Role Description

1. Entry requirements

You’ll need a degree or postgraduate qualification and several years’ relevant experience, for example in engineering, chemistry or medicine.

You’ll also need to understand research methods, data analysis and development processes.

2. Skills required

You’ll need:

the ability to solve problems

leadership and motivational skills

project management skills

communications skills

IT skills

3. What you'll do

Your day-to-day duties may include: 

recruiting staff

assessing staff performance

coordinating the team’s work

analysing data and presenting results

making sure work meets safety standards and other relevant legislation

managing budgets

reporting to senior managers

4. Salary

Starter: £25,000 to £32,000

Experienced: £34,000 to £50,000

Highly Experienced: £55,000 to £65,000 or more

You may receive a bonus and profit share on top of your basic salary.

5. Working hours, patterns and environment

You’ll usually work up to 40 hours a week.

You could be based in a factory, laboratory or a university. There may be some travel to meetings and conferences, and this could be overseas.

6. Career path and progression

With experience in industry, you could become a senior project manager or research director. 

In higher education, you could become a senior research fellow or professor.