Senior Research Manager – Infectious Disease, Wellcome Trust

Closing date: Sunday, 23 November 2025

Contract type: Permanent

Interview dates: week commencing 08 December 2025

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation that improves health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships. We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and tackling three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health. These challenges require bold science and other approaches.

We are excited to join Wellcome under the direction of our new CEO John Arne Rottingen, who joined in 2024. The Infectious Disease Solutions Programme (IDSP) is a relatively new team focusing on two key drivers of infectious disease environmental change and antimicrobial resistance. Our current focus is on vector‑borne disease, cholera, TB, fungal infections and bacterial AMR with a goal of delivering solutions for communities most affected and low‑resource settings.

In this role you will:

• Provide oversight to therapeutic projects in fungal infections, bacterial AMR and tuberculosis research portfolios, including funding decisions, scientific assessment, decision‑making reviews, and project management.
• Maintain breadth and depth of knowledge of therapeutics and the wider research and funding landscape, collaborating across IDSP and the Wellcome Trust to address global health gaps.
• Contribute significantly to the strategic direction of the Therapeutics portfolio.
• Support projects and strategies aimed at understanding and combating infectious diseases in Africa and Southeast Asia.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• An advanced degree in a life science discipline relevant to therapeutics for infectious diseases (e.g., medicinal chemistry, infectious disease drug development).
• Significant expertise in therapeutic R&D for infectious diseases, including drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical trials, or translational research, with desired knowledge of small‑molecule development, host‑directed therapies, and AI applications in drug discovery.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with proven ability to influence stakeholders and deliver effective presentations, reports, or articles.
• Exceptional stakeholder‑management capabilities and excellent communication abilities.
• High organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experience in research project management and grant administration, and a commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture through cross‑departmental collaboration.

Minimum Criteria:

• Able to demonstrate a breadth of research expertise in therapeutics for infectious diseases through relevant work experience.
• Experience managing multiple projects and relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to employ diverse approaches to communicate complex information to individuals and groups from a range of backgrounds.
• Experience shaping and delivering research or science‑related programmes of work.
• Knowledge of the international research funding arena, including philanthropies, government agencies, academia, and industry.

To apply: Please submit an updated CV and answer the following application questions to demonstrate you meet the minimum requirements.

Application Questions:
1. What knowledge, personal attributes or skills do you possess that you can offer to the benefit of this role/team? Provide specific details of up to two initiatives or projects you have been directly involved in, relevant to this role, describing your role, purpose, and major contributions.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. Flexible working arrangements are available for all roles.

Our hybrid way of working is 3 days in our Euston Road offices on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 2 days working either remotely or in the office.

To discuss flexible working options, accessibility, or required adjustments for people with a disability or long‑term condition, please contact us at jobs@wellcome.org.