Project Officer – International Programmes

The University of Manchester; Campus (IL); On-site; USD 46,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous employer contribution pension

29 days annual leave plus bank holiday

Ride to work and EV car scheme

Job summary

The University of Manchester is seeking a talented Project Officer to support delivery of a major international education initiative within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. The role involves coordinating multiple workstreams, governance, and reporting to senior stakeholders.

You will work with academic and Professional Services colleagues to ensure programme development and operational readiness, manage risks, and drive progress in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating projects or significant workstreams involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience tracking progress, managing actions and supporting delivery against deadlines and milestones.
• Experience preparing reports, briefings, meeting papers or similar documentation for a range of audiences.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build effective working relationships across teams and organisational boundaries.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate records.
• The ability to use initiative, make sound judgements and escalating issues appropriately.
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage project workstreams, ensuring delivery against agreed milestones and timelines.
• Maintain project plans, action logs, risk registers and other project management documentation.
• Support programme development and operational readiness activities across multiple University functions.
• Organise and service project boards, steering groups and governance meetings.
• Prepare reports, briefing papers, updates and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Monitor risks, issues, dependencies and delivery progress, escalating matters appropriately.
• Engage proactively with academic and Professional Services colleagues to secure contributions and maintain momentum.
• Support change management and implementation planning activities.
• Maintain accurate project records and ensure effective document management and version control.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and the sharing of good project management practice.

Skills

Project coordination

Progress tracking

Report writing

Organisational skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Attention to detail

Decision making

Education

Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience

PRINCE2/Agile training

Job description

The University of Manchester The University of Manchester is one of the world's leading universities, renowned for excellence in teaching, research and innovation. As part of our ambitious international strategy, we are developing new global education partnerships that will extend the reach and impact of Manchester's education and create opportunities for students and partners around the world.

We are now seeking a talented and highly organised Project Officer to support the delivery of a major international education initiative within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in the development and implementation of a strategically important international programme scheduled to launch in September 2028.

Working within the Faculty's Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Team, you will coordinate project activity across a broad range of workstreams, bringing together academic and Professional Services colleagues from across the University to drive progress, manage risks and support effective decision-making.

You will help ensure that programme development, governance, operational planning and implementation activities remain on track, producing high-quality project documentation and providing clear reporting to senior stakeholders. This is a varied and fast-paced role that will suit someone who enjoys working across organisational boundaries, solving problems and turning complex information into clear actions.

What You Will Do

• Coordinate and manage project workstreams, ensuring delivery against agreed milestones and timelines.
• Maintain project plans, action logs, risk registers and other project management documentation.
• Support programme development and operational readiness activities across multiple University functions.
• Organise and service project boards, steering groups and governance meetings.
• Prepare reports, briefing papers, updates and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Monitor risks, issues, dependencies and delivery progress, escalating matters appropriately.
• Engage proactively with academic and Professional Services colleagues to secure contributions and maintain momentum.
• Support change management and implementation planning activities.
• Maintain accurate project records and ensure effective document management and version control.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and the sharing of good project management practice.

About You

We are looking for an individual who combines excellent organisational and communication skills with the ability to work confidently in a complex and evolving environment.

You should be able to demonstrate:

Essential Criteria

• Experience of coordinating projects or significant workstreams involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience of tracking progress, managing actions and supporting delivery against deadlines and milestones.
• Experience of preparing reports, briefings, meeting papers or similar documentation for a range of audiences.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build effective working relationships across teams and organisational boundaries.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate records.
• The ability to use initiative, make sound judgements and escalating issues appropriately.
• Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable criteria

• Experience within higher education or another large, complex organisation.
• Experience supporting programme implementation, organisational change or process improvement.
• Project management qualifications or training such as PRINCE2, Agile or equivalent.

About The Team

You will join the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health's Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Team, a collaborative and supportive team focused on delivering high-quality educational experiences and outcomes.

The role offers the opportunity to work closely with academic leaders, School teams, central Professional Services colleagues and international partners on a project of significant strategic importance to both the Faculty and the wider University.

We value transferable skills and real-world experience as much as formal qualifications.

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer contribution pension
• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
• Ride to work and EV car scheme available

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here.

We are an open place of enquiry and challenge. We embrace and celebrate difference, diversity and debate, and we pride ourselves on being a place of education, learning and community where we are able, within the law, to question and test received wisdom, express new ideas and explore controversial or unpopular topics and opinions. Find out more from our Freedom of Speech Policy.