Head of Research and Delivery (Parental Leave Cover)
About GDI Hub
Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub accelerates ideas into impact for a more just world - for disabled people, and all people.
We are a world leading delivery and practice centre, an Academic Research Centre at UCL (University College London) and the first WHO Global Collaborating Centre on Assistive Technology (AT). As an Academic Research Centre and a Community Interest Company, our diverse portfolio and unique set up enables rapid translation of research into practice. GDI Hub is also home to the UK aid funded AT2030 programme which tests ‘what works’ to improve access to life-changing Assistive Technology (AT) for all.
Launched in 2016 as a legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, our office and research lab continue to be based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, at UCL’s East London campus. We work in 40+ countries, with a reach of more than 34 million people since 2016, GDI Hub develops homegrown technologies alongside new knowledge and research. In collaboration with global partners, we deliver accelerators and market shaping initiatives - building ecosystems with a focus on low-and middle-income countries.
We work across 5 domains, disrupting current ideas and practice by bring together new partnerships to overcome the barriers that exclusion and poverty creates in relation to disability.
- Research: creating new knowledge, solutions and products
- Innovation: growing inclusive innovation ecosystems
- Programmes: testing what works
- Teaching: learning and sharing knowledge
- Advocacy: evidence-based outreach
GDI Hub values inclusion as a core business success factor. We actively seek to attract employees from diverse backgrounds and particularly welcome applications for this role from disabled people and people from all cultural and faith backgrounds.
Role Purpose
The Head of Research and Delivery will lead the delivery of programmes, client-facing projects and research initiatives for GDI Hub CIC, working across the key themes of Disability Inclusion, Inclusive Design and Cities, Climate Change, Gender, Financial Inclusion and Assistive Technology. It is expected that the role holder will have considerable experience across at least two of these themes and an appetite for both broadening and deepening their knowledge across the others. They will also collaborate with research leads and teams based across GDI Hub including the Academic Research Centre (ARC) at UCL.
This is a senior, strategic, role responsible for team management and leading key projects, leading client, donor and government relationships, and providing strategic subject matter expertise. It would suit someone with a proven-track record in the sector and requires a strong aptitude for strategic thinking, delivery management and the creation of tenable and evidence-based recommendations. They will be creative and collaborative with a drive to make the world a fairer place, inspiring others to do the same.
They will be responsible for delivery on projects and research under their remit and contribute to the development of new projects and research, working closely with partners and clients. Current funders, partners and clients include the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Asian Development Bank, Climate Investment Funds, UNICEF, Carbon Trust and Expo City Dubai. This will involve leading a permanent team of six, which is expected to grow to eight by Q4 2024-25, and any external consultants brought online as required to deliver across a portfolio of work.
The Head of Research and Delivery will focus on four key areas:
- Project and Research Delivery and Management (approx. 50%)
- Internal Team Management and Core Activities (approx. 20%)
- Client and Stakeholder Management and Reporting (approx. 20%)
- Support Communications and External Engagement (approx. 10%)
Role Responsibilities
Project and Research Delivery and Management
- Lead a growing portfolio of projects under the Research and Delivery team including a current portfolio of circa 10 active projects.
- Leadership of Global Thematic Goods sub-programme under the AT2030 programme, with direct project leadership of 2 workstreams (inclusive infrastructure and inclusive climate resilience).
- Lead the intellectual and strategic management of project delivery, ensuring that projects deliver clear messages aligned to programme targets, client needs and project scope and deliver impact.
- Take overall responsibility for the quality and timeliness of project delivery and deliverables, ensuring project management processes and procedures are being implemented correctly and outputs are to the highest standard in line with GDI Hub style.
- Provide overall research leadership in GDI HUB CIC, instilling academic rigour and driving innovative and inclusive research, managing researchers to deliver high quality outputs that are evidence-based, meeting internal/external expectations and tailored to target audiences.
- Plan and manage workplans, including emergent risks, challenges, change requests, budgets, travel, schedules, and scope.
Client Management and Reporting
- Manage and develop relationships with partners and stakeholders, to support effective collaboration.
- Provide leadership in client facing discussions, understanding needs and priorities, and linking these to project and team delivery plans.
- Engage with emerging opportunities as appropriate, leading proposal development with the wider team.
- Service project reporting requirements and instruct timely invoicing against project agreements.
Support Communications and External Engagement
- Strategic leadership of external engagement across their portfolio, attending and speaking at events, conferences and project workshops as needed, to drive impact of our work.
- Provide input to communications content and the events pipeline to further raise the profile, reach and impact of GDI Hub’s work.
- Write insight reports, blogs or other content to support communications and external engagement as required.
- Highlight communication, networking and new work opportunities arising from project and client engagements.
Internal Team Management
- Manage and support the research and delivery team ensuring team members are informed, connected and working as a team, ensuring shared understanding of projects and individual delivery responsibilities.
- Work closely with the COO and Programme Management team to ensure sustainable delivery and resource management processes are followed.
- Ensure team resources are used in accordance with project budgets and actively tracked throughout delivery. Review resource capacity and factor into any new project bids or repeat business opportunities.
- Direct line management of Senior Inclusive Design Manager, Senior Financial Inclusion Researcher, Senior Social Researcher and Inclusive Climate Researcher. Support the team in their own line management responsibilities in line with planned activity.
Application Procedure
To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a covering letter describing how your skills and experience are relevant here no later than noon (GMT) on Wednesday 9th October 2024. We will be considering applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
We expect the selection process to include two interview stages, with interviews starting from late September as we review candidates on a rolling basis.
We have made every effort to make this process accessible. However, if for any reason you find it is not, please let us know and we will make an adjustment. We encourage early applications. Please be advised that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Mikaela Patrick, Head of Research and Delivery at mikaela.patrick@ucl.ac.uk.
More information
Responsible to: CEO
Primary location: UK-based, with the expectation of 1 day per week in person at UCL East, London.
Position type: Parental leave cover (11 months full-time, fixed term).
Closing date: October 9th, however, applications will be considered on a rolling basis so early applications are strongly encouraged.
Start date: December 1st, 2024
Salary: £60k + benefits