Operations Officer (Post Award Research)

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Discounts

Staff networks

Professional development

Job summary

The University of Sheffield is seeking an Operations Officer to deliver high-quality administrative support for a broad portfolio of funded research projects.

You will coordinate staffing, procurement, reporting, and events, liaising with HR, RPI, and Finance to ensure delivery from award to completion. Strong organisational and communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
• Experience in a professional role, ideally in Higher Education or similar environment.
• Experience of motivating and communicating with a team of staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, capable of explaining complex information.
• Ability to plan and progress work within deadlines.
• Knowledge of funder guidelines (EPSRC, Innovate).
• Creative and flexible problem-solving approach.

Responsibilities

• Support a diverse portfolio of research, consultancy and projects in line with funder guidelines.
• Act as interface between Principal Investigators and RPI, Faculty Research Hubs, Faculty Marketing & Communications, and Faculty Finance.
• Provide support to academic colleagues, ensuring effective planning and reporting, including audits.
• Maintain records such as timesheets and management information for reports.
• Coordinate ethics review processes and enquiries.
• Arrange and service research meetings and take minutes as needed.
• Support REF preparations and submissions.
• Promote engagement with non-academic audiences for School research.
• Coordinate visits from funding bodies or industrial partners.
• Assist with dissemination of research via social media, website, and brochures.
• Deputise for Operations Manager as required.

Skills

Excellent communication

Resource planning

Team motivation

Funders guidelines knowledge

Problem solving

Administrative support

Flexibility

Project management tools

Education

Degree level (or equivalent)

Tools

Trello

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The Operations Officer will provide a high-quality administrative service to academic staff across the School, providing support and guidance related to the delivery of a large and diverse range of funded research projects. A broad range of activities to support effective delivery of research to external milestones and deadlines, will include planning and delivery of staffing (recruitment, contract maintenance/amendments) in liaison with the recruitment lead, procurement, preparation of management information necessary to report progress against deliverables, the organisation of events and dissemination of research outputs.

You will work closely with the wider School Operations team, HR, Research, Partnerships and Innovation (RPI), Faculty Research and Marketing & Communications colleagues, and with Faculty Finance to ensure that projects are managed effectively from award to completion, and are appropriately promoted internally and externally. You will offer advice on queries and share best practice.

You will have experience of working to funder guidelines/ eligibility criteria and excellent organisation skills, able to work to multiple deadlines across a range of projects. Excellent communication skills both written and verbal are essential, along with excellent customer service skills and the ability to work flexibly.

Main duties and responsibilities

• In conjunction with Principal Investigators (PIs), effectively support a diverse portfolio of research, consultancy and projects in line with University and funder guidelines and policies.
• Act as a key interface between PI and RPI, Faculty Research Hubs, Faculty Marketing & Communications and Faculty Finance, providing local support for internal and external systems associated with maintenance of research funding, outputs and impact.
• Provide support to academic colleagues, ensuring effective planning, control and optimisation of a portfolio of projects raising any concerns including progress or partner issues, which may add risk to the delivery of projects.
• Maintain appropriate records including timesheets and other management information to support the preparation of reports relating to deliverables and for audit purposes.
• Act as key point of contact for researchers applying for ethics review, providing administrative support to the local review processes and escalating queries to relevant colleagues when required.
• Arrange, attend and service a wide variety of research meetings (both internal and external), collating and disseminating paperwork and taking minutes when necessary.
• Work with the Faculty Research Manager to support preparations and submissions for the Research Excellence Framework (REF).
• Facilitate and promote events and opportunities for engaging non-academic audiences with the School s research, demonstrating the contribution we make to society and the economy.
• Organise and host occasional visits to the School from funding bodies, or potential industrial partners.
• Work with Faculty Marketing and Communications colleagues to co-ordinate the promotion of research through social media channels, the website, brochures, events, etc.
• Deputise for the Operations manager, escalating to the School manager when required.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience)
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Previous experience in a professional role, ideally within a Higher Education or similar environment
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Experience of motivating and communicating with a team of staff
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to communicate productively with staff at all levels and explain complex information clearly
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities within required deadlines
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Working knowledge of key funder guidelines (EPSRC, Innovate)
  Essential
  Application/interview
• A creative and flexible approach to problem-solving, with an appreciation of longer term implications
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Experience of high quality administrative and business support within a complex organisation including evidence of implementing service improvements
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Excellent customer service skills, with experience of responding efficiently and effectively to enquiries
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Experience of to work flexibly and collegiately to achieve strategic aims
  Essential
  Application/interview
• Experience of using project management software tools (e.g. Trello)
  Desirable
  Application/interview

Further Information

Grade: 6

Salary: £32,722 - £37,369 per annum, with potential to progress up to £40,704 per annum

Work arrangement: Full-time

Duration: Permanent

Line manager: Operations Manager

Right to work in the UK: If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.

Our website: https://sheffield.ac.uk/cmbe

For informal enquiries about this job, contact Carla Teale, Operations Manager: on [e-mail]

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place in late November/early December. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage as soon as possible following the closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.