This article focuses on the transferable (soft) skills articulated in a Research Management (RM) Professional Competency Framework (PCF). The Framework was developed, prior to COVID-19, from continentally anchored RM praxis in Africa. While the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) Framework (2016) includes nine key 'technical' competency areas for respective RM organizational levels (administrative, management and leadership), it is the RM transferable skills that have been brought to the forefront in the current complex COVID-19 environment. This article is therefore a timely focus on what RM practitioners offer as 'human-being' professionals and not only knowledgeable experts. The paper therefore contributes to novelty in terms of mindfully integrating the personal into the professional practice architectures, and, as such, reinforcing work-life integration based on what it means not only to "know" and "do" within a profession, but also to "be" a professional.