Postgraduate Research Support Lead

Overview

RPI supports agreed University and Faculty priorities for research and innovation: income generation, research excellence, postgraduate research student (PGR) experience, partnership development and knowledge exchange leading to income and/or impact and commercialisation of IP and student enterprise. We focus on delivering professional, value-add advice and support to our community of researchers and innovators. We are a well-connected team which understands the priorities of the organisation and our external stakeholders and customers, and the external environment in which we operate.

Team members collaborate, reflect, develop their skills and have a risk-appropriate mindset of continuous improvement to our processes, policy and approach.

You will lead a central team coordinating support for some 3,000 PGRs. An excellent PGR experience is a priority in our research strategy. We operate a hub and spoke model; a central team you will lead, and with PGR support delivered in each faculty by a Doctoral School. You will think and plan strategically, using sector networks to keep on top of developments and inform your work.

You will maintain oversight and ensure your team is well connected within RPI and with faculties and other professional teams. You will provide expert guidance to academic and professional colleagues on the University's regulations, policy, and procedure as well as student systems, research degree funding and financial processes. You will work closely with the Deputy Vice President (Research) and collaboratively across the faculty Doctoral Schools, academic PGR leads and with key other central professional services to drive continuous improvement and to contribute to initiatives to meet strategic objectives that enhance the PGR student experience.

You will play a significant role in ensuring compliance and supporting statutory returns.

• Lead and manage our central professional postgraduate research student teams, working closely with colleagues across the university to seek input, ensuring consistent processes which are fit-for-purpose in a changing internal and external environment.
• Oversee the postgraduate research student lifecycle: managing research degree programmes, regulatory processes, quality assurance and systems to support these, and operating effectively within our institutional governance framework.
• Ensure a positive and supportive research environment for PGR students that results in an enhanced PGR student experience, with significant improvements in timely submission and completion rates, and a culture of best practice in academic supervision.

• Fit-for-purpose and accessible policies and regulatory documents, such as our Code of Practice for Research Degrees, which balance expectations of statutory bodies, funder terms and conditions and University aims and objectives and which are, in turn, implemented effectively.
• Carefully judged, risk-aware advice to a range of colleagues on complex student issues including progression and complaints, and the application of University regulations in specific student cases
• Agreed processes that are transparent and consistent. For example, for cohort recruitment of publicly funded PGRs, the management of institutionally matched scholarships and statutory returns.

• Leadership and management of the PGR Support team in RPI, setting high standards, supporting excellent performance and managing arising issues.
• Strategic oversight of PGR matters ensuring the hub and spoke model works effectively, and relative roles and responsibilities are understood and delivered.
• Lead, or contribute to, University-wide projects which may arise from new or revised legislative or policy requirements, both internal and external, with respect to PGR students. Consult on and implement resulting changes across the University.
• Oversight of development, implementation and updating of quality enhancement policies and procedures, including the Research Degree Regulations (and updates to the Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes), which satisfy the requirements and expectations of national bodies (e.g. QAA and UKRI) and compliance (UKVI). Ensure that these policies and procedures are communicated to and understood by staff, supervisors and students as relevant.
• Support for training of the central team and Doctoral School teams with the aim of driving greater consistency and efficiency in operational activities.
• Coordinate and review materials connected to student complaints or appeals as appropriate, providing advice and guidance as necessary.
• Review and improve processes and systems associated with recording, evaluating, and following up on student engagement and experience.
• Ensure that student outcomes are monitored, meeting standards set by the Office for Students and the Quality Assurance Agency.
• Work closely with colleagues across the University to develop, review and…