Science Area Coordinator

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institute seeks Science Area Coordinators to support operations across various teams in a hybrid working environment. Your responsibilities will include managing research administration, fostering communication within teams, and working closely with internal stakeholders to deliver on multiple projects. A degree or equivalent experience in research science administration is required. This position offers excellent benefits and the opportunity to contribute to impactful research projects.

Benefits

27 days annual leave

10% employer pension contribution

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

24/7 support for wellbeing

Flexible working opportunities

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant subject or at least 3 years’ equivalent experience in research science administration.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Evidence of delivering against multiple priorities across short term deliverables and longer-term objectives.

Responsibilities

• Coordination of operational management tasks for Science Area Groups.
• Management of budgets and financial information.
• Support communication and outreach activities across various platforms.

Skills

Excellent presentation and communication skills

Strong analytical skills

Ability to build effective relationships

Education

Degree in a relevant subject or 3 years experience

Tools

Power BI

Power Automate

Job description

Salary - £38,939 - £41,321
Hybrid working (50/50)
Location: Wallingford, Lancaster, Bangor (Wales), Edinburgh
Closing date: Friday 23rd January 2026

We are looking for ScienceAreaCoordinators (SACs) to support UKCEH Science Areas. SACs support Science Area Groups, Group Heads and Associate Science Directors (ASDs). These roles contribute to planning, managing, and delivering UKCEH science operations by coordinating information, people, and activities.

You will join a UKCEH-wide Science Coordination network, delivering a consistent and innovative approach to managing Science Areas and activities. Your contribution will help improve our science coordination, upholding excellence, teamwork, and integrity. There is a strong requirement to collaborate and communicate within and across teams in UKCEH at all levels of the business, and potentially with external stakeholders.

We are recruiting for multiple SAC roles and welcome applications from individuals interested in part-time (0.5 FTE) or combining two roles to create a full-time position (1.0 FTE). Roles are available at any of our four UK sites.Please specify your preferred working pattern and the roles you wish to be considered for in your application.

• Water and Climate Science (0.5 FTE): The team studies extreme weather and hydrological events, including droughts, floods, heatwaves, and wildfires. Their research improves climate predictions and assesses land-based mitigation strategies. The team develops adaptation approaches for changes in hydrology and water quality, and manages the Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure.

• Land-Atmosphere Interactions (0.5 FTE): The Land-Atmosphere Interactions team researches how the land surface and atmosphere exchange greenhouse gases and pollutants. Combining expertise in soils, vegetation, atmospheric chemistry, and advanced monitoring, the team generates insights that inform mitigation measures, air quality improvements, Net Zero progress, and land management strategies.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Working to the Science Area Manager in the Science Area and contributing to the coordination of the operational management of the Groups and Science Area, providing knowledge and information to support your teams in delivering effective and joined up delivery of operational /management tasks.

• Maintain or obtain information from corporate systems to provide data, summary reports and effectively delivering business administration and operations. Including managing budgets and financial information.

• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, to ensure collaborative and constructive delivery of activities. This includes collaborating with colleagues to support stakeholder and partnership engagements.

• Assist in ensuring reporting on delivery of key corporate science deliverables in or across Science Areas, and compliance with internal procedures to support the science area to deliver its goals and wider corporate needs.

• Support communication, outreach and output, playing an active role in managing and planning a wide range of meetings, communications, and digital outputs on various platforms, including production of presentations, meeting papers, dissemination and tracking of actions.

• Secretary for Science Area chaired by Associate Science Director.

• Develop an understanding of the portfolio of science within the Science Area/s, showing emergent understanding of relevant funders, stakeholders and partners.

• Consistently seek to improve our science coordination offering, maintaining the highest levels of excellence, teamwork, and integrity.

For the role of ScienceAreaCoordinator, we’re looking for somebody who has:

• Degree in a relevant subject, or at least 3 years’ equivalent experience in research science administration.

• Excellent presentation and communication skills, with the ability to produce material for all levels of the business and non-technical audiences.

• Strong analytical skills, and experience of relevant Microsoft or other programmes.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders.

• Evidence of delivering against multiple priorities across short term deliverables and longer-term objectives.

Desirable:

• Has previously worked within a research environment.

• Power BI, Power Automate or similar data analysis experience.

As a valued member of our team, you’ll get:

• 27 days annual leave, rising to 29 days after five years, plus 3 days for our Christmas closure.

• 10% employer pension contribution.

• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave (subject to qualifying requirements).

• 24/7 access to support for physical, mental, social, health, or financial wellbeing, plus trained Welfare Officers.

• Flexible working opportunities.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced coordinator or science administrator who is comfortable working in an agile way but is also seeking the variety and complexity that a research environment can offer. In return, you’ll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute that’s committed to recruiting talented people like you, progressing your career and giving you the support you need to thrive at UKCEH.

Please note: Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role and this does not qualify for endorsement to support a Global Talent Visa application. If you are considering pursuing self-sponsorship, please indicate this in your application so we can take it into account during the recruitment process.

If we’ve just described you, we’d love to meet. Apply now.