Project Officer in Biochemistry - School of Biosciences - 105698 - Grade 6

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits in a vibrant research group at a leading university. As a project manager, you will oversee significant research initiatives, manage collaborations, and support outreach events. This role offers a chance to work with world-renowned scientists in a diverse and inclusive environment. The university champions professional development, offering generous benefits and a commitment to work-life balance. If you are organized, motivated, and possess strong communication skills, this is the perfect opportunity to advance your career in a dynamic academic setting.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Paid volunteering day

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Subsidised day nurseries

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent experience required.
• Significant practical experience in project management roles.

Responsibilities

• Manage smaller projects or elements of larger projects effectively.
• Support research project delivery and stakeholder management.

Skills

Project Management

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

IT Skills

Education

Degree Level Education

Tools

MS Office Suite

Project Management Tools

Job description

Position Details

School of Biosciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £32,546 to £35,116 with potential progression once in post to £39,355

Grade: 6

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2027

Closing date: 28th May 2025

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.With almost 5,000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai, there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are,and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops,places to eat and drink,our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Background

An exciting opportunity has become available in Professor Teresa Carlomagno’s research group. Her international group of highly motivated and interdisciplinary structural biologists is expanding and she is looking for a project manager in the area of structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics. You will manage collaborations in the frame of a large, externally-funded Leverhulme project worth ~£5m, lead the process of hiring researchers, manage procurement, organise outreach and dissemination events, contribute to grant writing by coordination and writing, support networking research activities, prepare materials for dissemination, facilitate research.

Our globally-operating research group is embedded in a vibrant community of world-renowned scientists in the fields of structural biology, RNA metabolism, genome biology, cancer research and microbiology. We believe in interdisciplinarity and we strive to integrate multiple approaches in our activities.

If you are motivated, well-organised, have excellent writing and communication skills and a background in biochemistry, you can’t miss this opportunity!

For more information on the lab, please visit:www.carlomagno-group.org

Role Summary

You will either assist in the management of designated projects across a School, College or professional service area, or manage and deliver smaller projects or elements of projects, devising and delivering project plans.In order to flexibly use resource you may be asked to work elsewhere in the department or across the wider University.

Main Duties

Project Officers will manage smaller projects in their entirety or manage elements of larger projects or assist in themanagement of one or more larger projects through the provision of well-developed and timely project management support.You will be expected to work proactively, and use your initiative and planning skills to set your own priorities to ensure progress is maintained as expected, identify any issue and propose solutions.

• To support Research Project delivery, Project Boards, workstreams and working groups within an overall project or manage elements of larger projects or smaller projects on your own.
• Support may include some or all of the following:
  • carrying out project planning activities;
  • identifying milestones which will need to be adhered to;
  • data collection and analysis;
  • manage procurement;
  • manage hiring processes;
  • milestone tracking/key performance indicator tracking;
  • developing and proposing solutions for any issues;
  • recommending improvements to project management;
  • preparing progress reports for project boards or other meetings;
  • assisting in budgetary monitoring and management, including reporting;
  • assisting with stakeholder management, developing and maintaining regular contact with internal and external stakeholders to understand requirements;
  • assessing and escalating issues and risks as appropriate.
• Contribute to developing communications plans, presentations, and promoting the projects and outcomes of projects/workstreams.
• Maintain an up to date knowledge of project management methodologies.
• Determine short term priorities for own work, ensuring you maximise quality, efficiency and continuity.
• Assist in the evaluation and review of projects.
• Contribute to grant writing by coordination and writing.
• You may be asked to manage other colleagues working on the project/s and this will include allocating work.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications).Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Significant practical experience in a similar role, experience of using project management tools.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to analyse information and data.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including the wider MS Office suite of programmes including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to understand policy, processes and procedures, but also to recommend improvements and implement changes.
• Excellent analytical skills used to produce reports, identify issues and resolve them decisively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. The post holder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues and provide excellent customer service at all times.
• A high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy, and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues.
• A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility, and a self-motivating approach.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop a good understanding of howthe Universityand higher education institutions work.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Role context

Roles at this level will require expertise and a detailed understanding of methods, systems and procedures in an administrative or professional area.You will either use specialist knowledge or have more of a planning/co-ordination/project role or a role which is supervisory in nature where you may manage a team doing similar kinds of work.You will have the opportunity to exercise a high degree of personal responsibility and initiative which you will use to resolve queries; you will use your judgement to deal with unforeseen problems and circumstances, all with limited guidance/supervision.

Core competencies/transferable skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully use the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below.As appropriate for the level, our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things done. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.

Planning and organising

• prioritise and schedule work and resources to ensure on time and (where applicable) on budget delivery;
• set priorities and quality standards for a wide range of tasks and duties;
• contribute to written documents, for example guidelines internal to the area, taking account of audience;
• operate with limited supervision as they will have considerable scope for initiative, within established work procedures.

Problem solving and decision making

• anticipate and identify issues in own area based on experience;
• make appropriate suggestions for improvements and implement these when agreed in own area;
• facilitate change, and articulate the implications and benefits of change to others;
• focus ondetermining short-term priorities of work area, and how to maximise quality, efficiency and continuity.

Organisational understanding

• quickly develop an understanding of their working area and how it contributes to the success of the University;
• display an interest in how the University operates beyond own working area; develop and share this knowledge with others.

Relationships and communication

• develop and maintain excellent working relationships in own area, and more widely as required for collaborative working opportunities;
• communicate clearly and openly with others both within and external to the University, and use a range of communication skills and strategies to gain commitment to a course of action;
• demonstrate collaborative working at all times, including with others outside the immediate work area.

Informal enquiries to Professor Teresa Carlomagno, email: [e-mail]

View our staff values and behaviourshere

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website .