"Deputy Head of Grant Management"

Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated grant management professional to join the Nuffield Department of Medicine as Deputy Head of Grant Management. This is a senior professional services leadership role within one of the University of Oxford’s largest and most research-intensive departments, offering the chance to shape how research funding is supported and managed at scale.

Reporting to the Head of Grant Management, the role plays a pivotal part in leading grant management services across a £1.2bn externally funded research portfolio, comprising around 1,000 live projects supported by more than 280 funders worldwide. The post contributes to the Department’s senior leadership community and provides deputy cover for the Head of Grant Management when required.

At the heart of the role is responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Grant Management Team, ensuring researchers receive a consistent, high-quality, and responsive service. Leadership of Research Grants Managers and other colleagues includes overseeing workload allocation, recruitment, performance development, and capability building within a large, highly skilled team. A strong emphasis is placed on fostering a positive and inclusive team culture and supporting professional development at all career stages, including through the design and delivery of training.

The post also leads on service development and continuous improvement, driving the implementation of robust systems, processes, and standard operating procedures, and promoting best practice across the Department. Close collaboration with central University services and divisional colleagues ensures consistency of approach, while a strong focus on compliance ensures grant management activity is robust under audit scrutiny. Acting as a trusted adviser, the role provides expert guidance on complex financial, contractual, and compliance matters, working closely with Principal Investigators, Business Managers, senior professional services colleagues, and external funders. Supporting early career researchers is a key element of the role, helping them to navigate funder requirements and build sustainable, well-managed research portfolios.

The successful candidate will be educated to degree level or have equivalent professional experience, ideally gained within a higher education or research environment, and will bring excellent working knowledge of major research funders and the wider research funding landscape. Demonstrable experience of managing and developing professional services teams, delivering high-quality services, and driving continuous improvement is essential, alongside the ability to diagnose complex problems and develop practical, sustainable solutions.

Strong financial acumen, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and confidence working with complex information are required. The role calls for a highly organised, numerate individual with strong IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Experience of Oracle Financials, the University’s X5 costing and pricing tool, or writing content for web pages would be advantageous.

Above all, this role suits a collaborative, flexible, and inclusive leader with a genuine commitment to developing people, improving services, and supporting world-leading medical research.

Applications for this vacancy should be made online and you will need to upload a supporting statement and CV. Your supporting statement must explain how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post using examples of your skills and experience. Please restrict your documentation to your CV and supporting statement only. Any other documents will be requested at a later date.

This position is offered full time permanent role funded by the department.

Only applications received before 12 midday on 28 January 2026 will be considered.

Interviews will be held on 13 February 2026.

Please quote 184169 on all correspondence.

Location: NDM Operations, Grant Management Team, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health and Information Discovery, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF

Salary: Standard Grade 8: £49,119 - £58,265 with a discretionary range to £63,489 p.a. (pro rata). This is inclusive of a pensionable Oxford University Weighting of £1,730 per year (pro rata).