Job Details
Senior Engagement Manager – Arts and Humanities
Reference Number
Location
Durham
Faculty/Division
Division
Department
Business & Innovation Services
Grade
Grade 8
Position Type
Full Time
Contract Type
Permanent
Salary (£)
36862 - 44016
Closing Date
Job Description
Durham University, one of the leading research universities in the UK, is seeking to
recruit an outstanding professional to this important strategic post.
The purpose of the new role is to enable the University to deliver its research
ambitions and optimise the external impact of its research. The post-holder will be
responsible for the development and support of a range of external engagement and
impact projects across the arts and humanities. This includes work undertaken in the
departments and schools of English Studies, History, Archaeology, Classics, Modern
Languages and Cultures, Music, Philosophy, Geography Theology, and
Anthropology. It also encompasses the activities of a range of research centres, in
such areas as visual arts and cultures, medical humanities, the ethics of cultural
heritage, intercultural mediation. Academic staff also undertake interdisciplinary
research through Institutes of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, and the Institute
of Advanced Study.
The Senior Engagement Manager (SEM) will provide guidance and assistance to
the academic leaders of research projects in the University’s departments, schools,
and centres, and help to develop external engagements and partnerships in order to
maximise the potential of knowledge-exchange for the University’s research
strengths. In doing so, the incumbent will provide a ‘broker’ or ‘link’ service to bring
cultural and creative industries, business, public and third-sector partners together
with relevant academic staff, research groups, centres or institutes. The SEM will
assist, nurture and manage the relationships, and be responsible for supporting
specific sectors, as informed by review of key research strengths and external
opportunities.
The SEM will assist the University to support the delivery of its Impact Strategy.
Durham has a strong history of achieving public engagement and external impact
from its academic research, and we are ambitious about the role that we wish the
University to play in society. Academic groups and individual researchers have been
active in developing and promoting cultural activities locally, nationally and
internationally: examples include Musicon, the Palace Green Heritage Centre. the
Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition, and links with the Durham World Heritage Site,
Durham Book Festival, New Writing North, the Bowes Museum, Durham Oriental
Museum, the Tyne and Wear Museums, the National Media Museum, Opera North,
and documentary production companies. They have contributed to local, national
and international policy and governance in a range of spheres, for example with
regional NHS Trusts, national medical and psychiatric organisations, a range of
charities, and NGOs and government organisations in the UK, Europe and Africa.
The SEM post will involve close work with academic staff across the University, the
directors of research in departments, and the deputy heads of the Faculties
responsible for research. There will also be links with the University’s Research
Office, and with the culture and heritage agenda managed through the University
Library. The post holder will assist the Dean of Knowledge Exchange and Impact,
report to the Head of Business Engagement within Durham Business and Innovation
Services, and be a member of the Business Engagement Team. The team’s remit is
to work closely with academics in order to develop and engage in substantive
research collaborations and partnerships, and to nurture relationships with strategic
business, public and third sector partners. Partners for Arts and Humanities are likely
to include heritage organisations, museums, galleries, libraries, charities, health and
medical professionals, civil servants, members of NGOs, schools, educational
administrators, IT specialists, organisers of information systems, festival organisers
and media workers.
The SEM will have a leading position within the Business Engagement Team, and be
expected to manage projects either working alone or with a small team (1-3 people).
Requirements
Conditions
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Full time, non-fixed term.
35 hours on flexible working
Grade 8
30 days holiday
Location: based in Durham and working across all departments at Durham
and Queen's Campuses
Willing to travel nationally and occasionally internationally
Relationships/contacts
The post-holder will report to the Head of Business Engagement for operational
issues (day to day), and work in support of the Dean of Knowledge Exchange and
Impact.
The post holder will liaise with:
Internal contacts, including
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Academic staff and administrators in the academic departments and schools,
and in the research centres and institutes
Staff in the University’s Professional Services
Members of the University’s senior management
External contacts, including
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Partner organisations and other relevant stakeholders, museums, libraries,
galleries, NGOs in arts and culture, schools, research councils, , KTP
advisors, local and national government Departments, the NHS, charitable
bodies and media companies
Professional organisations and institutes in the field of arts, culture,
education and the media
Responsibilities
Partnership and project specific activities
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Working closely with senior leadership within the Faculties to develop and
implement a strategy that aligns with expertise and interests with respect to
demonstration of impact through external strategic partnerships and other
engagements
Working closely with individual academics or with research groups to identify
opportunities for external impact, and assisting in seeking seed-corn funds for
pilot projects
Mapping capability to potential external partners and contacts, and briefing
these external parties on collaborative opportunities and projects that are
supportive of Durham’s strategic research and education interests
Working with identified strategic partners, to develop business plans and to
manage the arising complex projects
Ensuring that major new engagement and partnership initiatives are rooted in
the research and education interests and abilities of the University, and
aligned with Durham’s Heritage and Culture activity, where appropriate
Support the implementation of innovation and impact strategy
Promoting the expertise, skills and services offered by the University to arts
and cultural organisations, educational and media bodies, the public sector,
third sector and other external partners
Promoting the opportunities and benefits of working with external partners and
contacts with individual academics and departments
Liaising with academic and professional services staff internally and with
contacts externally to ensure the smooth running of partnerships and projects
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Mapping external parties' core research needs to University research
strengths and capabilities
Monitoring of partnerships and projects
Engaging with, and influencing, funding bodies, organisations and agencies to
support partnerships and collaborative projects. Special emphasis to be given
to opportunities where Durham can respond to ‘Grand Challenges’ which
require multidisciplinary research programmes
Ensure that internal partnership processes are seamless and fit for purpose
Sector specific activities
Maintaining understanding of Durham University’s engagement with private,
public and third sector organisations including horizon scanning and opportunity
spotting
Being the first point of contact for own portfolio of partnerships and projects
Other responsibilities
Other general duties as directed and commensurate with the post
Person Specification
Essential
ATTAINMENTS
 Graduate or equivalent
EXPERIENCE
 Evidence demonstrating familiarity of working with arts and humanities disciplines
 Extensive evidence of partnership working with the cultural and creative
industries, business, public and third sector partners
 Understanding of, the creative economy, the arts, heritage, cultural and
educational sectors
 Experience of developing innovation and engagement strategies in complex
organisations
 Broad practical experience of the methodologies for the appraisal of research
needs and capabilities in the arts and cultural sectors
ABILITIES
 Excellent verbal and written communication skills
 IT literate and numerate (MS Word, MS Excel, Powerpoint)
 Highly developed organisational skills, including both project and time
management
 Excellent interpersonal skills evidenced by a proven track record of working well
with a range of people at all levels and managing stakeholder
relationships, internally and externally
 Ability to manage conflicting demands and delegated tasks and remain calm
under pressure
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
 Self–starter with track record of ability to make decisions with own area of
responsibility
 Highly motivated, working as part of a team or on own initiative
 Willingness to travel nationally and internationally in support of role
Desirable
ATTAINMENTS
 Arts and Humanities graduate
 Postgraduate qualification
EXPERIENCE
 Experience of working in Higher Education
 Extensive evidence of partnership working at the university- business interface
 Understanding of risk assessment and risk management
 Understanding of evaluation methodologies that allow impact to be evidenced
ABILITIES
 Ability to think and act strategically
Additional Website Text
Further Details of the activity of Durham Business and Innovation Services can be
found at http://www.dur.ac.uk/bis/