Senior Research Portfolio Officer

At Alzheimer’s Society, we are determined to end the devastation caused by dementia. Research is one of the most powerful ways we can make that happen. Across the UK, the research we fund is helping people get earlier diagnoses, better care and providing hope for the future.

As Senior Research Portfolio Officer, you’ll help make sure that research has the biggest possible impact. You’ll support a portfolio of projects and partnerships, helping great ideas move forward and making sure the learning, progress and outcomes reach the people who need them most.

This is a role for someone who enjoys connecting people and ideas. One day you might be speaking with researchers about a new project, the next you could be working with colleagues to turn complex findings into something clear, engaging and meaningful. Throughout it all, you’ll help keep the experiences of people affected by dementia at the centre of our work.

What you’ll do

You’ll be part of a team working to make dementia research more connected, visible and impactful. You’ll build relationships across the research community and work closely with colleagues across the Society to help share the difference our funded research is making.

You’ll help bring research to life, spotting opportunities for collaboration, supporting key partnerships and helping ensure promising ideas can lead to real world change for people affected by dementia.

In this role, you will:

• Manage a portfolio of funded research projects and partnerships, helping them deliver meaningful impact.
• Build strong relationships with researchers, clinicians, partners and colleagues across the organisation.
• Support the tracking and sharing of research outcomes and impact.
• Spot opportunities for future funding, collaboration and partnership working.
• Help communicate research in ways that are clear, engaging and accessible.
• Represent Alzheimer’s Society at meetings, workshops and conferences.

About you

You’re someone who enjoys working with people, bringing ideas together and helping things move forward. You’re organised and thoughtful, and comfortable managing different priorities while keeping sight of the bigger picture.

We know not everyone will meet every point listed below. If this role interests you, we’d still love to hear from you.

You’ll also bring:

• Experience managing or coordinating multiple projects or programmes with different timelines and priorities.
• The ability to explain complex or technical information in a clear and accessible way.
• Strong relationship building skills and experience working with a wide range of people.
• A creative approach and the ability to spot opportunities to increase the impact of research activity.
• A practical, solution focused mindset and the ability to adapt when priorities change.
• A commitment to inclusion, collaboration and improving the lives of people affected by dementia.

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.