Higher Education Research Manager

Job Summary

We’re looking for a Higher Education Research Manager to help develop an ambitious research strategy that connects Art UK with the wider research community, realising the potential of the millions of artwork records held by Art UK.

Job Description

As the Higher Education Research Manager, you will be responsible for translating Art UK's plans, informed by a recent scoping study, into a realistic Higher Education collaboration and funding strategy, balancing short-term objectives against long-term viability and sustainability.

You will have experience of developing research projects that align organisational strategic objectives with national and funder priorities. With extensive experience of navigating the Higher Education funding landscape, you will be able to start conversations and develop partnerships that enhance Art UK's reputation as a trusted research partner, using our national database of publicly owned art as a starting point. Art UK will be seeking interdisciplinary collaborations, which might include digital humanities, health, education, and social wellbeing.

You will be able to develop a strategic, phased and sustainable approach to growing Art UK's profile and attractiveness as a Higher Education research partner, setting realistic organisational research targets while strengthening internal culture and confidence around research.

This is a new role at Art UK. You will have the opportunity to shape it and contribute to the wider strategic development of the charity.
Your commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion aligns with our organisational values, and you are passionate about contributing to a positive workplace culture.

Job Requirements

- Essential: Proven experience of managing and writing research grant proposals, with a track record of income generation through successful awards
- Essential: Knowledge and experience of the Higher Education research funding landscape, including national and funder priorities
- Essential: Proven success in developing and implementing strategic research partnerships that align with organisational goals and adapt to a changing external environment
- Essential: Experience and understanding of museum collections data and collections-based research
- Essential: Experience of positioning an organisation as a credible research partner, building its profile and reputation in the research sector
- Essential: Significant experience of managing project budgets, reporting and delivery
- Essential: Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Essential: Excellent attention to detail

For more requirements please see the job description.

Job Responsibilities

- Horizon scan, develop partnerships, and make recommendations around existing internal capacity building for Art UK to better support research partnerships.
- Take the existing scoping study and translate it into a forward-thinking research strategy that positions Art UK as a leader in innovative research engagement with a database of publicly owned artworks in our museums and galleries, and in public spaces.
- Build Art UK's capacity to participate in high-quality museum and collections data research projects.
- Bring together diverse stakeholders to develop collaborative research proposals that engage with museum collections data.
- Develop Art UK's profile as a trusted Higher Education research partner.
- Develop a narrative around public engagement and public impact that helps Higher Education partners evidence this in their Research Excellence Framework submissions.

For more responsibilities please see the job description.

Useful Links

Job Overview

Job Title: Higher Education Research Manager
Salary: £40k-£50k (pro-rata)
Hours: Part time
Artform: Visual arts
Role: Research
Contract: Temporary
Closing date: Tue, 17 Nov 2026
Location: Remote

How to Apply

Please visit our website to download the application form. To apply, please submit your completed application form to [email protected] by 9am on Tuesday 17th November 2026. If you are experiencing issues downloading the document or require support in completing your form, please contact [email protected].

Forms must be sent in MS Word or a format compatible to MS Word. Please do not send PDFs - applications sent as a PDF will not be accepted. Interviews will be held via video call on Tuesday 1st December 2026. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Contact name: Lauren Colley
Contact email: [email protected]

Apply now

About Art UK

Art UK is an art education charity on a mission to make the art in UK public collections accessible to everyone – for enjoyment, learning and research. It enables a global audience of five million people a year to learn about the UK’s national art collection by digitising artworks and telling the stories behind the art. In addition to innovative engagement tools such as Tagger and Curations, Art UK is currently working on new initiatives including a major learning programme.

Find out more