Research Grants Manager

Do you have experience in research grants management and extensive knowledge of research grants funding mechanisms? Could you help ensure that Alzheimer’s Society’s research funding processes are sector-leading and effectively meeting the needs of the dementia research community?

We are recruiting for a Research Grants Manager to join on a full-time, permanent contract working 35 hours per week. This is a home-based role, with occasional travel required for conferences, events and in-person stakeholder or team meetings.

As Research Grants Manager you will lead on the annual delivery of Alzheimer’s Society’s research grant funding programmes. Your extensive knowledge of research grants funding mechanisms will ensure that the Society facilitates robust, transparent and efficient expert review processes, ensuring effective use of the Society’s research funds.

In this role you will ensure that the Alzheimer’s Society’s research funding processes are sector-leading by working alongside partners such as the Association of Medical Research Charities to ensure our team follows best practice. You will develop new funding programmes and grant types in partnership with the Senior Research Manager and other external organisations, putting Alzheimer’s Society’s strategic objectives for research into practice.

You will lead on the evaluation of our existing funding schemes, ensuring they are effectively meeting the needs of the dementia research community. You will also be responsible for overseeing the management of a £50million+ active grants portfolio. Using this portfolio, you will highlight research outcomes and impact, supporting the Society to demonstrate the real-world difference made by our research funding and tell compelling narratives about the impact of our work.

About you

Joining us, you’ll be a natural communicator able to work collaboratively with others effectively, with a genuine enthusiasm for scientific research. You’ll be able to translate complex scientific and medical information into clear, accessible content for a range of audiences. You’ll have experience in research grants management, ideally in a medical research charity or similar funding organisation.

Crucially, you’ll have line management experience and the ability to lead and develop large, high performing team, as well as the interpersonal skills required to lead and work collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders. We’re also looking for you to have good organisational skills and experience of managing or coordinating multiple projects or programmes with differing timelines effectively.

What you’ll focus on:

• Managing and overseeing delivery all elements of research funding calls.
• Inducting and maintaining key relationships with members of our Grant Advisory Board and expert reviewers who support the grant review processes.
• Overseeing efficient and professional support to funded grant holders, ensuring that grants are managed within agreed terms and conditions.
• Overseeing the outputs and outcomes of research funded by Alzheimer’s Society and disseminate this information across different teams within Alzheimer’s Society.
• Evaluating the Society’s research funding programme and grant types, ensuring that the Society’s funding calls meet the needs of the dementia academic community and deliver upon the Society’s research strategy.
• Supporting the Senior Research Manager and Head of Research in raising the profile of the Alzheimer’s Society’s research programme in the scientific and research community (including giving presentations, written materials and attending stakeholder events).
• Line managing the Research Grants team (one Senior Research Grants Officer and three Research Grants Officers) who deliver the Society’s research programme.

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.

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