View Vacancy - Senior Programme Manager, C4, New Delhi

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)
UK Research and Innovation

Note : All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, motivational segment and the competency based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Please note that due to Covid-19 outbreak, the start date of employment mentioned in the advert is tentative, subject to normal business of British High Commission. All recruitment campaigns will remain open for applications, we will progress the recruitment process as swiftly as possible and continue to review all applications, monitor progress and developments. We will be in touch with you for the interviews/ should there be further updates on the application, however given the circumstances, kindly expect some delay in response and please reach out to if you have any further questions.

Main purpose of job: 

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UK Research and Innovation brings together nine partners and a budget of £7bn to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. The UK’s expertise spans all fields of knowledge, from the discovery of penicillin and monoclonal antibodies, to the jet engine and the World Wide Web. Our inspirational creative industries are strong in art, design and the innovative use of new materials and technologies. Our universities and laboratories produce a disproportionate percentage of the world’s top research, and their academics are highly-sought as international colleagues and co-authors and are among the world’s best at attracting overseas students. This excellence is not confined to university campuses and research centres. Our engineering, automotive and pharmaceutical industries are successful in part because of the superb graduates they can hire and the top rate researchers that support them.

UKRI India is a small, dynamic, high-achieving team within the British High Commission, New Delhi. We work across the breadth of UKRI interests to build collaboration with India. Since the establishment of the UKRI (then RCUK) office in India in 2008, the research and innovation (R&I) partnership between the UK and India has grown from an almost zero base to over £300 million of joint investment. This partnership in R&I is now one of the fastest growing areas of bilateral cooperation between our two countries. 

Summary of the Role

This role offers an excellent opportunity to work in a fast-paced, high-achieving environment rife with opportunities for further enhancing UKRI’s robust and growing collaboration with India.

You will manage a portfolio of relationships with UK and Indian funders, support and progress effective delivery of joint programmes and play an important role in managing UKRI activities and brand in India. You do not need to have a PhD for this role, but you do need to have demonstrable interest and enthusiasm for research and innovation, an appetite to learn new things, the ability to recognise where new ideas can help shape global challenges, and the drive and tenacity to make things happen. To be successful in this role, you need to be an excellent team player, who knows about an area of research or innovation from experience in a research institution or business or in a policy organisation and are keen to learn more. You will have experience of funding and project management processes, or policy work and enjoy working across multiple projects.

You will be responsible for the development and delivery of multi-million-pound programme activities between UKRI and Indian partners, with an initial focus on UKRI India’s energy, engineering, natural environment and climate change portfolios.  This focus could widen to include other related priority areas as they emerge over time. This role will, therefore, include senior stakeholder engagement with our funding partners in the Government of India, and exploring new partnerships and avenues for enhanced collaboration in a range of focus areas.

You will, along with other programme managers within the team, support the office Director and Deputy Director in the delivery of UKRI’s international strategy for engaging with India. This will include supporting the development of UKRI India’s annual business plan and you will be expected to use your local knowledge of the Indian R&I landscape to provide regular policy updates to the team and senior internal UKRI stakeholders.

The successful candidate will contribute substantially to the smooth functioning of the team and will get the opportunity to be involved in high-level events and visits by senior stakeholders. There is expected to be domestic and/or international travel when this becomes safe and possible again.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Programme and Relationship management 60% 

  • Taking a lead role in delivering UKRI’s EPSRC and NERC portfolios in India, including day-to-day senior stakeholder management, opportunity scoping, commissioning of joint programmes, investment management and impact, in partnership with India’s Department for Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences, and their support bodies (such as SERB).
  • Taking a lead in building understanding of and new relationships with funders in relation to emerging UKRI interest, such as Jal Shakti for water, Department of Telecoms in relation to 5G and future telecoms, and exploring opportunities in relation to mining and minerals research. This must be done in coordination with existing relationships held between the BHC and these actors to ensure joined up UK presentation.
  • Leading on complex negotiations with Indian partners to agree approaches for joint peer review of UK-India research and innovation proposals – from small exchange programmes to multi-million-pound research and innovation partnerships.
  • Project-managing events (including workshops and roundtable/ commissioning meetings), including management of any associated financial commitments and contracts.
  • Actively building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders based both in the UK and in India, including within the High Commission.
  • Representing UKRI India on a selection of X-HMG groups connected to this and our broader portfolio. 

ODA Programme and Strategy reporting, and policy development 20% 

  • Working with the UKRI India Deputy Director, UKRI colleagues in the UK and X-HMG partners to report on, raise impact from, and support Newton-Bhabha and Global Challenge Research Fund programmes and related ODA policy development, and to work with them to manage the reductions in the size of these two programmes over the next year at least.

 Policy, Projects and Team Support 20%

  • Supporting the office Director and Deputy Director on policy matters arising from developments in the UK and India.
  • Collecting intelligence and preparing policy briefings and reporting for UKRI on research and innovation related Government of India activity, including data policy, FCRA, the new Science Technology and Innovation Policy, and budget announcements.
  • Undertaking ad hoc projects in support of emerging UKRI interests in India and to support the team.

Resources managed:

No line management responsibilities.

Standard programme management responsibilities for workshops, events.

Language requirements:  

Language:  Language: English (essential), Hindi (desirable) 

Level of language required: English- excellent written and spoken                           

Working patterns:

Full-time, 40 hours/week

The job may involve domestic and international travel when it is safe and possible to do so

Flexible working will need to be agreed with the line manager

Essential on arrival

  • Degree or equivalent educational qualification
  • Experience of working with overseas partners or in an international organisation, including working at distance from colleagues
  • Confident in communicating, influencing and negotiating with external and internal contacts across a range of topics
  • A diplomatic interpersonal manner and ability to develop a broad network of contacts in the UK and India
  • Capable of drafting complex and comprehensive documents/ briefings in a clear, concise and non-technical style, with the ability to identify which information is relevant to the audience’s needs
  • Able to work at pace on a diverse range of projects
  • Capable of proactively developing and presenting solutions to problems where past precedent is of little help and formal guidance is not available
  • Adaptability and the ability to settle quickly into a new or changing working environment
  • Experience of successfully delivering projects on time and to budget

Desirable

  • Experience of working in the field of research or innovation in an academic, government, policy or business context
  • Understanding of UKRI and how research and innovation funding works in the UK and/or India
  • Experience of building and shaping new policy and quickly recognising the potential impacts of policy change and suggesting how to manage these
  • Experience of handling small amounts of programme budget
Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace
28 April 2021
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Full-time, Permanent
40
South Asia & Afghanistan
India
New Delhi
British High Commission
1
INR
INR 110,484 per month plus 12% provident fund and 6% Superannuation Fund
1 June 2021

For BHC candidates, the Local BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.

For other than BHC candidates, Basic Salary will be INR 110,484 per month together with a 12% provident fund and 6% Superannuation Fund. 

Additionally the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with INR 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family.

No relocation or any other related costs or assistance will be provided.

Please note - BHC does not deduct tax at source and employees are required to ensure that any requirements of local income-tax law are complied with in full. Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg. some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.    

The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance. 

Around half of our work forces are women.  We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment. 

This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCO has anywhere across the globe.  We are aiming to make it the best.

Note : All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, motivational segment and the competency based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.’’

To Apply: 

Please note applications without (a) and (b) will not be considered.

A. Complete the Online Application Form

B. Complete the Motivation and Competency Segment in the Online Application Form

Internal candidates applying for this position need to upload their appraisal forms for the previous 2 years (if applicable) and also inform their current line managers, else the applications will not be considered.

We will accept only online applications by 28 April 2021 till 23:55  

Please note that all the applicants will be required to strictly adhere to the security guidelines for British High Commission.

Please note - Provident Fund Transfer in and out from EPFO is not possible as BHC PF is managed by a private PF trust governed by Indian Income Tax Act, 1961. The staff still has the option to transfer out and in from a privately held PF trust which are not governed by EPFO.

Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and no telephone enquires will be dealt with.

The appointment will be subject to Police Verification and other checks including references, medical, educational and professional.

We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.