Impact and Engagement Manager (Job Number: 25000845)
Research and Innovation Services
Grade 7: - £19,392 - £23,024.50 which is pro rata the full time salary of £38,784 - £46,049
Open-Ended/Permanent - Part Time
Contract Duration: n/a
Contracted Hours per Week: 17.5
Working Arrangements: Hybrid working arrangements available with a mix of on site and home based working
Closing Date: 31-Aug-2025, 5:59:00 PM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DEMONSTRATE WHEN YOU APPLY/PERSON SPECIFICATION

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description.
Your application should cover the following criteria:

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
2. Experience of supporting the delivering of the Higher Education Impact agenda.
3. Experience of supporting research impact for, and understanding, of REF.
4. Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise in the delivery and development of services, events, and activities within the organisation.
5. Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting change and service improvements.
6. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.
7. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University’s reputation.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/KNOWLEDGE

1. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
2. Strong digital competence across a range digital devices and apps including digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, business systems.
3. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.
4. Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.
5. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.

THE ROLE AND DEPARTMENT

Research and Innovation Services (RIS) provides guidance, expert advice and hands-on support for all aspects of research and research-related work, including securing funding, working with partners, undertaking knowledge exchange, demonstrating impact, commercialising outputs, ensuring good research practice and supporting professional development.
The Policy, Systems and Performance (PSP) team within the Research and Innovation Services directorate works to support high quality research performance, impact and intelligence through data, integrity and governance, support for institutional strategy development and the compilation of relevant returns including HEBCI, KEF, KEC and REF.
The overall purpose of the position advertised is to assist the University in developing research impact to enhance the societal benefits of its research, and to support the development and submission of impact case studies, engagement measures, and narrative statements to the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
The position of Impact and Engagement Manager (I&EM) is a strategically important role within the Research and Innovation Services (RIS) Directorate. The post-holder will report to the Director of Policy, Systems and Performance and work closely the Senior Impact and Engagement Managers. They will work with the Director of PSP to support impact across the University but also have specific responsibility for developing a portfolio of REF impact case studies in the Arts and Humanities (A&H) Faculty. In this capacity the post-holder will work closely with the Deputy Executive Dean for Research or the Associate Dean for Research within the Faculty, with the Faculty Research Support Hub, and with Impact Directors in the associated Departments (History, English, Theology & Religion, Music, Philosophy, Classics and Ancient History) and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures.
The post-holder will contribute to the for the wider interpretation of the REF rules and regulations pertaining to impact and provide advice, guidance and support to academic leaders and researchers around impact and engagement within the REF context with the aim of achieving research impact that has broad reach, rigour, and world-leading significance.
Working closely with relevant academics, professional support colleagues, and the I&E team, the post-holder will contribute to a community of practice across the University to facilitate the development of high-quality impact and collection of robust supporting impact evidence. They will be involved in engagement activities working alongside academics and RIS teams to produce plans and activities that optimise impact potential. This post will support the critique and writing of impact case studies by relevant researchers in the A&H faculty and the Senior Impact and Engagement Managers who work across the other faculties. Working with the researchers the post-holder will be required to understand complex information and then communicate it in a concise and compelling manner.
The post-holder will support recording impact in the IT Systems and processes for recording impact including encouraging researchers and departments to record and share impact-related information that will enable the University to develop its impact case studies. This data and information will be used for the REF but will also contribute to the submission to the KEF, Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey and any other reporting requirements.
The post-holder will, as required, be involved in identifying and addressing challenges in the impact and knowledge exchange space.

In addition to the above, key duties will include:

• Supporting academics and PS staff to use appropriate systems and processes to capture impact data, to support broader impact culture, REF impact, and knowledge exchange.
• Supporting embedding impact into research to support a research culture in which all can flourish. This will include working with academics, especially Faculty research leadership teams and other PS staff to communicate research impact and engagement to audiences effectively and compellingly, including through the preparation of impact case studies for REF2029.

The role is permanent and part time (0.5FTE). Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.
This post will be based primarily at our exciting new professional services hub at Boldon House, which is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House brings a number of professional services teams together in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working.