Project Finance and Reporting Officer – SAIC in Inverness

SAIC is hiring - we are looking for a Project Finance and Reporting Officer to join our team to help drive innovation in Scottish aquaculture.

The successful candidate will undertake financial administration and reporting, as well as support the delivery of SAIC-funded projects, working with partners across business and academia to ensure impactful, well-governed research.

The Project Finance & Reporting Officer is responsible for supporting the financial administration, project documentation, and reporting processes across SAIC’s project portfolio.

The post holder will

• Coordinate financial administration, including invoices, payments, claims, and reconciliations
• Maintain accurate project documentation, records, and CRM entries
• Support forecasting, budgeting, and financial reporting requirements
• Coordinate quarterly and annual reporting cycles in collaboration with project teams
• Provide administrative and operational support across SAIC’s finance and project governance functions
• Support continuous improvement of systems, processes, and information management

This role requires accuracy, organisation, excellent communication, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.

• Key duties and responsibilities
• Process project invoices, set up new suppliers and customers, and ensure timely payments.
• Manage financial administration relating to project claims, income, and expenditure.
• Maintain accurate financial records, ensuring audit-ready documentation.
• Support financial reconciliations, monitoring project budgets, and tracking expenditure.
• Assist the Finance Manager with financial forecasts, annual budgets, and quarterly returns.
• Prepare data for financial reports, dashboards, and Board-level updates.
• Support the development of financial summaries for project reviews and funding requirements.
• Ensure financial reporting meets all compliance, contractual, and internal standards.
• 3. Project Governance & Documentation
• Maintain accurate project files, ensuring grant letters, contracts, agreements, and extensions are recorded and stored securely.
• Coordinate the issuing and tracking of project documentation, deadlines, and returns.
• Manage the projects mailbox and respond to enquiries, signposting or escalating where required.
• Work closely with the Aquaculture Development Officers to ensure consistent, aligned project support.
• 4. Project Monitoring & Reporting
• Support the quarterly reporting cycle, gathering updates from partners and completing initial reviews of submitted information.
• Monitor project progress to ensure alignment with agreed objectives and deliverables.
• Identify issues early and liaise with internal colleagues or partners to resolve them.
• Maintain accurate CRM records for all project activity.
• Ensure that project and financial data is complete, consistent, and compliant with data protection requirements.
• Produce summary reports and extracts as needed by the team.
• 6. Continuous Improvement & Organisational Contribution
• Identify opportunities to streamline, update, and strengthen processes and systems.
• Implement improvements in collaboration with the Finance Manager and wider team.
• Share good practice from across the sector and contribute to developing SAIC’s internal frameworks.
• Uphold SAIC’s values of support, agility, integrity, and collaboration.
• Educated to HNC level or equivalent experience in Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Minimum two years’ experience in a finance, administration, or project coordination role.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills with high attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills with the ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
• High level of integrity and confidentiality when handling financial information.
• Experience working in innovation, research, aquaculture, or related sectors.
• Understanding of grant funding, research finance, or project reporting frameworks.
• Experience coordinating project documentation or governance processes.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and information management tools.
• Knowledge of financial compliance or audit requirements.
• Further information
• Salary: Up to £27.6k pa
• Job type: Part-time
• Location: Home-based/hybrid (travel required occasionally)
• Benefits: Company pension; work from home
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