Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange
University of Brighton

United Kingdom

The University of Brighton is a community of over 17,000 students and 2,000 staff. We were awarded a TEF Silver for our teaching quality rating and a strong research record, factors which contribute to our reputation as a leading modern university.

Our strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, provides a bold vision and clear direction towards a university that is both radically transformed and radically relevant. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what universities can be and what they are for.

Dear candidate,
Thank you for your interest in joining the University of Brighton as our new Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange. I am delighted that you are taking an interest in our fantastic institution and this important role.
This is a pivotal moment for our University and an equally important moment for research and knowledge exchange at Brighton. Our new institutional strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, sets out a bold ambition: to become the first-choice university for enterprise and equity, delivering transformational impact for our students, our organisation and the communities we serve.
At the heart of that strategy is what we describe as our “North Star”. We want Brighton to be distinctive and attractive; to deliver equitable and excellent outcomes; and to ensure that what we do is affordable and sustainable to deliver. These are not separate ambitions. Our challenge over the coming years is to achieve them together – and that means being prepared to rethink established ways of working, focus our resources where they can have greatest impact, and find ways of doing things differently with less.
Research and knowledge exchange have a fundamental part to play in that future.
At Brighton, our research is rooted in the real world. Across our disciplines, our researchers work with communities, businesses, policymakers, public services and partners to generate new knowledge and address complex challenges. Knowledge exchange allows us to take that expertise beyond the University, creating connections between ideas and application and strengthening the contribution we make to our region and wider society.
For me, the opportunity ahead is about ensuring that we create the conditions in which that activity can flourish – while also being ambitious about its scale, quality, impact and sustainability.
That is why this appointment matters.
Reporting directly to myself and joining both my senior team and the University’s wider Senior Leadership Team, the Director will lead the Department of Research and Knowledge Exchange and help turn the ambitions of our Research and Knowledge Exchange Strategic Plan into action across the University. The remit encompasses research, knowledge exchange, contracts, intellectual property and governance, alongside leadership of our institutional approach to major exercises including REF and KEF.
However, I do not see this as simply a role about administering research well. We need a Director who will ask how we can make it easier for excellent research and knowledge exchange to happen at Brighton.
That means looking critically at our systems, processes and ways of working. It means developing services around the needs of researchers rather than expecting researchers to navigate unnecessary complexity. It means strengthening our ability to identify and secure new opportunities, grow income and build productive external relationships. And it means maintaining rigorous governance and compliance while ensuring that these enable, rather than inhibit, our ambitions. The brief deliberately asks our new Director to improve processes and systems with a clear customer focus, while recognising that transformation is about “doing differently with less” rather than attempting to deliver more of the same.
There is an important human dimension to this too. Research at Brighton takes many forms, and our researchers work across different disciplines, methodologies and career stages. The person joining us needs to understand that plurality – from practice-based and pedagogical research to theoretical and applied work – and the very different pressures and opportunities experienced by the people behind it.
This is therefore a role for someone who can combine strategic ambition with operational grip. You will need to be equally comfortable discussing our long-term research trajectory with senior academic leaders, interrogating our performance against external measures, improving a business process, engaging with funders and partners, or asking whether the way we deploy our resources is genuinely helping our researchers succeed.
You will also need to lead through influence. The strength of research and knowledge exchange at Brighton does not reside in one department: it exists across our Colleges, our Centres of Research Excellence, the Brighton Doctoral College and our wider academic community. Success will depend upon building strong relationships across those boundaries and creating a shared sense of purpose around what we can achieve.
I am ambitious for the next chapter of research and knowledge exchange at Brighton. Distinctively Brighton 2035 gives us the opportunity to think afresh about where we can be genuinely distinctive, where our work can make the greatest difference, and how research, knowledge exchange and enterprise can contribute directly to a more equitable and sustainable university.
I am seeking a Director who shares that ambition, but who will also bring ideas of their own: someone with the curiosity to question how we currently work, the commercial and strategic instinct to spot opportunities, and the leadership skills to turn good ideas into meaningful change.
If that combination of purpose, transformation and delivery appeals to you, I very much hope you will consider joining us.
Thank you for your interest in the University of Brighton. I look forward to learning more about you and the contribution you could make to our ambitions.
With best wishes,
Professor Rusi Jaspal
Pro Vice-Chancellor – Research & Knowledge Exchange
University of Brighton
More than just an educational institution; we are a community dedicated to transforming lives and shaping futures – We are Distinctively Brighton.
The University has been part of the city of Brighton & Hove since 1859, starting as a school of art in the kitchens of the Royal Pavilion and growing to become today’s diverse and inclusive organisation. We have over 17,000 students and 2,000 staff studying and working at our campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne. The subjects taught here range from all the health professions to engineering, robotics, and computing; psychology and education to illustration, fine art, and fashion; and sport science to pharmacy, biomedicine, and genomics
Our strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, provides a bold vision and clear direction towards a university that is both radically transformed and radically relevant. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what universities can be and what they are for.
Our transformation will ensure that we are not only financially sustainable, but that we reflect and serve the needs of our students, staff, communities and the world. More of the same will not deliver the change required by the university or the world in 2035. A disruptive approach is needed.
We take pride in being of, with and for Brighton & Hove and the region: working in partnership to forge an equitable future that impacts locally and globally impact in our local community and reaching out globally, based on our strong commitment to partnership working. The notion of global challenges runs throughout all our practices, alongside our core values of equity, courage, sustainability, creativity, and partnership, all of which shape how we work and operate.
Equity is our primary value. We are committed to developing and nurturing a diverse community that delivers equitable outcomes across all parts of our university activity, as well as supporting equity through the impact of our activities in local, national and international communities. We currently hold an institutional Athena Swan silver award, and our academic schools all hold bronze or silver awards. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award, and we were placed at number 14 in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List 2024 for leading LGBTQ+ inclusive employers.
In 2023, Brighton was rated ‘Outstanding’ for educational gain in the Teaching Excellence Framework – recognising the transformational impact we have on students’ lives. In REF21 more than 88% of our submitted research rated as having ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact beyond academia. We are in the top 50 universities in the UK (United Kingdom) for graduate prospects – 91.4% of our graduates are in work or further study (Complete University Guide 2024).
Click here to read the job description
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A042422
- A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and The University of Brighton that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
- Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
- A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and the University of Brighton’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Owen Francis, Director or Rabiya Ali, Principal Researcher, whose details can be found at the bottom of this microsite.
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated
Closing Date: 12th November 2026
Final Interviews: w/c 30th November 2026 - TBC
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.