Research Finance Manager

About us UCL is a world-leading research-intensive university, with one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of externally funded research and innovation in the UK.Research and Innovation Services (RIS) supports UCL's academic community across the research and innovation lifecycle, providing specialist expertise in research funding, contracts, compliance and award management. Within RIS, Award Services works in partnership with academic and Professional Services colleagues, collaborating organisations and funders to support the effective management of research funding throughout the project lifecycle.

The Post Award Operations team plays a critical role in supporting the financial stewardship of UCL's extensive research portfolio, helping to ensure research funding is managed effectively, responsibly and in accordance with institutional and funder requirements. Through its work, the team helps safeguard funding, support world-leading research and enable researchers to focus on delivering impactful outcomes. About the role

As Research Finance Manager, you’ll lead a team of Research Finance Administrators responsible for the financial administration and management of a portfolio of research and innovation awards. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting one of the UK's largest and most complex research portfolios. You'll work across a broad range of funders, disciplines and award types, helping to ensure effective financial management while supporting UCL's strategic research ambitions.

As research funding continues to grow in scale and complexity, you'll contribute to strengthening post-award operations, enhancing financial oversight and improving the services that support our academic community.

The role combines team leadership, financial oversight and stakeholder management, ensuring awards are actively monitored throughout their lifecycle and that financial risks, compliance requirements and operational issues are identified and addressed effectively. This includes oversight of reconciliations, claims, budgets and forecasts, financial reporting, funder requirements and the timely financial closure of awards.

Alongside managing and developing a team, you'll provide expert advice on complex post-award matters and build strong relationships with academic departments, faculties, funders and colleagues across UCL. You'll also have the opportunity to contribute to service development and continuous improvement initiatives, helping to strengthen financial processes, controls, management information and ways of working across a service that is evolving to meet the changing needs of a growing research portfolio.

About youYou’ll bring significant experience of post-award financial management within a research-intensive university, with experience managing a broad portfolio of research and innovation awards from a range of funders. This should include international awards and foreign currency management.

Strong financial and analytical skills are essential, including experience of reconciliation, forecasting, identifying trends and exceptions, and resolving financial discrepancies. You’ll also understand the importance of funder terms and conditions, institutional policies and regulatory requirements within research funding.

An experienced people manager, you’ll be comfortable setting service standards, developing colleagues and creating a supportive, high-performing team environment. You’ll be able to explain complex financial information clearly, provide specialist advice to a range of stakeholders and build trusted relationships with colleagues at all levels.

Strong organisational and digital skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing…