Research manager jobs in Birmingham, west midlands

We have an exciting vacancy for a new member of staff to join Transport for All to lead the development and delivery of our Research Team. This role includes a mixture of team and programme management, project delivery, new business and research funding applications. You’ll be responsible for income generation via your programmes, while ensuring that our research work delivers on improving transport accessibility for all disabled people. 

You’ll manage our research work which seeks to change the culture of transport and street design for the long term. Our research is highly respected within the sector and by local and national government. It also challenges the sector status quo by modelling a progressive and proactive approach to co-design and co-production by ensuring meaningful engagement with disabled people. 

Please visit our website to download our candidate pack, including a detailed job description and information on how to apply. 

Are you passionate about translating complex scientific and medical information into clear, accessible content for non-specialist audiences? Could you create engaging narratives that showcase the impact of our work and inspire more people to support our mission to end the devastation caused by dementia?

About the role
We are recruiting for a Research Communications 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 Communications Manager you will champion our research. By making complex science accessible, engaging and meaningful you will ensure breakthroughs are widely understood and effectively communicated. You will translate evidence into inspiring stories, positioning Alzheimer’s Society as a trusted leader in dementia research and motivating more people to join us in driving change.

In this role, you will develop and implement creative, innovative and sustained communications plans relating to our key research activity and its outcomes for a range of external stakeholders. You will manage a team, creating an environment where people feel supported, empowered and able to contribute their best work.

You will own communications channels and work closely with other communications teams across the organisation such as media, social media, influencing and campaigns to support them to use research communications to achieve our organisational goals.

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 will be able to translate complex scientific and medical information into clear, accessible content for a range of audiences, and you’ll be skilled at creating engaging narratives that engage and inspire people.

Crucially, you’ll have experience of leading, planning delivering and evaluating large scale communications campaigns. You’ll have experience line managing and developing a team, in addition to the possessing the skills required to lead and work collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

What you’ll focus on:

- Co-ordinating and directing the management, delivery and evaluation of communications relating to research related organisation-wide strategic projects and initiatives.
- Developing and delivering communications plans to support our research objectives defined by our research strategy.
- Overseeing the development, delivery and evaluation of regular research content for priority audiences across channels and capturing impact of our communications supporting our research and organisational strategy
- Raising the profile of our research and its impact in the scientific and research community including highlighting our funding opportunities, research programmes and projects and their impact.
- Working in partnership with multiple external stakeholders (for instance, UK Dementia Research Institute, NIHR Dementia Researcher, a range of research institutes and initiatives etc) to deliver effective and collaborative communications plans.
- Leading in developing Alzheimer’s Society comment and reactive statements to research stories in the press and media.
- Ensuring that Alzheimer’s Society research programme is portrayed accurately across the organisation in its brand and high-level public facing messaging.

About Alzheimer's Society - who are we and what’s our mission?
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 ground-breaking 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 part of a minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.

Our hiring process
We want you to bring your whole self to the process. Applications are anonymised until interview stage, and we’re happy to support any adjustments. Share your feedback via our candidate survey when applying to help us improve. We may close early if we receive high interest (with 48 hours’ notice). Some roles may require a DBS check as part of our safer recruitment commitment. Thinking about using AI during the recruitment process? we know this can be helpful in many ways but remember to include your personal and authentic self too. Your voice and experience are what really set you apart.

Giving back to you
At Alzheimer’s Society, we value our people and take a total reward approach to pay and benefits. You’ll enjoy a generous double-matched pension scheme, 27 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays and wellbeing days), and access to a free Health Shield Cash Plan, 24/7 EAP, Thrive mental wellbeing support, and virtual GP services. Our Society Plus platform offers exclusive discounts, wellbeing resources, and recognition schemes, while our flexible working, family-friendly policies, and life assurance provide peace of mind and work/life balance. We also offer a free Will-writing service and long service awards to recognise your ongoing commitment.

Are you passionate about using research and insight to help organisations make better decisions and create greater impact? Join Shelter as our Audience Research and Insight Manager and play a key role in helping us better understand the people we support, engage and influence.

About the role

The role of Audience Research and Insight Manager is a vital role, working with teams across Shelter to develop valuable insights into our key and varied audiences, ensuring user needs are valued along with the needs of the organisation, and our work is underpinned by actionable insight. Our audiences include donors (regular givers, occasional donors, eventers, community fundraisers), retail audiences (online and high street shoppers and donors), campaigners, service users, volunteers and elite audiences (journalists, politicians, policy makers, housing professionals) and corporate partners.

Role specifics

We’re looking for someone who can lead and develop audience research and insight that helps Shelter better understand, engage and support the people we work with. You’ll manage a team of User Researchers, champion user-centred and inclusive research practices, and bring together evidence from research, analytics and audience data to generate clear, actionable insights. Working collaboratively across the organisation, you’ll help teams make informed decisions about audiences, messaging and channels, while promoting an insight-led culture, monitoring external trends and ensuring research continues to shape Shelter’s strategy and impact.

Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Benefits 

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About the team

This role sits in the 7-person Strategic Evaluation and Insight team which sits in the Digital and Audience Engagement sub directorate, within the Campaigns, Policy and Communications (CPC) department.

The team is a keystone in shaping and delivering the work of Shelter bringing together Strategic Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, Audience insight and User Research.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

Safeguarding statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. 

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.