R&I Project Officer (BeST Engage)

Manchester Metropolitan University; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Manchester Metropolitan University is seeking an organised project professional to support the BeST Engage health research project. You will coordinate stakeholders, monitor milestones and maintain project records to enable researchers to focus on delivering world-leading research.

Hybrid working is offered, with regular on-campus presence required; this fixed-term role runs until 30 June 2028 and sits in the Research & Innovation Team within the Faculty of Health and Education.

Qualifications

• Experience in project support, project management or administrative roles.
• Ability to coordinate multiple activities and stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with meeting deadlines.
• Good numerical and analytical skills for budgets and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate project meetings and governance activities.
• Monitor progress against milestones and funder requirements.
• Maintain project records, documentation and reporting schedules.
• Coordinate reporting and monitoring across project work packages.
• Engage with project partners, stakeholders and funders.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, governance and funding requirements.
• Identify and escalate risks, issues and actions.

Job description

Are you an organised and proactive project professional looking to support impactful health research?

Do you enjoy working with a range of stakeholders to coordinate complex projects, monitor progress and ensure successful delivery?

Can you provide high-quality project support to enable researchers to focus on delivering world-leading research?

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Research & Innovation Team within the Faculty of Health and Education to support the delivery of the NIHR Public Health-funded BeST Engage project. This role is available on a fixed-term basis until 30 June 2028 and is funded through the project.

This is an exciting time to join Manchester Met. We are one of the UK's leading modern universities for research quality, and our research delivers real-world impact locally, nationally and internationally.

About the Role

Working closely with the Principal Investigator, academic project team and professional services colleagues, you will provide project management and coordination support to ensure the successful delivery of the BeST Engage project.

You will play a key role in supporting project governance, monitoring progress against milestones and ensuring compliance with funder requirements. Acting as a central point of coordination, you will support communication across project partners and stakeholder groups, helping to maintain effective working relationships throughout the life of the project.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating project meetings and governance activities.
• Supporting the monitoring of project finances and expenditure.
• Maintaining project records, documentation and reporting schedules.
• Coordinating reporting and monitoring activity across project work packages.
• Supporting engagement with project partners, stakeholders and the funder.
• Working with colleagues across the University to ensure compliance with contractual, governance and funding requirements.
• Identifying and escalating risks, issues and actions as appropriate.

This role offers an excellent opportunity to gain experience of managing a major externally funded research project and working within a collaborative research environment.

About You

You will have experience of working in a project support, project management or administrative role, with the ability to coordinate multiple activities and stakeholders simultaneously.

You will also have:

• Excellent organisational and planning skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of organising meetings, maintaining records and tracking actions.
• Good numerical and analytical skills, with experience of monitoring budgets or financial information.
• The ability to work effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering a high‑quality service.
• The ability to work independently whilst contributing positively as part of a team.

Experience of working within a higher education, research or externally funded project environment would be advantageous but is not essential.

Working at Manchester Met

Manchester Met offers a fantastic range of benefits to employees, including:

• Central location with excellent transport links.
• Generous annual leave allowance.
• Competitive pension scheme.
• Access to retail discounts.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• A wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Various other rewards and benefits.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse workforce brings to our University. We particularly encourage applications from groups that are currently underrepresented within our workforce.

Hybrid working is offered for this role. The nature of the role requires a regular on-campus presence, although some activities can be undertaken remotely. We recognise the benefits and importance of flexible working and welcome conversations about this throughout the recruitment process.