Internal Applicants Only - Research Co-Ordinator, DECIPHer

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This post is currently open to employees of Cardiff University only.  Please do not apply if you do not have a current contract of employment with the University.

Internal Applicants Only - Research Co-Ordinator, DECIPHer

Cardiff University School of Social Sciences is seeking to recruit a Research Co-Ordinator to work within Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer) Research Centre that is located within the school. 

In this role you will support the Principal Investigator (PI; Sara Long) and RISE research team (RISE - Reducing Inequalities in School food Environments: Supporting provision, uptake and consumption of Free School Meals in primary schools) Along with this you will engage in and complete a range of routine tasks to meet operational and customer service requirements. Provide support and guidance on general administration, PA support, research and meeting support, ensure the RISE team is supported, and key duties undertaken.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), is fixed term until 31st March 2028 and is immediately available.

Salary: £27,644 - £30,805 per annum  (Grade 4), with annual increments up to final salary at top of grade. New appointments are usually made at the starting point of the salary scale.

Responsible to Ms Zoe Macdonald, Administration Team Manager,  DECIPHer

For an informal discussion about the role please contact  Zoe, MacdonaldZ@cardiff.ac.uk 

Interviews will be held on either the 7th or the 14th August

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 40 days annual leave (including bank holidays), blended working (meaning you will be able to work from home for some of your time), a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments up the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

As the biggest university in Wales – and a major employer, with more than 7,000 staff – we are an ambitious and innovative university located in a beautiful and thriving capital city. We can offer you the chance to work in a vibrant organisation, with great benefits and opportunities for progression.

Closing date: Tuesday, 29 July 2025

External applications are currently not being considered for this post.  If the decision is made to open the post to external candidates, the strapline at the top will be removed and you will be given ample time to apply – please check back periodically for details.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

Key Duties

• To support and manage the day to day operational and administration of the RISE team
• Liaise with the professional services team on research coordination and university, school and DECIPHer processes (including finance and HR Processes) to support the RISE team, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action, and contribute to the solving of more complex issues
• Work with others to make recommendations to improve our ways of working
• Establish productive relationships with key individuals (University colleagues and external contacts from PHW) to help improve the level of service the team provides to its customers
• Perform a variety of administrative duties to support the RISE team and department achieve its objectives
• Provide diary support to the PI
• Work with the Publicity Officer sharing information for the web, newsletter and other media outlets
• Assist the Principal Investigator drafting reports to funders
• Provide professional support to RISE meetings and take minutes , including:
  • Monthly Study Management Group (SMG) meetings
  • Six-monthly Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) meetings
  • Other meetings as and when required
• Support events led by the team
• Provide financial support to RISE colleagues in the preparation of budgets for research grant applications and provide advice on funding rules and guidelines.  Directly supporting academic colleagues in preparing costs on research applications and make recommendations on best practice and appropriate use of funding.
• Liaise with University teams in Finance and Research and Innovation Services when required.

• To undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties as part of the RISE team to develop good practice within the team and assist colleagues in their work, including HR, Finance and standard operating procedures
• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity
• Perform other duties which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.
• Uphold the Professional Services Values & Behaviours or local equivalent.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Degree or an equivalent qualification or work-related experience
• Experience of working in a Higher Education or research environment
• Fluency in Welsh, written and oral

 It is Cardiff University's policy to use the person specification as a key tool for shortlisting. Therefore, candidates must evidence they meet ALL the essential criteria and, where relevant, the desirable.

As part of the application process, you are asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure that the evidence you are providing corresponds with the numbered criteria outlined in the person specification. Your application will be considered based on the information you provide for each criterion.
When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure you name it with the vacancy reference number: XXXXBR.

Your application will be at risk of not being progressed if you do not evidence you have met all essential criteria. The school welcomes the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Please note that these are also the criteria shortlisted applicants will be assessed against at interview and/or by other means (e.g. a skills test).

Additional Information

Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer)

The DECIPHer Centre was established via UKCRC funding as one of 5 Public Health Research Centre of Excellence in 2009 – 2019, in partnership with the University of Bristol and Swansea University. In 2020, it became a Health and Care Research Wales funded public health research centre of excellence, in partnership with Public Health Wales, with funding to 2025. DECIPHer has now received sustainability funding from Health and Care Research Wales to continue its work from 2025-2030.

On going funding ensures that we can continue to provide:

• a platform for internationally excellent multidisciplinary public health   improvement research
• an internationally excellent environment for career development in public health      improvement research
• a focal point in Wales for collaboration between academia, policy, practice and the public in public health improvement research to maximise relevance, and impact.

DECIPHer plays a significant role in a series of major National Institute for Health Research funded investments, as well as the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health and the ESRC funded leadership hub Behavioural Research-UK. Within its next 5 years, it will also partner with newly funded Health and Care Research Wales funded centres, including the National Centre for Suicide and Self-harm Prevention Research and the Wales Applied Virology Unit. It also hosts the School Health Research Network, and an internationally recognised programme of research-led teaching in methodology for the development and evaluation of interventions. Our research from 2025 will aim to improve the health of the public, reduce inequalities, and drive methodological innovation in the development and evaluation of health improvement interventions.

DECIPHer is located in the Cardiff University Social Science Research Park (SPARK) alongside a large number of other social science research centres. It is primarily based in the School of Social Sciences, and works across the University, with some investigators based in the School of Medicine. The School of Social Sciences is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching across a range of subject areas, including sociology, policy studies, criminology, education and social work

Further details of the School's activities may be found on our home page: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/social-sciences

Job Category

Admin / Clerical