Project Co-ordinator - Nuclear Doctoral Focal Awards

£28,636 to £30,394 per annum pro rata (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £34,953 per annum, pro rata)

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise - to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 - making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

Innovation and research is at the heart of everything we do at Derby; it informs our learning and teaching, supports businesses, drivespartnershipsand provides real-world impact.

The UniversityInnovation & Research Dept (I&R)isresponsible for our research and knowledge exchange activities including funding opportunities, knowledge transfer partnerships, researcher development,ethics,impact, postgraduateresearch students, and external returns including the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).

This is an exciting opportunity to work across a high-profile, multi-partner environment, engaging with academic, industry, and government stakeholders to support the development of the UK's nuclear research and skills pipeline.

The role will involve developing and administrating the operational activity of the Nuclear Doctoral Focal Awards (NDFAs) funded by UKRI with a consortium of partner HEIs, providing end to end project coordination whilst supporting collaborative relationships both inside and outside the University.

The NDFAs aim to strengthen the UK's research and innovation capacity in nuclear science and engineering through cohort-based doctoral training.

Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate will be required to travel regularly across multiple sites and, where necessary, to project locations. Candidates must therefore be able to travel in a timely and efficient manner to meet business and operational requirements.

This role is part time, 22.5 hours per week.

The ideal candidate will be an organised and proactive project professional with experience of coordinating complex, externally funded projects, managing multiple stakeholders, and maintaining robust governance, financial and reporting processes. You will be highly skilled in building relationships across academic, industry and professional services teams, with the ability to manage competing priorities while ensuring compliance, accuracy and delivery against deadlines.

You will combine excellent administrative and communication skills with strong attention to detail, sound judgement in managing risk and compliance issues, and the confidence to operate effectively within a high-profile, multi-partner environment involving doctoral researchers, academics, funders and strategic industry partners.

To provide project management coordination, support and administration for the NFDA projects including:

• Toestablishandco-ordinaterobust administrative systems for the NDFA projects.
• Delivery of project specific responsibilities e.g. Keeping and updating of risk registers, monitoring and grant claim preparation.
• Capture of project records in the form of auditable documentation through maintenance of electronic files relating to project meetings, spend, outcomes and claims.
• Supporting the drafting and approval of project documents and agreements.
• Preparation of documents for evaluations and audits.
• Provide coordination support for cohort-based doctoral training programmes.
• Assist with coordination of student cohorts, placements, residential training programmes, and taught elements.
• Contribute to monitoring student numbers, funding allocations, and programme outputs.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for programme-related travel, training, and engagement activities.
• Undertake project related research and policy analysis, drafting reports and briefings to including information gathered.

Stakeholder and Partnership Management

• Act as a central point of co-ordination and contact with project academic delivery teams, postgraduate students and colleagues across other Professional Services departments to ensure project requirements are met e.g. Post Award, Legal, Finance, HR; including the organisation of regular collaborative internal project meetings.
• Support engagement activities with Project Partners and external Industry Stakeholders including organising and supporting events including liaison with participants and speakers and advising organisers on procedures and operational considerations.
• Handle internal and external enquiries in a timely and professional manner.
• Promoting the NFDA projects to internal and external stakeholders.

Finance and Resource Co-ordination

• Support tracking and administration of programme finances, including studentships, matched funding, and resource allocation.
• Assist in monitoring budgets relating to academic staff time, administrative costs, and training delivery.
• Preparation of monitoring reports and financial claims to the lead partner.

Monitoring, Reporting & Governance

• Maintain accurate records of programme activity, risks, and performance indicators.
• Support preparation of reports for senior leadership, funders, and external stakeholders.
• HND (or equivalent qualification) or comparable knowledge gained through professional experience

Experience

• Project management experience of research/knowledge exchange projects
• Experience of data/information gathering and collation into reports
• Experience in administration and resource coordination
• Experience of building and maintaining strong and effective working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of accurate record keeping and good attention to detail
• Experience using financial management and research management software

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• IT literate with the ability to use Microsoft 365 suite including Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams, One Note, Sharepoint
• Strong communication skills and the ability to use, or be willing to learn how to use, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Power BI to ensure effective outreach to key stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent organisational skills
• Problem solving ability, including the ability to identify risk and take appropriate action to mitigate
• Ability to multitask and prioritise a diverse and time-bound workload - working well under pressure
• Self-motivated and able to consistently meet deadlines
• Resilient, proactive and adaptable to change
• Well organised with an ability to deliver to tight deadlines in a demanding environment
• Drive and determination for excellence
• Highly literate; with the ability to read and understand guidance and policy documents and succinctly summarise key information. Understanding and communicating key implications
• Taking information from a wide range of sources, collating, interpreting and disseminating through appropriate channels
• Highly productive work rate, with a willingness to learn new systems and processes
• Keen to share and implement new ideas and improve working practices

Business requirements

• Travel across sites, and where necessary to project locations, in a timely and efficient manner
• Willingness to provide support at university events from time to time e.g., Graduation, Clearing and Open Days, (some of these events occur outside of normal working hours, such as evenings and weekends)

Experience

• Experience in, or knowledge of, the higher education environment, in particular with postdoctoral students
• Experience of using administrative support processes and systems e.g. business systems, finance, procurement, HR

Skills, knowledge and abilities

• Understanding of the research funding landscape
• Highly numerate with the ability to work with and manipulate data sets
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Stephan Reiff-Marganiec, Head of the Doctoral College via

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