VACANCY
ANNOUNCEMENT NO AAS/RSM/17/008
Position
Title:: Research Systems Manager
Department:: AESA
Salary &
Grade:: TBC
Position
Location:: African Academy of
Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya
Duration:: 2 Years Fixed term
Closing date:: 7 August 2017
Background
The Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in
Science in Africa (AESA) is a funding and agenda setting platform seeking to
address Africa’s health and developmental challenges by promoting the
development of Africa’s research leadership, scientific excellence and
innovation.
AESA’s guiding philosophy is to support the
brightest people in Africa, working in the right places and environments, to
implement key programmes that can foster scientific excellence, leadership and
innovations that impact health and developmental challenges.
AESA and its partners recognise the
essential contribution that professional research management makes to
scientific excellence and innovation. To that end, AESA seeks to enshrine
research management at the heart of the research support system, supporting
institutions and their researchers by delivering a co-ordinated programme of
development for non-academic professionals, defining career pathways, enhancing
personal skillsets, developing peer support networks, creating communities of
practice, and improving institutions systems and processes.
Furthermore, the Research Systems Manager will address systemic issues within
the research ecosystem, for example managing research ethics review boards.
AESA and partners, including Wellcome Trust,
are working to advocate the importance of research management and to develop a
programme for professionalising research and innovation management in Africa,
designed to strengthen research by enhancing individual research management
expertise, developing peer support networks, creating communities of practice
and defining career pathways. This programme is in development with a launch
proposed for December 2017. A draft outline of the programme is available on
the AAS website.
Overall Job Purpose
The overall aim of the role is to enhance
professional standards in research management by managing a programme to
professionalise research and innovation management in Africa, coordinating
development opportunities and resources, and providing leadership and advice on
strengthening research management.
The post holder will be a strong advocate
for the importance of research management, delivering and further developing
the professionalisation programme, and influencing the policies and practice of
researchers, institutions, funders, and other stakeholders. Working closely
with technical advisors and in partnership with a counterpart programme in
India, this work will contribute to developing a resilient and innovative
research ecosystem within African countries and other LMICS.
Reports to: AESA Director
Works closely with; coordinating and delivery partners,
including funding organisations, international research management
associations, African and international universities and research institutions,
specialist consultants, and other representative bodies.
Also works with; AAS Communications Manager, AESA Programme
Managers and Grant Officers.
Budget Responsibility; Programme budget to be managed with
funders
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide leadership for the transformation
of research systems and management in Africa:
- Ensure there is a coherent
approach by AESA to the research systems which underpin the successful
delivery of its research and capacity building programmes;
- Ensure that as far possible, the
support to research management complements and learns from the work on
Good Financial Grants Practice programme being implemented by AESA;
- Ensure as far as possible cohesion
and integration with other funders who have similar interests to
strengthen research management in Africa and work towards harmonization
and integration of efforts.
Deliver and further develop the programme
for professionalising research and innovation management in Africa including:
- Managing the recruitment and
ongoing engagement of institutions and individuals to the programme;
- Undertaking evaluation activities
to ensure that the programme remains ‘fit-for-purpose’ and responsive to
new opportunities;
- Seeking funding and/or sponsorship
for the ongoing development and delivery of the programme;
- Liaising with partners and
consultants to coordinate the Programme benchmarking exercise and Senior
Management Team training, and the Fellowship programme
- Providing the secretariat for the
Programme Board;
- Managing the programme budget and;
- Working with the AAS
Communications Manager to identify showcasing opportunities and develop
marketing and promotion materials.
Support the development of research and
innovation management as a profession, including:
- Developing and supporting networks
for research and innovation management professionals;
- Sharing learning and resources
with other research and innovation management professionals via a
resources portal;
- Attending workshops, conferences,
and professional development events and;
- Communicating about
professionalisation programme activities
Advocate for the importance of research and
innovation management across the research project lifecycle, including:
- Being a vocal champion for
research management, amongst senior institutional leaders, funding bodies,
Government and other key stakeholders;
- Developing and delivering an
advocacy plan;
- Working with the AAS
Communications manager to promote the value of research and innovation
management.
Build knowledge, skills and confidence
around research and innovation management amongst Programme Managers, Grant
Officers and others who advise applicants and support funded programmes,
including:
- Running in-house training on
research and innovation management principles;
- Making contributions to relevant
pan-African initiatives, for example the Science Granting Councils
Initiative and;
- Contributing to relevant policy
discussions.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Professional and Experience:
- Graduate in Science, Public
Health, Social Science, Business Administration, or related field.
Educated to postgraduate degree level or equivalent.
- 5 years’ experience working in
higher education or the research sector with project management
experience.
- Understanding of current
international, national and pan-African issues in research management.
Certification as a Research Administrator advantageous.
- Responsibility for preparing,
managing and reporting budgets.
- Experience in working with
different forms of communication (interpersonal, participatory learning,
mass media) a major advantage
- Experience of event planning
and/or administration advantageous.
- Experience of preparing and
delivering professional training advantageous.
- A track record of building productive
internal and external relationships and working across organisational
and/or sector boundaries to deliver successful collaborations.
- English speaker/writing in
addition to any other local languages.
- High competency in use of
Microsoft Office applications
- Willingness and ability to travel
extensively across Africa and occasionally to international destinations.
Behavioral and personal qualities
- Excellent inter-personal skills
and the ability to work with people from varied backgrounds, at all management
levels
- Resilience – maintaining composure
and dealing effectively under pressure
- Methodical and systematic, with a
strong attention to detail and accuracy
- Action-oriented, confident and
able to show initiative
- Operate at the highest levels of
integrity and ethics
- Quality delivery and always
conscious of deadlines
- Excellent negotiation skills and
an ability to influence outcomes through tact, diplomacy and effective
reason and persuasion.
- Able to foster team work and build
capacity.
Application
The position is open to qualified
candidates from Africa and globally who can work in Kenya. Applicants must
email a completed application form from the AAS website, detailed curriculum vitae, and a cover letter to recruitment@aasciences.ac.ke,
with the Position and Vacancy Number as the Subject by 7th
August 2017.
Only shortlisted candidates will be
contacted.
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