Research Programme Manager

The Faraday Institution is the UK's independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, skills development, market analysis and early-stage commercialisation. It brings together research scientists and industry partners to work on large projects with commercial potential that will reduce battery cost, weight, and volume; improve performance and reliability; and develop whole-life strategies including recycling and reuse. The organisation manages large research programmes across 25 universities and spanning a network of 500+ researchers and 140+ industry partners across the UK.

The Role

Working as one of a small team of Research Programme Managers, this role will have responsibility for the Faraday Institution's management and oversight of multiple research projects, smaller sprints to large core projects, from within the overall portfolio and will ensure these have the appropriate objectives, milestones, deliverables and plans; that once in the delivery phase, the projects are delivering against expectations and that change is managed robustly.

The role will report to the Research Programme Director and will work closely with the Technology Transfer Director and key members of the projects as well as other members of The Faraday Institution team and wider community. Key relationships will be with Project Principal Investigators (PIs), Technical Leaders, Project Managers, Expert Panel members, and other members of the research projects.

Objectives and responsibilities of the role:

• Through the delivery of inspirational Research projects, enable the Faraday Institution to deliver world class early stage research in electrochemical energy storage with the potential to be translated and scaled up by industry to deliver environmental and economic benefits, with a particular focus on batteries for emerging markets.
• 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 (3-5 years).
• Work with the Faraday Institution Expert Panel members, matched to large research projects, 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.
• Delivery future research competitive calls e.g. large projects, studies or sprints.
• Facilitate the continual improvement of the project management process by employing an agile project management approach and ensure that information is freely exchanged between the projects and the Institution.
• Build relationships with our community of researchers.
• Support the Faraday Institution Research Programme Director, Technology Transfer Director, International R&D Partnerships Manager 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 emerging markets, but also for example automotive, grid, and aerospace) national facilities, International Organisations 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 and 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 at a slower pace of change (academia).
• Passion for making the UK a centre for energy storage research.

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: Blended working from home and based at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, near Oxford, UK, with UK travel required to support research project meetings and possible international.