Senior Research Advisor
Te tūnga | The role
PHF Science is seeking a proactive and experienced Senior Research Advisor to join our Office of the Chief Scientist, reporting to the Head of Research. Working closely with scientists and science leaders across our Health Security and Forensic research teams, you will provide trusted advice across the full research lifecycle, with a key focus on identifying funding opportunities and developing competitive proposals. This is an opportunity to help researchers focus on their research and deliver science that makes a difference for New Zealand.
We are looking for a Senior Research Advisor to provide leadership, advice and coordination across the following areas:
Lead strategic scanning of national and international funding opportunities, connecting researchers with relevant funders and working with them early to develop competitive proposals, strengthen narratives and coordinate review processes.
Work with Finance and managers to develop accurate, funder-compliant budgets that account for staff time and overhead recovery, ensuring General Managers are consulted and research commitments are deliverable within operational constraints.
Coordinate internal governance and approval processes so proposals have appropriate leadership sign-off before submission, reducing the risk of late withdrawals and wasted effort.
Support post-award delivery through milestone tracking, funder reporting and clear escalation of delivery issues, working closely with the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) on larger, multi-partner programmes.
Provide leadership and coordination across the research portfolio, supporting the Head of Research to maintain visibility of PHF Science’s full research activity and ensuring consistent support across research teams.
We are open to receiving applications from across Aotearoa New Zealand, and the role can be based in either Tāmaki Makaurau, Pōneke or Ōtautahi.
Kia angitu koe | About you
To be successful in this role, you will have the following:
A relevant postgraduate tertiary qualification in research, science, health, public policy or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Demonstrated experience providing end-to-end research advisory support, from identifying opportunities and developing proposals through to internal approvals and post-award delivery.
Strong knowledge of national and international research funding landscapes, with proven ability to match opportunities to researcher and organisational priorities and help develop high-quality proposals aligned with funder objectives.
Significant experience developing accurate, funder-compliant budgets with Finance teams, including staff time, overhead recovery and multi-year commitments, and coordinating governance processes to secure leadership sign-off before submission.
Experience supporting post-award management, including milestone tracking, funder reporting and issue escalation, and large, complex or multi-partner research programmes, with familiarity with EPMO and formal project management frameworks in a research or public sector environment.
Strong communication, stakeholder management and organisational skills, with the ability to work confidently and credibly with researchers, science leaders, General Managers, Finance and project management teams, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines.
Ngā painga | The benefits
Flexible working options to support balancing work and non-work commitments.
Four weeks annual leave, plus two additional annual leave days and three additional PHF Science days (usually the three days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve)
15 days sick leave and service leave provisions after five years
Annual volunteer day to support an organisation or issue you care about in the community.
Free annual flu vaccinations
Life insurance and physical loss benefit
Subsidised Southern Cross insurance & access to special retail discounts.
Access to Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a…