Taylor’s University has created a new senior post, Head of Research Strategy and Performance, and has retained Axe Talent as its exclusive partner to fill it. The post is a professional leadership appointment rather than an academic chair: it reports directly to the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research & Enterprise, and academic rank is optional.
The context is the university’s strategy for 2025 to 2035, which commits Taylor’s to competitive funding, growth in doctoral numbers and flagship research teams. The strategy is written and funded, and the person appointed will break it into workstreams with owners and dates, rebuild the research support office into a service organisation, and own the university’s research numbers. The first ninety days go on the research office; the harder question after that is which three or four fields the university should build its name on.
Who is this role for?
The search reaches wider than a typical academic hire. A director or deputy director of a research office at a research university, a professional from a grant agency, or an academic leader who has moved into research management would all be considered with interest. The two requirements are an inside knowledge of how research works and a record of leading change, such as an office restructured, a service redesigned or research numbers moved.
How to apply
The full job description is public: read it here or download the PDF. To discuss the role, book a call on Natalia’s Calendar; Natalia Rostova leads this search personally. Because Taylor’s University has made Axe Talent its exclusive partner on the search, a conversation with us is the route to the Head of Research Strategy and Performance appointment.