Location: Canterbury
Salary: £20,130 to £21,814 minimum per annum
Grade: Grade 4
Post Type: Full Time
Contract Type: Fixed Term - 12 Months
Release Date: Tuesday 11 May 2021
Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Tuesday 01 June 2021 (unless otherwise stated)
Interview Date: Wednesday 16 June 2021
Reference: CSF-205-21-R

Do you have a background in administration and the ability to prioritise and deal with a range of people? Do you have an interest in people development and academic research? If so, the Researcher Development Assistant (Academic) role could be a great opportunity for you to further your career at the University of Kent.

You will act as the first point of contact for a wide variety of people at all levels (both internally and externally) and will acquire a good knowledge of the remit of the Graduate and Researcher College (GRC) and the University’s procedures to support all staff who research.

As this is a small team with a high-level cross-institutional brief, you must be able to work confidently and professionally, and to use your initiative to solve problems as and when they arise.

You will be expected to work with minimal supervision as part of the busy administrative team, showing flexibility and competence in answering queries, meeting changing priorities and working to tight deadlines.

As Researcher Development Assistant (Academic) you will:

Act as a first point of contact for the GRC-curated training and development programme for academic and research staff, responding to queries and resolving any problems quickly and efficiently
Facilitate the day-to-day operation of this programme of activities
Maximise the promotion of GRC events and opportunities for researchers via email, the web (including blogs), SharePoint, Teams, Twitter and Yammer etc.
In order to be successful in this role you will have:

European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) or proven experience in the use of MS packages (MS Word and MS Excel in particular)
Excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to deal confidently with a range of people at all levels
Proven administrative experience in a busy office with competing demands and priorities.
From October 2020, Kent’s GRC has had an expanded remit from its previous incarnation as the Graduate School supporting all Kent’s postgraduates to support staff who research across the whole academic career span, including (but not limited to our Early Career Researchers). This includes playing a lead role in implementing the principles of the new Researcher Development Concordat. By joining up support for academic and research staff with that provided for postgraduate researchers, we will be able to encourage greater collaboration, ensure strong research management and leadership, and strengthen the University’s research ambition.

For further details, please visit: https://www.kent.ac.uk/graduate-researcher-college.

Please see the links below to view the full job description and to apply for this post. If you require further information regarding the application process, please contact The Resourcing Team on jobs@kent.ac.uk quoting ref number: CSF-205-21-R

Further details: Job Description Additional Information
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Please note that we prioritise applications from current University of Kent redeployees. We will let you know if this post is to be filled by a redeployee as, in this instance, your application will unfortunately not be taken forward

Applications must be made via the University’s online application system; CVs or details sent directly to the department or via email cannot be considered.

The University of Kent values diversity and promotes equality at all levels

Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, all interviews will take place remotely.

From 1 January 2021, non-British and non-Irish nationals who do not already hold a UK immigration status will be required to obtain a visa in order to be able to work in the UK. A new points-based system will be implemented which will treat EEA and non-EEA citizens equally. For further information please visit the UK Visas & Immigration website.