CONTRACT: FULL-TIME (0.8FTE WILL BE CONSIDERED, FOR EXAMPLE TO ENABLE THE POST-HOLDER TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH 0.2FTE) , PERMANENT

The Royal College of Art, the world’s leading university for art and design, is seeking a dynamic and experienced Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Manager to join our Research & Innovation team.
This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in enhancing the RCA’s research performance and increasing income from external research and KE funding. You will work closely with the Head of Research Development and Head of Knowledge Exchange to support and drive high-quality funding applications, foster collaborations, and build strong relationships across the academic community and with key funders.

You will act as a first point of contact for academic colleagues seeking external research and KE funding. Your responsibilities will include:

• Advising academics on developing research ideas and framing them for funders.
• Identifying and promoting suitable funding opportunities across UK, EU, and international schemes.
• Supporting bid development, including project scoping, budgeting, and draft feedback.
• Running internal peer review and funding processes.
• Supporting RCA’s strategic research and KE ambitions through pipeline development and proposal quality.
• Facilitating collaborations with academic and business partners.
• Monitoring funded projects, ensuring compliance, and supporting impact reporting.

You will work collaboratively across professional services including Finance and IT, and contribute to training, research strategy, internal reporting, and REF preparation.