Project Officer (NBIF) - School of Engineering - 99596 - Grade 6

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking a Project Officer for its School of Engineering. This role involves supporting research projects' administration, liaising with stakeholders, and managing project tasks effectively. Candidates should have a degree or equivalent practical experience, strong budget preparation skills, and proficiency in IT. This part-time position offers competitive pay and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Subsidised day nurseries

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level or equivalent, with significant practical experience.
• Demonstrable experience of budget preparation and tracking.
• Highly proficient IT skills including MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Support a dynamic professional services team in the School of Engineering.
• Provide administrative support for key projects and facilitate communication between stakeholders.
• Manage project tasks, including planning, budget tracking, and reporting.

Skills

Budget preparation

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

IT proficiency

Education

Degree or equivalent practical experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Position Details

School of Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

Grade: 6

Part Time (22.5 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to July 2027

Closing date: 16th November 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, and we are 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 to develop through our sector‑leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career 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 and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of 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 days paid holiday a 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 the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Role Summary

This role is based within the School of Engineering (College of Engineering and Physical Sciences) and is part of a wider, dynamic and exciting professional services team. The School, which is the largest in the College, is a multi‑department School comprising the disciplines of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering.

The National Buried Infrastructure Facility (NBIF) is a new £27.2M facility (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/nbif). NBIF is a national and international facility enabling large‑scale research on topics such as buried infrastructure, soil improvements, soil‑structure interaction, tunnelling, sensor development and evaluation, leak detection and geotechnical and structural engineering. Experiments can be conducted in the large‑scale pit (25m x 10m x 5m), on the strong floor using steel frames or smaller above ground tanks, in a small centrifuge or using our digital capabilities. NBIF is part of the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC – www.ukcric.com), which comprises a number of universities working together to deliver joint‑up thinking in the area of infrastructure and society by encouraging disparate areas of infrastructure to work collaboratively with each other.

This is a key role to ensure the successful impact of NBIF’s research outputs. The post holder will provide support for the Director of NBIF and other staff with the administration of projects, the running of the facility with operational tasks and support in the management of multiple projects through the provision of significant and high‑level project management support as directed by the Director of NBIF.

Working closely with academics in NBIF, the Project Officer will support the day‑to‑day activities and administration at the start of projects as they move into set‑up and delivery. This role will involve duties liaising with key internal stakeholders such as HR, the Research Strategy and Services Division, finance and the buying team. It further involves reviewing financial expenditure and the communication of information, guidance and regulations to project participants. The post holder will also contribute to the planning of events and meetings and assist the Director of NBIF in the successful delivery of these activities. The post holder will liaise widely with NBIF, School and College‑level colleagues and external stakeholders.

Main Duties

Project Officers will support smaller projects in their entirety or manage elements of larger projects or assist in the management 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, identifying issues and proposing solutions.

• To support the NBIF’s lead academics liaising with HR, the Research Strategy and Services Division, Finance, Procurement, Estates and Legal to support the running of the facility.
• Support with the running of small projects, especially industry‑facing, which includes the tendering process, initiating invoices, liaising with the industrial lead and providing financial reporting.
• Project 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
  • 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
  • Assist with stakeholder management, develop and maintain regular contact with internal and external stakeholders to understand requirements
  • Assess and elevate issues and risks as appropriate
  • Support with a wide range of project operational duties to include project recruitment and procurement
  • Any other project related requirements as deemed necessary by the Director of NBIF for successful project delivery, this could include possible travel in line with project deliverables.
• Monitor budgets and accounts, tracking of spend against NBIF accounts and ensuring spend within the funding envelope taking an overarching view.
• Provide administrative support for the NBIF advisory boards which includes liaising with the Chairs of the boards, issuing invites and agendas and compiling minutes after the meetings.
• Support will include preparing progress reports for project boards (where they are held), project planning, and delivering on sub‑projects/small projects, which will be defined on a continuing basis.
• Draw up project plans, including key performance indicators, identifying milestones as appropriate.
• Support the Facility Manager with Construction and Design Management (CDM) documentation, engaging with estates and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• Keeping a log of maintenance contracts and scheduling maintenance for NBIF equipment and fleet ensuring the facility can function.
• Contribute to developing communication plans, presentations, and promoting the projects and outcomes of projects/workstreams; maintaining NBIF’s website.
• Facilitate industry engagement activities including industry meetings and workshops; maintaining an NBIF visitor log, monitoring visitor availability for NBIF ensuring the academic team is available for tours.
• Provide support to the Director of NBIF.
• Develop and identify suitable processes for project management and delivery including sharing information across the wider team, timeline updates and resource management in conjunction with the wider NBIF team.
• Work closely with the University/College finance team, procurement, and college finance and HR;
• Support Facility Manager with engagement with Estates re repairs to NBIF or other changes required to the fabric of the facility.
• Support Facility Manager and the Director of NBIF with engagement with NBIF’s contractor re ongoing maintenance aspects.
• Lead on the NBIF annual report together with Director of NBIF, working closely with University’s media team.
• Assist the NBIF Director in ensuring the accurate allocation of NBIF studentships and stipends, in close collaboration with the School and College PGR teams.
• Work with the wider School of Engineering Project Officer Team and the Research Administration Manager to support the delivery of the School research strategy.
• Maintain an up to date knowledge of project management methodologies and work with the wider Project Officer community (School and College) to develop best practice for post‑award support.
• Determine short term priorities for work, and how to maximise quality, efficiency and continuity.
• Assist in the evaluation and review of projects.
• Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Promote equality and value diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent), and or significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role.
• Demonstrable experience of budget preparation, together with tracking and monitoring of budgets.
• Experience of managing complex information and queries within project delivery.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including the wider MS Office suite of programmes.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to analyse information and data.
• Ability to understand policy, processes and procedures recommending improvements and implement changes if and when required.
• Excellent analytical skills used to produce reports, identify and resolve issues decisively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire confidence and with clear and effective direction with a range of colleagues and provide excellent customer service.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of an effective and high performing team.
• A high degree of professionalism, diplomacy, and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues.
• Ability to use initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility, with a self‑motiving approach.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop an understanding of the University and the higher education sector.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, ensuring that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Desirable

• Experience working in an operational role or an administrative role supporting wide‑scale research in an academic setting.
• Experience of using project management tools is desirable.

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, Birmingham Professionals 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 on determining 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 Laura Harvey, email: [e-mail]

View our staff values and behaviours here

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 everyone.