The current opportunity is available for current Manchester Met students, to apply you must be based in the UK for the duration of the role.
The main purpose of this role is to provide support to colleagues and support staff for the Institute for Children’s Futures, in the field of Children and Young People, by assisting, and where necessary taking the lead, with partnership mapping and analysis, and the dissemination of findings to appropriate groups related to the project.
Support the development of new areas in the field of ICF partnerships mapping and analysis.
Dates: ASAP - 31 July 2026 (10 week period)
Hours: 16 hours per week
Location: Brooks Building, ICF Office, with opportunities for hybrid (home) working.
Key Tasks
Research Activities
The postholder will work closely with the ICF Head of Business Engagement and Partnerships Managing in a structured mapping and analysis of Partnership opportunities within the field of Children & Young People (CYP) to inform the Institute’s strategic approach.
The postholder will support the development of a robust framework used to assess current, potential, and target partners across regional, national, and global contexts—evaluating items such as location, organisation type, research focus, values/mission alignment, collaboration opportunities, feasibility, and impact potential.
Produce recommendations and engagement plans, to be shared with the Head of Business Engagement & Partnerships and the ICF leadership team.
Work with the Head of Business Engagement and Partnerships (ICF) to compile a comprehensive register of current, potential, and aspirational partners, including (but not limited to):
- Public sector such as Local Authorities, NHS Trusts/ICBs, youth justice bodies.
- Third sector: such as charities, foundations, youth organisations, social enterprises, think tanks.
- Academia: such as other UK HEIs, international universities, research centres/consortia.
- Industry & policy: EdTech/health tech, data providers, global NGOs, policy institutes and networks.
Classify partners by geography, theme (e.g., mental health, safeguarding, education, inequalities, digital), and engagement mode (research, KE/impact, policy influence, training/CPD, data-sharing).
Develop a partner assessment model with criteria to be agreed, such as:
- Strategic fit with ICF priorities and Institute mission,
- Values and ethics alignment (child-centred, equity, safeguarding, EDI),
- Research synergies,
- Impact potential (policy reach, practice change, scaling pathways),
- Funding potential (co-funding routes, programme pipelines),
- Reputation & risk (due diligence, conflicts, political sensitivity) and;
- Internationalisation value.
Research of external resources such as websites, annual reports, strategy documents, impact statements, funding awards, publications, and open data. Use of internal sources such as existing MoUs, member lists, cross university partnership logs, grants data, REF/KEF/impact case materials.
Build a structured partnership register, mapping out opportunity and capability gaps with recommended and prioritised target list.
Findings will be presented to leadership and relevant committees; support internal dissemination and decision making.
Plan and prioritise own day to day work and resources to achieve agreed research objectives, leading the work of small teams of research assistants and/or research students as required.
Write up results of own research and prepare to present finding to internal (and / or external) stakeholder groups, including ICF leadership team.
Use initiative and judgement to develop appropriate techniques to facilitate research work and resolve problems affecting the achievement of objectives and deadlines.
Liaison and Networking
Contribute to the dissemination of research findings in order to further the institution’s standing in the HE and research community.
Participate in the development of internal and external partnerships and networks in order to disseminate information, share best practice, generate income, establish opportunities for collaborative work, and to enhance the reputation of the University.
Opportunity to work with partners and external agencies on collaborative projects that benefit both the department and the Faculty.
Service Provision
Keep relevant stakeholders updated on progress, and be responsible for exploring their needs, and acting on feedback, in order to ensure that research delivers against their requirements.
Collaborate with senior academic staff to organise, manage and carry out appropriate research.
Respond to enquiries and requests for information from potential students, academic staff from other HE institutions, and relevant stakeholders, when required.
Proactively and effectively engage with quality assurance procedures to ensure that University standards are upheld.
Team Working
Actively participate as a member of the ICF /research team, providing mutual support to colleagues to achieve successful completion of projects.
Attend Faculty, Department and Programme meetings/boards as appropriate and proactively contribute to decision making.
Introduce new starters to the area, giving training on basic skills and activities to assist their induction to the team.
Guide and support research assistants and other members of staff within the department in areas of expertise e.g. in undertaking research and writing up papers for publication.
Miscellaneous
You have a legal duty, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure that you do not endanger yourself or anyone else by your acts or omissions. In addition, you must cooperate with the University on health and safety matters and must not interfere or misuse anything provided for health, safety and welfare purposes.
You are responsible for applying the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy in your own area of responsibility and in your general conduct.
You have a responsibility to promote high levels of customer care within your own areas of work.
Such other relevant duties commensurate with the grade of the post as may be assigned by the Manager in agreement with you. Such agreement should not be unreasonably withheld.
You have the responsibility to engage with the University’s commitment to Environmental Sustainability in order to reduce its waste, energy consumption and carbon footprint.
You have the responsibility to engage with the University’s commitment to delivering value for money services that optimise the use of resources and therefore should consider this when undertaking all duties and aspects of your role.