Job Description

Job details

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Responsible to


Associate Professor in History and Impact


Location


Kedleston Road, Derby Campus


Closing date


Monday 28 July 2025


Salary


25,698 to 26,875 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to 30,907 per annum)


Job grade


ATOS 4


Reference


0099-25


Contract type


Fixed term contract until March 2026


Post type


Full-time


Adaptive working type


Hybrid

This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.



About the University
We have one simple promise - to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.



The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.



We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 - making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.



Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.


About the College/Department
Innovation and research is at the heart of everything we do at Derby; it informs our learning and teaching, supports businesses, drives partnerships and provides real-world impact.



The University's Innovation & Research Department (I&R) is responsible for our research and knowledge exchange activities including funding opportunities, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, researcher development, ethics, impact, postgraduate research students, and external returns including REF and KEF.


About the role
As Impact Administrator, you will provide excellent administrative and customer service, supporting research leads working on impact for the University's Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission. You will be responsible for accurate note-taking, maintaining clear and reliable records, and ensuring timely follow-up on actions. In addition, the role involves collaborating with colleagues to support the development of impactful communications, including briefings, presentations, and speaking notes for teams across Innovation & Research.



You will work directly with academics and professional services teams to upload and maintain data within the University of Derby Impact Repository, support research-impact related events and their data capture and contribute to the administration of internal meetings and working groups. Here 'Impact' is understood as how our academics' research has a positive benefit for people and organisations beyond the University, so alongside internally focused administration there will also be liaison with external partners and organisations.



You will be expected to collaborate across the institution on planning and delivery in line with the University Innovation & Research Strategy and in compliance with REF 2029 guidance. As part of this role, the Impact Administrator may be asked to work flexibly to provide wider operational support for the University's REF 2029 submission. For more information about the REF, please see the REF website: https://www.ref.ac.uk/

On appointment, the job title for this role will be Impact Assistant.


About You
We are looking for a motivated and collaborative individual with experience working in a team-based office environment, ideally within a research setting. The ideal candidate will be confident using data systems, with a proven ability to input, clean, and report on data accurately.



Strong organisational skills are essential, particularly in planning and coordinating meetings and events. The role also requires excellent interpersonal abilities, with a focus on building and maintaining effective working relationships across teams and stakeholders.


Principal accountabilities
Oversee the effective use of the Impact Repository and other relevant systems for REF, including responsibility for monitoring and maintaining data input, working with academic and research staff across Innovation & Research, the Academic Themes and Colleges.

Ensure that impact data is gathered, processed and stored consistently and robustly.

Administer Innovation & Research communications initiatives in relation to REF activities and Impact Team objectives.

Provide efficient administrative / secretariat support to REF related meetings and working groups, taking accurate notes, ensuring reliable record keeping and effective monitoring of follow up actions.

Work with appropriate colleagues to support / contribute to producing Impact briefings, presentations and speaking notes for colleagues across Innovation & Research, as required.

Provide high quality support and administrative service to the Associate Professor - History & Impact, Impact Officers and Academic Theme Leads / Units of Assessment (UoA) Leads and Impact Case Study Leads, including anticipating requirements and taking ownership for tracking impact actions arising from central / Academic Theme / UoA and other relevant University meetings.

Act as first point of contact for a range of impact enquiries to ensure effective processes are followed.

Support effective internal communication, including the development and maintenance of Intranet sites and the website, accounting for the requirements of key contacts and stakeholders.

Apply a good working knowledge of administrative systems to answer queries and resolve problems from colleagues and external contacts.

Organise, support and (if required) attend events (seminars, workshops, etc) ensuring all activities and deliverables run efficiently by co-ordinating diaries, booking venues, setting and communicating programme schedules, liaising with appropriate key stakeholder groups, managing hospitality, budget, visitor arrangements and post-event feedback.

Proactively review procedures and processes, ensuring they are fit for purpose and maximise efficiency, recommend improvements and implement agreed changes.

Engage with University systems as appropriate (Microsoft Office, MS Teams, CRM etc).

Any other duties that fall within the scope of the job, as allocated by the line manager.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

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Qualifications

A-Levels (or equivalent Level 3 qualification) and/or equivalent experience in an office environment
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Experience

Experience of working in a team within an office environment, preferably in a research office Experience of using data systems, including entering and cleaning data and running reports Experience of understanding and applying data protection requirements Experience of working collaboratively across teams to achieve common goals
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Skills, knowledge & abilities

Meetings and events planning and organisation Excellent administrative and coordination skills Digital capability with practical experience of applications, including but not limited to Microsoft Office Ability to understand and apply regulations/rules e.g. GDPR, quality assurance frameworks Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to demonstrate the building and maintaining of strong working relationships Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy in dealing with a wide range of contacts both internal and external to the University Planning and organisation skills, with good time-management Ability to operate independently and manage own portfolio of work Ability to adapt and be flexible Numerical and analytical skills

Desirable Criteria

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Qualifications

A good honours degree Research administration / management qualification
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Experience

Experience of using virtual conferencing platforms like Blackboard Collaborate, Zoom Experience of working with research management systems
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Skills, knowledge and abilities

Knowledge of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) and/or Civic agenda Knowledge of administrative support processes and activities e.g. business systems, finance, procurement, HR Benefits
Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata) Local Government Pension Scheme Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers Discounted onsite gym Cycle to Work scheme A flexible working environment A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits


Key contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Larissa Allwork, Associate Professor in History & Impact via L.Allwork@derby.ac.uk


For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.


Important information#

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.



Please visit Applying from Overseas for more information.




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Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.



We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.



Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.



When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.



The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant's name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.



However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.



For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.





A university that celebrates you

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Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.





Environment and sustainability


Unlock your potential and apply today.