Scientific Programme Manager

Scientific Programme Managers  

 Permanent Full-time 

About Taighde Eireann - Research Ireland  

Taighde Eireann - Research Ireland is the national research and innovation funding agency which was established on 1 August 2024; it amalgamates the activities of the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland.  

Research Ireland will drive world class research and innovation in Ireland, funding research and innovation excellence in all disciplines across the spectrum of Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, Technology and others. 

We are now recruiting three Scientific Programme Managers to join the 'Research for the Economy' and 'Research for Society' on a permanent basis. These represent exciting career opportunities for suitably qualified individuals to be part of, and to influence, highly ambitious, innovative and potentially high impact research programmes.  

As a Scientific Programme Manager, you will play a critical role in the delivery of Research Ireland's mission. Successful candidates will initially be assigned to one of the teams on the basis of current business needs. 

About the Roles 

In addition to managing pre-and post-award programme delivery activities, Scientific Programme Managers actively contribute to policy and strategy development. Excellent scientific, analytical, programme management and leadership skills are essential for Research Ireland to deliver an ambitious programme which funds excellent research with high impact. 

Under the current hiring round, Scientific Programme Managers will be assigned to teams within either Research for the Economy or Research for Society. SPMs will have responsibility for managing funding programmes and a portfolio of awards, depending on current and future business needs. These teams have responsibility for the development and implementation of Research Ireland's suite of research and innovation programmes. 

Research for the Economy has overall responsibility for coordinating an ambitious suite of competitive programmes that seed and scale research collaborations between industry and academia. A key priority is to evolve the Research Centres and other enterprise-facing funding programmes, to maximise their impact on society, economy and the environment through multi-stakeholder partnerships and enhanced researcher mobility. It also aims to drive regional innovation and entrepreneurial training through accelerating research to commercialisation within ARC Hubs. The successful candidate(s) will join either the Enterprise Partnerships team or the Research Centres team and will have responsibility for managing funding programmes and a portfolio of awards while also contributing to cross-cutting functions across both teams. 

Research for Society leads on programmes that fund individual-led research grants for researchers at all career stages, international partnership programmes and PhD training programmes. It also leads on the development and delivery of a suite of challenge-based funding initiatives, including the 'National Challenge Fund', and also leads on the Public Service Fellowship, forging researcher-policymaker collaboration. In addition, it leads on the delivery of a broad portfolio of Education and Public Engagement initiatives and funding calls, including flagship activities such as Science Week.  

Key responsibilities: 

• Lead on the development and management of new and existing programme calls aligned to Research Ireland and national research strategies to enhance research and innovation capability in Ireland. 
• Management of programme review processes including the review of proposals, preparation of review documentation, conducting internal and panel reviews and evaluations. 
• Development of the post-award management and evaluation process for the awards. 
• Management and monitoring of awards; organising and conducting site reviews and preparing associated reports, annual/final report evaluation, analysis and follow-up on issues. 
• Conducting regular engagement with funded researchers and research teams to assess progress. 
• Management of direct reports and mentorship of trainees. 
• External stakeholder engagement, including representing the agency on national and international fora. 
• Development of innovative strategic initiatives and partnerships with external stakeholders, including those in the public and private sectors. 
• Provision of technical consultancy to government agencies, departments, and external stakeholders. 
• Work closely with the Corporate Communications team on programme calls and strategic initiatives. 

Essential criteria: 

• Hold a PhD in a STEM discipline. 
• Have significant relevant experience, with a minimum of 3 - 5 years professional experience post PhD, ideally in academia or industry. 
• Demonstrable strong research track record and knowledge of good research practice. 
• Demonstrable excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with experience in diverse stakeholder management. 
• Possess excellent planning and programme delivery skills, including proven project management experience, with an ability to work at a strategic level yet also drive daily execution, with strong attention to detail. 
• Experience in managing team members. 
• Have a professional and positive attitude, aligned to delivering the objectives and goals of Research Ireland  
• Be well-organised with the ability to multitask, prioritise, meet deadlines and manage competing and changing priorities in a dynamic environment. 
• Proven ability to deal with ambiguity through analytical and problem-solving capabilities. 
• Have excellent collaboration skills and enjoy working in teams. 
• Willingness to travel in order to deliver effectively on your role. 

Desirable criteria: 

• Expertise in environmental science, physics, engineering or computer science would be desirable. Prior experience of developing partnerships and designing programmes would be an advantage. 
• Experience in working within multi-/interdisciplinary research environments or direct experience of social science would be an advantage. 
• Additional experience in some of the following areas would be very beneficial, in particular, for enterprise-facing and challenge-based funding roles - knowledge valorisation (including but not limited to knowledge transfer and commercialisation), innovation and entrepreneurship, engaged research, evidence for policy, and/or impact evaluation. 

Key Competencies: 

• Specialist Knowledge and Expertise 
• Project Management 
• Problem Analysis and Resolution 
• Interpersonal, Communication Skills and teamwork 
• Stakeholder Engagement 
• Team Management 

Application Process: 

To apply for this post, applicants must submit a cover letter demonstrating how the applicant meets the requirement for this role (maximum of two pages) as set out in the job specification together with an up-to-date CV in one document.  Candidates may indicate which Team they see as the most appropriate fit for their skillset and why.  Please note that the cover letter is essential. 

Applications must be submitted as one document online through the online applicant management system candidate manager on or before 12 noon Irish Local Time on Tuesday 19th November 2024. 

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend for an interview, which may include a competency-based interview, a presentation on a topic of relevance to the role and/ or other such assessment methods as deemed appropriate. Research Ireland reserves the right to invite candidates to a second-round interview and to undergo further assessment, including the use of psychometric assessment if so required. Please note, interviews may take place over videoconference or other remote technology where appropriate. 

Salary  

The salary scale for the position will be Level E. Minimum of €79,086 to €97,130 per annum plus contributory superannuation pension. 

Please note that Government policy continues to be that starting pay on recruitment from open competition for all posts within the public service should be at the minimum of the relevant salary scale and are not subject to negotiation. 

Please note that new entrants to the public sector will be appointed at the minimum point of the salary scale. Remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government policy. 

Benefits  

• 30 days annual leave per annum, (+ 1 Organisation holiday day + 10 additional public holidays = 41 days). 
• Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (Single Public Service Scheme) 
• Favourable Hybrid / Blended working policy for employees. 
• Subsidised canteen. 
• Long term illness income protection. 

Additional information  

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend for an interview, which may include a competency-based interview, a presentation on a topic of relevance to the role and/ or other such assessment methods as deemed appropriate. Research Ireland reserves the right to invite candidates to a second-round interview and to undergo further assessment, including the use of psychometric assessment if so required. 

Please note, interviews may take place over videoconference (Teams / Zoom) or other remote technology where appropriate. 

Note: A panel of successful candidates may be formed following the final interview stage. The Panel will be in place for a maximum period of 12 months and may be used to either fill similar posts at the same grade that arise, or to progress panel candidates to an automatic final interview staged for less similar, same level roles, but placement on a panel is not a guarantee of appointment to a position. The role will be based in the Research Ireland office located in Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2, Ireland, D02 FX65. Research Ireland currently operates a hybrid/flexible working model. 

Research Ireland is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of our workforce. We encourage you to reach out to us directly at recruitment@researchireland.ie should you require assistance or reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process with Research Ireland