Job Description

Ref Number

B09-01301

Professional Expertise

Administration and Business Support

Department

Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement) (B09)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

36,433-41,833

Contract Type

Permanent

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

25-Jan-2026

About us

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UCL is a radically different university. Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, we were the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and the first to welcome women to university education. Today UCL has over 50,000 students and 18,000 staff, is one of the world's top 10 universities and is recognised as one of the most successful research institutions in the world, consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2024) and is 2nd in the UK for research power and 1st in London (REF 2021).



UCL is a world-leading research-intensive university with an annual turnover of around 1.8bn. Our research and innovation continue to grow in scale and complexity, with record levels of research income and impact achieved last year.



Playing a key role in supporting the UCL research portfolio of 6,000 active research awards and contracts with an annual research income of 500M, Research and Innovation Services (RIS) supports and advances UCL's position as a world beating research led University. RIS provides high quality research and innovation support that adds value to the academic mission, improves compliance with terms and conditions, policies and regulation, and showcases the expertise of having a centre of excellence of dedicated research and innovation support professionals.



The Contract Services team provide a 'single front door' for all research and innovation-driven contracts on behalf of UCL; the team are responsible for ensuring all contractual terms are in accordance with UCL policy, external regulations, funder and/or partner terms and conditions.

About the role

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We are looking for a Contracts Assistant to join UCL's Contract Services team within Research and Innovation Services. This is an important support role that helps ensure the smooth and timely delivery of contract services that underpin the University's research and innovation activity.



Working closely with Contracts Managers and senior colleagues, you will provide high-quality administrative and operational support across a wide range of research and innovation contracts. This will include supporting the contract request process, preparing and issuing documentation, administering electronic signatures, maintaining accurate records, and ensuring that key systems and trackers are kept up to date.



You will also play a role in producing management information and status reports, drawing on data from systems such as Worktribe and other reporting tools to provide clear, usable information that supports planning and decision-making. The role involves regular liaison with academic colleagues, professional services teams and external partners, requiring a professional, responsive and organised approach.



Alongside your core responsibilities, you will help ensure that documentation is complete, well organised and stored in line with regulatory and audit requirements. You will contribute to effective team working by supporting meetings, monitoring shared inboxes and helping manage a busy and varied workload.



Hybrid working is available, with the role based at our Bloomsbury campus.

About you

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You will have experience providing administrative support in a busy, high-volume and complex environment, and be comfortable managing your own workload to meet deadlines while responding flexibly to changing priorities. You will take ownership of tasks, work independently where needed, and support colleagues to ensure work progresses smoothly.



You will be customer-orientated in your approach, with a clear understanding of the importance of managing expectations and providing a high standard of service to academic and professional colleagues. You will communicate clearly and professionally, both in writing and verbally, and build positive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.



You will be confident using IT systems and Microsoft Office, and have experience preparing reports or management information using data from multiple sources. You will be organised, detail-focused and conscientious in maintaining accurate records and ensuring documentation is complete.



You will bring a positive, helpful and collaborative approach to your work, value being part of a professional team environment, and be keen to learn and develop. Experience supporting legal or contracts teams, or working in a research or higher education setting, is beneficial but not essential.

What we offer

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As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits some of which are listed below:


41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan Immigration loan Relocation scheme for certain posts On-Site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.



We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.



These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.



You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion.