Deputy Head of Research Funding – Deputy Head of Research Funding

Deputy Head of Research Funding – Deputy Head of Research Funding

The British Academy
London, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

The British Academy, the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences, is recruiting a Deputy Head of Research Funding for its Research Funding Department. This permanent, full‑time position plays a central role in supporting the delivery and strategic oversight of a suite of funding programmes that advance research excellence across career stages, from early‑career scholars to senior investigators. Based in London with hybrid working arrangements, this role offers a unique opportunity to influence how research funding is managed and delivered by a leading charitable institution dedicated to expanding the impact of the humanities and social sciences.

In this leadership role, you will work closely with the Head of Research Funding to ensure the effective delivery of flagship programmes such as Postdoctoral Fellowships and Small Research Grants. A key area of responsibility is the operational management of the British Academy’s relationship with the nine British International Research Institutes (BIRI), ensuring seamless coordination across these autonomous entities and their diverse research activities.

You will also support a major organisational project integrating the Academy’s grants management system with a new CRM platform to improve internal processes and engagement with applicants and award‑holders.

This role combines strategic planning, operational oversight, stakeholder engagement and team leadership. You will contribute to raising awareness of the Academy’s funding opportunities across UK universities and independent research organisations, provide empathetic and professional support to applicants and award‑holders, and collaborate with colleagues across directorates to advance the Academy’s research funding mission.

Candidates should bring strong organisational capability and attention to detail, with a proven ability to navigate complex research funding environments and support multidisciplinary programmes. Confidence in financial oversight, budget management and reporting is essential, as is the resilience to manage a demanding workload with multiple competing priorities.

• Demonstrable experience in research funding administration, grants management or a related area, ideally within higher education or research organisations.
• Leadership experience, including line management and the ability to cultivate professional development within a team environment.
• Strong communication skills to engage internal colleagues, external partners and research communities constructively.
• Strategic understanding of research funding landscapes and the capacity to contribute to forward‑thinking funding support processes and systems.

The role offers a competitive salary of approximately £50,108 per year, with benefits including annual leave and pension provisions.

Applications were invited to be submitted by 12:0