Project Controller

CMI - Chr. Michelsen Institute; Bergen; Hybrid; NOK 688,000 - 790,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home office up to two days/week

Travel insurance

Staff pension

5 weeks holiday + year-end leave

Job summary

The Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) invites applications for a 100% permanent Project Controller role within the Project Unit in Bergen, Norway.

The position reports to the Head of Projects and covers the full lifecycle of research projects, including budgeting, monitoring, reporting, invoicing, contracts, and close-out. It requires excellent English and Norwegian communication and a proactive, solution-oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Experience in project administration and financial control.
• Understanding of grant compliance, funding regulations, and research administration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Norwegian.

Responsibilities

• Provide financial and administrative oversight across a dedicated project portfolio.
• Collaborate with researchers and support grant applications and tenders.
• Prepare budgets, financial reports, and invoicing; manage contracts and close-out.
• Ensure quality of reporting to funding agencies and clients.

Skills

Project administration

Financial control

Grant compliance

Contract management

Communication skills

Education

Higher education degree

Tools

None

Job description

The Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) has one, 100%, permanent Project Controller position available. CMI is a private research institute with English as the working language.

This position replaces a team member who is transitioning to a new role.

The position is part of the Project Unit within the institute's Administration and reports to the Head of Projects. The Project Unit works across CMI to facilitate research and commissioned projects throughout their lifecycle by providing expert advice in grant management and project administration.

The preferred start date is January/February 2027.

Job description and essential work tasks

As a Project Controller, you will work as part of the Project Unit at CMI with responsibility for a dedicated project portfolio, ensuring sustainable operations and continuous professional development of oneself and the unit.

Project Controller position available

The Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) has one, 100%, permanent Project Controller position available. CMI is a private research institute with English as the working language.

This position replaces a team member who is transitioning to a new role.

The position is part of the Project Unit within the institute's Administration and reports to the Head of Projects. The Project Unit works across CMI to facilitate research and commissioned projects throughout their lifecycle by providing expert advice in grant management and project administration.

The preferred start date is January/February 2027.

The Project Unit is responsible for:

• The full lifecycle of research projects, including budgeting, financial monitoring, reporting, invoicing, contracts, and project close-out.
• Compliance with funding regulations and legislation, contribute to the continuous development of grant management practices, and foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the Project Unit and across the Institute.
• Supporting application processes by providing administrative, financial, and compliance expertise.
• Monitoring the market for commissioned research opportunities.

Key work tasks in the Project Controller role

• Provide financial and administrative oversight of research projects throughout their entire lifecycle, from the proposal stage to project completion.
• Collaborate and communicate closely with researchers involved in the research projects within your assigned project portfolio.
• Provide professional and administrative support for grant applications and tenders to national and international funding bodies and clients; contributing to the development of new project proposals.
• Prepare project budgets, financial reports, invoices, and process financial documentation.
• Manage the formal and legal aspects of agreements and contracts, including further developing and adapting contract templates.
• Ensure the quality of administrative and financial reporting to funding agencies and clients.

What We Are Looking for in a Project Controller

Experience and Qualifications

• A higher education degree in a relevant field.
• Experience in project administration and financial control.
• Understanding of grant compliance, funding regulations, and research administration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Norwegian and English.
• Experience with funding programmes from the Research Council of Norway and the European Union is an advantage.
• Experience with commissioned work acquisition and bid management is an advantage.

Personal skills

You are a proactive and solution-oriented professional who works effectively both independently and as part of diverse teams.

You are organised, able to manage competing priorities and deadlines, communicate clearly and professionally, and are comfortable navigating digital systems and administrative processes.

You enjoy learning, adapting to new requirements, and following through to deliver results.

CMI can offer you:

• The opportunity to be part of knowledge organization contributing to societal change.
• A vibrant and international working environment, with English as the primary working language.
• Work-life balance and home office opportunities.
• This position is placed either in the Adviser or Senior Adviser category, wage is determined by the position category and the candidate's experience.
• Salary for Adviser positions starts at NOK 688 271.-
• Salary for Senior Adviser positions starts at NOK 787 831.- .

Relevant staff benefits:

• In addition,to the annual 5 weeks holiday leave, CMI offers staff additional paid leave from the 24th of December to the 1st of January, and during the Easter week each year.
• Support for gym membership.
• Excellent travel insurance that covers both work and private travel (terms apply).
• Defined contribution pension (innskuddspension). Contributions are paid with 7% of the salary up to 7.1 G and 25.1% of the salary between 7.1-12 G (2% are deducted from the employee, terms apply).

Location

This position is located in Bergen, Norway. CMI is not in a position to offer remote working arrangements for new staff members. We offer home office agreements, allowing all staff to work up to two days a week from home office in Norway.

CMI is an independent, development research institute based in Bergen, Norway, with around 110 staff members. In cooperation with partners from all over the world, we address key development challenges in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

We combine high-quality research with an engagement to make knowledge accessible and used. We work in multi-disciplinary teams, where the main disciplines are economics, political science, and social anthropology. We have an international staff and an engaging working environment.

Our vision is 'research for a just and equal world', and our mission is to address global challenges by providing research-based knowledge that inspires and shapes policy and practice.

Our values are: inclusive & empathetic, collaborative, curious & bold and respectful. You can read CMI's strategy, vision, mission and values in full here: Who we are (cmi.no) .

CMI's strategic priorities for 2023-2028 are:

• High-quality research: increasingly be internationally recognized for cutting edge, interdisciplinary academic and policy-relevant research.
• Impact for societal change: To strengthen our influence, and shape public debates and policies in our fields of expertise.
• Equal knowledge production: To be a role model in equal and inclusive partnerships in all of our endeavors.

CMI's structural priorities for 2023-2028 are:

• An inclusive workplace: CMI must have an inclusive and healthy work culture that encourages and thrives on diversity, including in perspectives.
• A developing & sustainable organization: CMI continues to adapt to changing needs and requirements by having sufficient staff with the right competencies, resources, and technology to support our operations.
• Social responsibility: CMI works for sustainability in all areas of our operations, especially those focused on environmental, social and governance issues.