Impact & Engagement Officer

Working as part of the Impact Team in the University's Innovation & Research Office, the role of the Impact & Engagement Officer is to support researchers across the University to plan their impact and develop REF impact case studies; implement engagement projects and work with partners; monitor progress on impact; evaluate outcomes and benefits; ensure appropriate profiling of impact; and work with Impact Assistants to capture and archive evidence. You will also provide training and resources to enable staff to understand impact. The overall aim is to ensure that the University derives maximum impact from its research endeavours measured through high impact submissions to the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

You will work to develop a detailed understanding of research and knowledge exchange activity across the University in order to identify and advise on potential areas of impact and to develop REF impact case studies. You will support on the improvement of systems and processes that support the University's development, documentation, evidencing and monitoring of research impact, with the aim of ensuring maximum benefit from these activities.

In addition, you will engage proactively with academic colleagues to ensure the effective capture of research impacts and provide regular reports on impact progress to University Governance committees.,

• Work closely with a range of Researchers across the University's Academic Themes and Unit of Assessments to support the planning, monitoring, evidencing and writing of impact case studies for the next REF.



• Use methods such as Theory of Change to assist researchers in their impact planning.



• Develop monitoring and evaluation tools, such as surveys, qualitative interviews and creative feedback activities for assessing the impact of research-informed engagement and impact projects.



• Where appropriate, engage with key external stakeholders, such as community groups, businesses and advisory bodies like National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE); effectively build and maintain relationships.



• Raise awareness internally and externally of the importance of impact, contributing to the creation and writing of Intranet resources and website marketing collateral.



• Plan and contribute learning materials to appropriate staff training and development opportunities such as workshops and training days in relation to engagement and impact.



• In collaboration with colleagues, use the University of Derby Impact Repository to assist with the preparation of reports and maintenance of data sets for REF that will assist strategy and decision-making.



• Provide general support to our research community including the development of systems and processes that systematically fund, monitor, capture, record and reflect on aspects of impact.



• Where required, contribute to preparing and writing proposals and applications to external bodies for research grants/funding and sponsorship purposes.



• Maintain and proactively disseminate an up-to-date knowledge of REF, Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) guidance in relation to engagement and impact.



• Promote a high-performance culture, fostering continuous improvement, driving quality and proactively working across Academic Themes, Units of Assessment and Colleges.



• Demonstrate competencies, core behaviours and supplementary behaviours that support and promote the University's core values.



• Any other duties that fall within the scope of the job, as allocated by the line manager.
  
  A good honours degree or equivalent professional experience, Experience of Higher Education Research Administration with specific knowledge of REF and the research impact agenda


• Experience of working with academics on REF impact case studies, including advising on funder guidance, providing editorial advice, writing, copy-editing and evidencing


• Experience of assisting academics with funding applications


• Experience of the production of materials designed to communicate research and knowledge exchange outcomes to internal audiences and the external public


• Experience of designing and delivering training for different audiences


Skills, knowledge & abilities


• Developing and using a range of monitoring and evaluation techniques


• Drafting effective reports and analysing qualitative and quantitative data


• Communicate effectively in written and oral form


• Ability to work collaboratively in a team to achieve defined outcomes


• Analysis, creativity and problem-solving: considers other perspectives and wider implications; solves problems and develops plans successfully


• An appropriate level of digital capability with practical experience of applications


• Planning and organisation skills, with the ability to independently manage a portfolio of work to competing demands and deadlines, PhD or equivalent (pending or awarded) in a relevant discipline


• Research administration/ management qualification, Experience of using virtual conferencing platforms like Blackboard Collaborate, Zoom, Knowledge of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), NCCPE Watermark and the Civic agenda


• Use of impact planning methods such as Theory of Change
  
  As well as competitive pay scales, we offer generous holiday entitlement. We also offer opportunities for further salary progression based on performance, and the opportunity to join a contributory pension scheme.