Project Manager: Information and Engagement - Department of Applied Health Sciences - 108205 - Grade 7
University of Birmingham · United Kingdom
GBP 36,636 to 46,049 per year
Position Details
College of Medicine and Health, Research and Knowledge Transfer
University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time or Part Time, Fixed Term contract up to March 2029
Closing date: 12th November 2026
UK travel may be required for this role
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Background
The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely and manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.
Department Summary: The Research Support Service (RSS)
The role will support delivery of the RSS mission – to support access to funding for healthcare research, from pre-application through to post-application phases for healthcare researchers (NIHR and non-NIHR funded) in England.
With a central portfolio team based at the University of Birmingham, the RSS Central Team provides strategic leadership and coordination to 8 RSS expert Hubs and the 2 RSS Specialist Centres (1 Public Health and 1 for Social Care) across England. Drawing on the breadth of expertise and experience across the partnership, we foster collaboration to maximise impact of the RSS network to deliver a national service that is equitable, innovative, and responsive to the needs of researchers across health, public health, social care, and the industry sector. A new national RSS Network strategy provides aligned strategic direction, to collaboratively deliver a ‘One-RSS’ mission. The national strategy will define and drive the brand identity, coordinate development of a consistent national network of research support, and surface-and-share innovations to continuously enhance the quality of the service. The RSS network will contribute to the Government’s health and growth missions by delivering on the ‘three big shifts’ and NIHR’s mission to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.
The role will be hosted within the University of Birmingham’s Research Delivery team, part of the College of Medical & Health Research Office. The Research Delivery team is a vibrant hub for Professional Service staff (~120 individuals) supporting high-value, strategically important projects and programmes.
We work closely with both Professional Services colleagues and Academics across the University and partner organisations, to maximise the impact of funded research, and lead on the development of renewals for large infrastructure awards. The portfolio of research supported is wide ranging (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/medical-dental/index.aspx)
This role will be embedded within the Research Delivery team’s Applied Health pillar (currently providing programme and project management support to over £100m of research funding) and benefit from established relationships with programme partners and key stakeholders including NHS Trusts, collaborating research institutions both locally, nationally and globally, patient and public contributors, charities and funders.
Role Summary
The Project Manager: Information and Engagement Manager will lead the operational delivery of key strategic workstreams within the overarching RSS network strategy alongside the national communications and engagement strategy. The role encompasses high-impact digital content creation, management of national platforms, internal information architecture, and strategic stakeholder relationship management across all 8 RSS Hubs, Specialist Centres, and external partners to raise awareness, advance brand reputation, and foster collaborative partnerships nationwide.
Main Duties
- Serve as an integral member of the central PMO team, managing information and engagement activities throughout the portfolio life cycle to support the RSS Director of Strategic Engagement and Chief Operating Officer. This may include some or all of the following:
- Lead operational delivery on designated strategic objectives embedded within the overarching RSS Network Strategy.
- Provide strategic updates, portfolio progress reporting, and analytics to the Director of Strategic Engagement and Executive Board.
- Translate complex portfolio data into demonstrably evidence-based communications, promotional materials, and performance reports for governance forums and public dissemination.
- Operationalise the national communications and engagement strategy across the entire RSS network, leading on the development of newsletters, digital content, and multi-channel campaigns.
- Manage and optimize national digital platforms, including websites, CMS portals, and social media channels; ensuring all digital platforms adhere strictly to WCAG accessibility standards.
- Design and manage central internal communications channels (e.g., SharePoint, town halls, and cascade communications) to optimise and streamline information flow and best practices across the 8 RSS Hubs and Specialist Centres.
- Safeguard