Impact Administrator (Social Sciences)

Role Description

Department

The Faculty of Social Sciences consists of nine Departments and supports the research of more than 250 academic staff working together with over 140 research staff and over 280 doctoral research students.

The Research Centre for Social Sciences fosters interdisciplinary research collaborations, provides training and skills development for our community of researchers, and promotes knowledge exchange and impact with our regional, national and international partners outside academia.

Our centre provides research facilities for social science researchers and hosts a wide range of collaborative training and engagement activities. 

To find out more about the Faculty of Social Sciences and research within constituent Departments: https://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/social-sciences/. 

Role

In this new role, you will work closely with staff in the Research Centre for the Social Sciences (and across all departments in the Faculty) to support the generation and capture of research impact.

This will include collecting, analysing, storing and reporting on evidence for impact case studies to support the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) or equivalent. It will contribute to one of the Faculty’s agreed priorities: the mapping and development of an impact pipeline across all departments within the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

• Educated to degree level or equivalent professional experience
• Demonstrable understanding of the academic research process in the social sciences
• Understanding of the nature of research impact and the types of non-academic impact prevalent in social sciences
• Awareness of the types of knowledge exchange and engagement activities which might lead to research impact
• Awareness of the funder requirements relating to impact, especially for the REF (or equivalent exercise) 
• Awareness of the principles underpinning the evidencing of research impact
• Awareness of administrative research support within the Higher Education sector
• Able to carry out tasks with minimal supervision and to required deadlines
• Able to deal appropriately with confidential information
• Good IT skills, including word processing, email, webpage maintenance, expertise in manipulating databases and spreadsheets, establishing and managing online information
• Able to write clearly, concisely and persuasively for reports and publications (including online publications)
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with tact and diplomacy with staff at all levels both within and beyond the University
• Able to develop and design processes and procedures and to review these, ensuring they are fit for purpose and maximise efficiency; able to make recommendations for improvements as identified and implement agreed changes
• Able to work independently or part of a team
• Collecting, processing and analysing research data, ideally in the area of social sciences
• Writing reports, ideally in the area of social sciences
• An organised and methodical approach to tasks; good attention to detail
• Highly motivated towards a consistently high standard of output
• A positive, approachable and diplomatic manner
• Willing to work flexibly

Interview date: To be confirmed

For informal enquiries: Ed Kirby (Faculty Research Manager) at ed.kirby@york.ac.uk or Chris Hewson (Faculty Research Impact Manager) at chris.hewson@york.ac.uk. 

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork