Research Officer

Oxford’s School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) is one of the largest
communities of Area Studies scholars anywhere in the world. This vibrant and
dynamic University department has research and teaching programmes dedicated
to Africa, China, Latin America, the Middle East, Japan, Russia and Eastern
Europe, South Asia and Comparative Area Studies. The School welcomes students
from all around the globe and offers seven MSc Degrees, six MPhil degrees, a
DPhil in Area Studies, as well as the Oxford 1+1 MBA with Saïd Business
School.



An exciting opportunity has arisen to join OSGA as the Research Officer on a
full-time and 3-year fixed-term contract basis. The post might also be offered
as a job share (2 x 18.25 hours, 50% FTE each).





**About the Role:**





The Research Officer is a wide-ranging and important supportive role in the
Research Facilitation Team at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies
(OSGA).



Under the supervision of the Research Manager, the successful post-holder will
assist in the School’s pre-award research activities, the School’s Research
Excellence Framework (REF) Submission and coordinate the administrative
activities of OSGA’s Departmental Research Ethics Committee (DREC). Further
responsibilities will include: support the preparation of funding applications
to strict deadlines, maintaining records of grants applications for workflow
and reporting purposes, communicating with researchers about funding
opportunities, call criteria, deadlines, department and university processes,
liaising with the Research Manager to ensure that successful grant
applications are smoothly, promptly and efficiently handed-over from pre- to
post-award administrative team. They will also coordinate data gathering for
REF including providing support for Open Access, Sympletic, and the School
data review, act as a Secretary to OSGA’s Departmental Research Ethics
Committee (DREC) and coordinate the Committee’s activities.





**About You:**





The post is very varied and stimulating, hence it will suit an enthusiastic
and reliable individual who enjoys being part of a busy team in an environment
of competing priorities. Applications are welcome from candidates with
experience in an administrative support role, preferably in higher education
or a similar field, who are able to handle and prioritise interpret and
explain complex information to others.





Essential for the role are excellent computer literacy, accuracy and
competence in drafting, proof-reading, formatting and correctness of
information in relation to documents, websites, and office processes;
including an ability to interpret and to explain complex information to
others. The ability to work as a team member that is physically dispersed
across different locations is a must for this role. Professional experience of
working in Research Administration, familiarity with the University’s costing
and pricing tool (X5); servicing committees, and website content maintenance
are desirable.





**Application Process: **





Applications are to be submitted via Oxford University’s website. When
applying to this position, you will be required to upload a CV and a
supporting statement of no more than two pages addressing how you meet each of
the selection criteria, as listed in the job description. Further details
regarding the selection criteria and details on how to apply can be found in
the attached job description. Informal enquiries are welcome: please email hr-
administrator@area.ox.ac.uk. Any queries or matters that are not referred to
in the job description/further particulars will be passed to the Research
Manager. Please quote the vacancy reference **170387** in all your
correspondence.





The closing date for applications is **12.00 noon on** **16th February 2024**.
Applications received after the closing date cannot be considered.



The interviews will be held in person as soon as possible after the closing
date.





**What We Offer:**





As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ well-being and this is
reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:





* An excellent contributory pension scheme


* Generous annual leave


* A comprehensive range of childcare services


* Family leave schemes


* Cycle loan scheme and electric or ultra-low emission vehicle loan scheme


* Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans


* Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs




This role also offers the opportunity for hybrid working, with a current
expectation of at least 50% on-site work. The OSGA Professional Services
offices are located in Oxford city centre, surrounded by its unique
architecture, history and culture.





The University of Oxford holds an institutional Silver Athena Swan award,
acknowledging the progress made in addressing a number of gender gaps across
the University. Applications are particularly welcome from men and black and
minority ethnic candidates who are under-represented in professional services
in Oxford.