Project Support Officer (ID4588) in Leicester

Project Support Officer (PSO) – provides appropriate project support to APHA Project Leaders (PLs) and budget holders to ensure their projects are planned, monitored and controlled effectively. The PSO prepares and provides information and analysis for PLs and Lead Scientists, monitors the financial and scientific progress of projects and flags any deviations. They contribute towards the provision of similar information for stakeholders and customers, and ensure that projects are set up on all relevant agency systems, included in the annual budget planning and closed when completed.

Responsibilities

• Support PLs in the planning of new projects.
• Ensure projects are planned onto the APHA business systems.
• Monitor scientific and delivery progress of projects and their financial status; forecasting and budgeting.
• Stakeholder reporting and communication.
• Assist with the submission of project/contract documentation.
• Maintain registered files and support audit requirements.
• Advise on funding and business opportunities in accordance with Agency Procedures and processes.
• Provide advice and guidance on new requests for work and/or extensions to existing projects, recommend projects to be reviewed at project approval meetings, ensure correct forms and costs are included with submission.
• Provide project support to APHA Project Leaders and budget holders to ensure their projects are planned, monitored and controlled effectively.
• Key contacts may include: PLs, project team members, heads of department, work group leaders, lead scientists, network procurement, sub‑contractors/collaborators/suppliers, customers (e.g. external organisations, policy leads, devolved administrations, funding sponsors).
• Support Project Leaders in the planning of new projects (prior to approval).
• Provide advice and guidance concerning APHA Business Systems, Contracts, and Customers where required.
• Input proposal cost breakdown information to generate official proposal costings, prior to customer quotations, using appropriate contingency and margin.
• Ensure that systems are regularly updated with the correct project milestones and deliverables information, to ensure the accuracy of KPIs (key performance indicators).
• Utilise appropriate systems for financial reconciliation activities.
• Attend in‑year project meetings, providing guidance on financial, administration and planning issues.
• Attend and actively participate in Finance Review Meetings, providing status updates on project income and expenditure, forecasting and budgets.
• Raise journals and deferrals for project income and expenditure.
• Raise purchase orders for high‑value costs, following the specified approvals process.
• Attend related project meetings, budget and forecasting reviews with Project Leaders and budget holders.
• Plan all projects into required systems; ensure projects are correctly set up in Oracle for project effort and cost recording.
• Develop and maintain communication routes and relationships to ensure that all stakeholders are advised, as appropriate, of project progress and delivery.
• Provide analysis and information to PLs, lead scientists, heads of department and other stakeholders to support them in their project/portfolio management responsibilities.
• Participate in project and portfolio customer meetings.
• Produce progress reports at agreed timescales for PLs, lead scientists, heads of department and other stakeholders.
• Input financial and administration information into proposal documents, annual and final reports.
• Work closely with finance teams to support the delivery of accurate information to Defra and customers.
• Liaise with Project Leaders to produce project/contract documentation.
• Check, collate and obtain signatures where required for all proposal documents.
• Provide appropriate documentation to enable projects to be covered by appropriate contracts and agreements.
• Carry out in‑year project amendments as confirmed or required by Customers; manage change control procedures.
• Support Lead Scientists with bid submission activities.
• Identify all significant project‑related documentation; store electronic records in shared work areas.
• Maintain electronic records archive.
• Exercise good records management, data/information handling, and maintain the quality of files in readiness for audits and quality checks.

Qualifications

• Proactive and able to demonstrate excellent communication skills.
• Strong relationship‑building ability with PLs and staff across the Directorate and agency.
• Capability to convey project‑specific finance issues.