Head of REF and Planning

The Head of REF and R&I Planning is a new role, created to play a pivotal part in leading the University’s preparations for the REF 2029 submission. The postholder will work with senior leaders across the university to co-ordinate preparations for REF29 and ensure that our submission reflects the trajectory of growth and development the university has undertaken over the period of the exercise.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in research planning and policy interpretation, an ability to operate in complex organisations, and demonstrable skill in building relationships. They will have exceptional eye for detail, and a track record in managing large multi-year projects, including those that deliver significant income. They will be used to operating in a changing external environment, with the ability to develop flexible and high-quality plans which support excellent performance in the context of uncertainty and enable us to respond effectively to change. They will be an excellent collaborator, skilled in working with academic and professional services colleagues in a distributed structure to develop and deliver a submission that secures an excellent outcome for the university.

Queen Mary University of London (Queen Mary) is one of the UK’s foremost research-intensive higher education institutions, ranked 7th for the quality of our research in the most recent Research Excellence Framework. Our strategy 2030 sets out a strong ambition to growing research income, quality and impact, doubling where we are today.