences, research week; willingness to work occasional non-standard hours
• Demonstrate a proactive approach to personal development and undertake development in skill areas related to the post
• Undertake any other duties and responsibilities, commensurate with the grade of the post, as directed by line manager. General office duties, as required
• Represent SSSIAA Operational Management Group, as required

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level, or equivalent, (where no formal qualification is held, additional relevant experience is required above that noted below)

Knowledge & Experience

• Proven experience working in a busy, customer focused administrative environment
• Proven experience of project administration in multi-stakeholder contexts, including administering budgets and funding
• Experience of working with project partners from a range of sectors, including business, government, the voluntary sector and communities
• Previous experience of working in Higher Education
• Experience of organising events for a range of different audiences
• Experience of managing communications, using different media, including social media, web presence and printed materials
• Experience of using a range of relevant IT packages, particularly Microsoft Office applications, with particular experience in Excel and SharePoint
• Experience of managing sensitive/confidential issues with tact and diplomacy
• Knowledge of data protection and equality legislation and an appreciation of the potential impact of this legislation on the duties of the role

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent organisational and time management skills and ability to prioritise a demanding workload under pressure, while maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy
• Creative and positive attitude with a commitment to providing a high-quality service
• Ability to work as part of a team to achieve goals while also being capable of independent working and using individual initiative
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, including stakeholders from a variety of sectors
• Demonstrable ability to exercise sound judgement, identify problems and propose and implement solutions
• Ability to foster good relationships, using tact and diplomacy when required

Desirable Criteria

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience and understanding of the demands of academic research and impact generation
• Experience of and/or up-to-date knowledge of issues relating to the research, research impact and research funding agendas
• Experience of working with complex (research) administration systems (e.g. Worktribe, Agresso)
• Experience of working in the environment with complex regulatory frameworks (eg funding policies and rules)

Skills & Attributes

• Ability to interpret policies and procedures and offer high-quality advice to colleagues
• Highly developed IT skills including knowledge and experience of the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel and SharePoint; maintaining records in and reporting from databases; and using web-based applications

For a full description of duties and essential/desirable criteria please click the apply button, which will take you directly to the University Website.