Research Project Manager

About the Faraday Institution and the Role

The Faraday Institution is the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, analysis and skills development. Our core mission is to make significant scientific breakthroughs in electrochemical energy storage research in the global race to electrification. We manage large, multidisciplinary research programmes across more than 20 universities that involve more than 450 researchers and 50 industry partners across the UK.

Due to expansion of activities, a new Project Manager is sought to have responsibility for multiple research projects within the portfolio. In this role, the Project Manager will ensure individual research projects have the right objectives, milestones, deliverables and plans and that once in the delivery phase, projects are delivering against expectations and change is managed robustly..

This role will report to the Head of Programme Management and work closely with the other members of the Faraday Institution team and wider community.  Key relationships will be with the Project Principal Investigators (PIs), Technical Leaders, Project Managers, Expert Panel members, and other members of the research projects, EPSRC and UKRI.

Objectives and responsibilities of the role:

• Through the delivery of inspirational Research projects, enable the Faraday Institution to deliver world class research in batteries and energy storage which can be translated and scaled up by industry to deliver environmental and economic benefits to the UK/ wider world.
• Ensure delivery of a project to the Faraday Institution Management Plan and in particular the progress and likelihood of successful outcomes.
• Ensure that research projects within responsibility have a clear, detailed, rolling work plan for the next 12 months, agreed with the relevant stakeholders, together with a higher-level, longer-term plan to impact (4-10 years).
• Work with the Expert Panel member matched to a research project to exercise influence across a project to ensure that interconnections are identified, collaboration takes place and the whole impact is more than the sum of the parts.
• Support future research competitive calls e.g. projects, Industry Fellowships or PhD’s.
• Facilitate the continual improvement of the project management process helping teams to manage their projects in an agile way with information freely exchanged between the projects and the Institution.
• Build relationships with our community of researchers.
• Support the Faraday Institution Head of Programme Management, Head of Technology Transfer and commercialisation team and help to identify pathways to impact for the technology developed through Faraday Institution projects.
• Manage the development and monitoring of KPI’s for both the projects and FIHQ, working with stakeholders across the research projects and funding partners.

Skills and Experience:

• Strong understanding of the science, engineering, economics and social benefits of batteries and other forms of energy storage to effectively manage multiple research projects. Degree/MSc in a related subject is essential, a PhD in a would be helpful.
• Experience of leadership and delivering lean/ agile projects and programme management (focus on delivering improvements with minimum paperwork/ bureaucracy).
• Experience with engaging (or at a minimum the ability to engage) with relevant sectors including industry, (primarily automotive, but also for example, grid, aerospace and emerging markets), national facilities and other stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, communication, planning, cost and risk management capabilities.
• The ability to exercise leadership, build community, influence and negotiate with others.

Personal Attributes:

• Lean mind-set – focus on results not paperwork.
• Able to balance short and long-term objectives.
• Engaging behaviour and an understanding of how to engage with a range of stakeholders with different and complex needs.
• Perseverance and sensitivity to deliver a new way of working in an environment accustomed to working in a very different way (academia).
• Passion for making the UK the centre for batteries and energy storage.
• Behaviour that inspires others in the mission of the Faraday Institution.

The Faraday Institution are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community and to being an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Location: Currently blended working from home and based at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, near Oxford, UK. Should be prepared for some travel across UK from time to time

Salary: £50-60K

To apply, send a CV and cover letter to jobs@faraday.ac.uk

Closing Date:  15^th July 2022