Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Job Scope

The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK, dedicated to recognising, promoting and supporting excellence in science and encouraging the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity. It is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world's most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering and medicine.

The Royal Society Grants team administers the Society's grants programmes including the major research fellowships, international collaborations, capacity building initiatives, and innovation and industry programmes. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team within Grants is responsible for defining and documenting outputs, outcomes, and impact of the Society's grant funding, reporting on these to our funders and other stakeholders, and working with the Society's committees to ensure that our grant programmes are achieving their objectives and are running effectively.

The MEL Manager is a new role in the expanding MEL team. The post holder will have a key role in the shape and delivery of the grant MEL activities, across grant scheme evaluations, monitoring and the wider MEL programme.

Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Lead

Line manages : 1 MEL Officer

Location : Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG plus hybrid remote working

Contract type : permanent

Pay Band : D

Salary : £46, 271

The application closing date will be 23 June 2024 at 23:59

Interviews will be held on the 8th, 9th, 12 July.

Responsibilities

• To manage a portfolio of Grants' external evaluations, including commissioning of evaluations and day to day supplier management, ensuring that the Society has relevant insight into whether its grant schemes are meeting their objectives and are run efficiently and effectively, and ensuring that the evaluation suppliers have access to all relevant data and stakeholders.
• To work with the MEL Lead, the Senior Leadership Team and the relevant Committees on managing the prioritization of grant evaluation projects, annual evaluation planning, and specifying the Society's requirements for commissioned or internal MEL activities. The post holder will also be responsible for ensuring evaluation recommendations and learnings are shared with appropriate channels.
• To work with the MEL Lead on further developments to the Grants' evaluation framework and methodology.
• To shape and support delivery of other MEL activities, including measuring the longer-term impact of the Society's grant funding, and showcasing the impact of funding to relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• To work with the MEL lead on defining and implementing new monitoring requirements in line with developments to the Society's Grants MEL framework, or for new funding streams and new grant programmes.
• To line manage a MEL Officer, whose role includes developing and maintaining data collection tools, collecting annual progress reports and creating case studies highlighting impact of the Society's grant funding. The MEL Manager is responsible for ensuring that the data collection tools are up to date with any relevant changes to requirements, and that they are fit for purpose of demonstrating the impact of Royal Society funding.
• To support activities within the Grants team aimed at increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion including encouraging participation from under-represented groups and supporting the development and maintenance of policies and practices to foster greater inclusivity and to ensure that those who have followed a non-standard career path are encouraged to apply.
• To role model desired behaviours in line with the Grants Team Charter
• To share experience and ideas with others in the Section and the Society and contribute broadly to the Royal Society's mission and priorities.

Key Knowledge and Skills Required

Educated to degree standard or equivalent Essential

A good understanding of academic and/or research activities in science Essential

Science degree Desirable

SKILLS

Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills Essential

Excellent organisational and time management skills Essential

Strong IT skills Essential

Strong attention to detail Essential

Excellent numeracy skills Essential

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Essential

EXPERIENCE

Track record of working in MEL, social research or similar role Desirable

Experience of managing budgets and suppliers Desirable

Experience of working in a team and across teams Essential

Experience of effective internal and external engagement with people

at all levels of seniority, including managing meetings and events Essential

Experience of managing staff Desirable

Experience of working with committees Desirable

Competencies

Self-management

• Works unsupervised and can motivate self

• Produces results under pressure

• Can manage in stressful situations

• Pushes for the best results for self and team

• Pursues and encourages feedback that may reveal an error in judgment or process and then makes appropriate adjustments

• Recognises own personal biases or limitations, and uses this understanding to improve decisions and plans for action

• Seeks out mentors and other development resources to gain additional self-awareness and personal development

• Reflects on negative situations with maturity and seeks to understand own contribution to the situation

• Holds things together and acts as a settling influence

• Willing to continue learning within chosen field, training and developing towards the next level in both formal and informal ways

• Works within the Royal Society Values at all times

Working with others

• Contributes ideas and identifies opportunities to work with others both within the team and across the organisation

• Willing to provide and receive feedback to and from sectional colleagues when requested

• Produces succinct presentations and papers for senior colleagues

• Understands when to seek senior advice on potentially delicate negotiations

• Reaches a variety of audiences using an appropriate mix of communication methods and tailored messages to appeal to their unique needs

• Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements

• Builds consensus for delivering team goals. Frequently interacts with peers, on cross-functional matters.

Resource management

• Makes the best of internal/external resources and coordinates well with external partners to best meet the needs of the Society

• Builds contingency into projects taking into account possible outside factors

• Sets and monitors performance against quality and results orientated targets.

• Focuses on both short and long-term goals

• Creates novel solutions to problems

• Creates a detailed design or plan to implement a new solution or approach

• Evaluates new technology as potential solutions to existing issues. Adjusts course as new information comes to light

• Executes quickly and decisively in a time-sensitive situation

• Takes accountability to persist until opportunity is realised or problem solved

Critical thinking

• Determines and clarifies the requirements of any situation

• Checks information for accuracy and raises concerns if information is inaccurate

• Extracts the key points succinctly, clearly and accurately

• Puts forward suggestions for improvement concerning current processes or systems

• Tries different ways of doing things to get the best results

• Compares and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of options

• Formulates an opinion by considering opposing views and suggestions

• Runs trials and models or applies statistical analysis and stress testing to confirm or disconfirm proposal

Adaptability

• Overcomes obstacles and is not deterred by setbacks; checks assumptions and first principles and works out alternative approaches

• Reacts proactively to new challenges and works in a flexible manner to produce solutions

• Provides feedback and participates in discussions surrounding new ideas approaches or projects

• Maintains focus and continues to deliver when things are not straightforward

• Adjusts to act differently depending on the situation

• Takes steps to understand basic risk management and importance of identifying and maintaining controls

• Leads team and helps them to understand and cope with ambiguous situations

Managing people and relationships

• Delegates effectively, setting clear expectations and authority

• Monitors results and feedback to team on a regular basis

• Recognises others' contributions and acknowledges their limits

• Helps others to identify ways to improve their performance

• Prioritises supervisory responsibilities and carries them out in a timely fashion

• Understands and can identify client/stakeholder/staff needs and looks for opportunities to improve their experiences

• Demonstrates trust in others' ability to accomplish tasks at acceptable levels of performance

• Provides current, direct, complete and actionable positive and constructive feedback

• Has a mind-set of sharing own and others' expertise

• Creates an environment of transparency while respecting confidentiality requirements

• Focuses on surfacing underlying customer issues/concerns and identifying root causes

• Increases exposure to and personal relationships with others