[General] RESEARCH DIRECTOR vacancy at RISEup Centre of Excellence - CYPRUS

RESEARCH DIRECTOR vacancy at RISE Centre of Excellence - CYPRUS http://rise <http://rise/> org.cy <http://org.cy/> The Research Centre on Interactive Media, Smart System and Emerging Technologies – RISE (www.rise.org.cy <http://www.rise.org.cy/> ), empowers knowledge and technology transfer in the region. RISE is a significant investment supported by the European Commission, the Republic of Cyprus and its founding Partners, the Municipality of Nicosia, Max Planck, University College London, the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology and the Open University of Cyprus. RISE, as a centre of excellence, cultivates a culture of innovation and creativity in an inspiring environment filled with academics, researchers, creative and onward-looking people, innovators, entrepreneurs, and practitioners. The centre operates under the moto “Inspired by Humans Designed for Humans” with the vision to produce world class research that drives innovation towards social and economic benefit while conducting excellent, internationally competitive scientific research in the areas of visual sciences, human factors and design, communication, and artificial intelligence. The Centre is seeking a Research Director (RD) to join its fast-growing team of passionate and enthusiastic professionals. RISE is an equal opportunity employer and the position is open to everyone, internationally. Position Description A core activity of RISE is to conduct high calibre, state of the art research (theoretical and applied). The Research Director will be responsible for overseeing the overall scientific progress of the Centre, guide and monitor research progress. A central task is to acquire research funding for the Centre, to provide facilities to the researchers, and to support them to acquire funding for their research independently and via international and local collaborations. Collaborations with industrial partners will be particularly encouraged and facilitated. At a strategic level, the RD will be charged with the developing and overseeing the execution of the Strategic Research plan of RISE. This plan should be regularly visited and updated to meet the long-term plans of the Centre. Appropriate measures of success will be collaboratively determined based on the Centre’s strategic plan and sustainability targets. These will be revised periodically with the Executive team and the Board of Directors (BoD). Main Duties and Responsibilities The Research Director is expected to: * Lead the Centre’s research by coordinating the organization-wide strategy development, working towards mission achievement, promoting a healthy research environment, and fostering cross-Departmental collaboration. * Articulate the Centre’s research agenda in close collaboration with the Multidisciplinary Research Group leaders. * In consultation with the Pillar leaders and the Consortium Partners of the RISE project, formulate and regularly update the RISE Centre research strategy. * Drive effective strategies to improve RISE’s national and international competitive grants performance, as well as the government and industry-sponsored research funding performance. * Provides constant support to the researchers of RISE by allocating accordingly the resources of the Research Support Office. * Oversees the procedure for hiring and promotion of the scientific staff as well as the appointment of pillar experts. * Collaborate with the Executive Team and the Board of Directors to ensure appropriate alignment between research strategy, infrastructure strategy, and industry engagement and commercialization. * Oversees the planning and implements the design of the ICT and other research facilities appropriate to the Centre’s research. * Facilitates interdisciplinary research and fosters a common institutional culture by monitoring potential barriers and supporting the ongoing development of cross-disciplinary teams. * Supports researchers within RISE to align their research priorities, build research profiles nationally and internationally, and ensure that their strategies and plans align with RISE’s research strategy. * Ensure RISE’s integrity and compliance with the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. * Engage with government and industry bodies to raise the profile of RISE as a research-intensive institution. * Ensure that the research related KPIs are delivered. Profile of the ideal candidate Required Qualifications, Characteristics, and Experience: Ideal candidates for the position should be conspicuously passionate about RISE’s mission; poised and confident with executive presence; manifest leadership, professionalism, and interpersonal acumen. All candidates are expected to be capable of serving as a trusted advisor in the areas of research leadership, standards, professional learning, management and evaluation. Ideal candidates will possess an innovative and progressive nature and have a demonstrated track record of research achievements. Qualifications, Experience, Skills, & Knowledge: 1. A doctorate in a relevant to the RISE activities and disciplines. 2. A distinguished record of research and scholarship together with a scholarly reputation of international standards, as evidenced by a substantial number of top-tier scientific publications and successful competitive funding applications. 3. Significant academic leadership and management experience. 4. A prominent track record in innovation activities. 5. Outstanding knowledge of spoken and written English. Knowledge of spoken Greek would be an advantage. 6. Strong planning skills and the ability to develop and lead the implementation of the Centre’s strategic response to emerging opportunities for research excellence, relevance, and impact. 7. Proven record in building and managing relationships with industry partners, potential investors, and stakeholders including governments to achieve the goals of the Centre and enhance its reputation as a preferred research partner. 8. Executive presence and intellectual capacity, stamina and agility to deal with a broad span of duties to gain the respect of a wide range of stakeholders, and to balance internal and external demands. 9. Alignment with RISE’s guiding principles, as well as a high level of emotional intelligence and resilience. Excellent oral and written communication & interpersonal skills, including the ability to liaise with staff at a range of levels internal and external to the organization. 10. Ability to organise and prioritise a varied and demanding workload using methodological approaches and paying close attention to detail. 11. Effective negotiation skills to work with and through others. 12. Record of successful line management and development of staff, thus demonstrating proven team leadership and motivational skills. 13. Ability to present at Board level and to handle media and press. 14. Ability to work effectively under pressure, to manage projects, to prioritise tasks, and to schedule activities effectively. Personal Attributes 1. Commitment to equal opportunities and to harmonious collaboration with colleagues, associates and students of all cultures and background. 2. Ability to exercise tact and discretion and to display a professional attitude towards colleagues, associates, students and others. 3. A commitment to continuous professional development activities to keep the knowledge base and skills up-to-date, and to develop them further. 4. Promote RISE’s values and objectives to colleagues and externally to RISE. Benefits A very attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidate according to qualifications and experience. Membership to RISE Provident Fund Scheme. Application Process For full consideration interested candidates should submit the following items via email to <mailto:vacancies@rise.org.cy> vacancies(a)rise.org.cy and use the Email subject line “Application: RD” 1. Cover letter which clearly specifies availability date for full time employment. 2. Detailed CV (including contact details) 3. Full Publications list and a list of three selected publications (if a selected publication is not under open access, the candidate should include the pdf file in the documents) 4. A document (3-5 pages) about the vision for RISE which includes: o Short and long-term plan of action regarding the Centre of Excellence and the research strategy to be followed and implemented. 5. A document (3-5 pages) on a topic to be selected by the candidate 6. Copies of degree certificates. True copies of the originals will be requested for the shortlisted candidates. 7. Contact details of three referees. Letters of reference will be requested only for short-listed candidates. Note that if you previously applied for a post at RISE, a new application is required. Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2020. Review of applications will begin shortly after the application deadline. For general inquiries, applicants may contact the HR Department of the Research Centre on Interactive Media, Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies at vacancies(a)rise.org.cy <mailto:vacancies@rise.org.cy> For non-EU applicants a work permit will be required. All applications are treated in the strictest confidence.