CENTRE-UB Project Officer - College of Life and Environmental Sciences - 103002 - Grade 6 in Birmingham

Overview

Position Details

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906. As this vacancy has limited funding, the maximum starting salary that can be offered is £33,002.

Grade: 6. Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2027.

Closing date: 19th February 2026.

Main Duties

• Project Officers will manage smaller projects in their entirety or manage elements of larger projects or assist in the management of one or more larger projects through the provision of well-developed and timely project management support.
• You will be expected to work proactively, and use your initiative and planning skills to set your own priorities to ensure progress is maintained as expected, identify any issues, and propose solutions.
• Support Research Project delivery, Project Boards, workstreams and working groups within an overall project or manage elements of larger projects or smaller projects on your own.
• This may include:

• carrying out project planning activities;
• identifying milestones which will need to be adhered to;
• data collection and analysis;
• milestone tracking/key performance indicator tracking;
• developing and proposing solutions for any issues;
• recommending improvements to project management;
• preparing progress reports for project boards or other meetings;
• assisting in budgetary monitoring and management, including reporting;
• assisting with stakeholder management, developing and maintaining regular contact with internal and external stakeholders to understand requirements;
• assessing and escalating issues and risks as appropriate.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications). Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role will be required.
• Significant practical experience in a similar role, with experience of project management and using project management tools.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to analyse information and data.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including the wider MS Office suite of programmes including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to understand policy, processes and procedures, but also to recommend improvements and implement changes.
• Excellent analytical skills used to produce reports, identify issues and resolve them decisively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. The postholder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues and provide excellent customer service at all times.
• A high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy, and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues.
• A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility, and a self-motivating approach.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop a good understanding of how the University and higher education institutions work.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Role context

Roles at this level will require expertise and a detailed understanding of methods, systems and procedures in an administrative or professional area. You will either use specialist knowledge or have more of a planning/co-ordination/project role or a role which is supervisory in nature where you may manage a team doing similar kinds of work. You will have the opportunity to exercise a high degree of personal responsibility and initiative which you will use to resolve queries; you will use your judgement to deal with unforeseen problems and circumstances, all with limited guidance/supervision.

Core Competencies / Transferable Skills

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully use the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. As appropriate for the level, our Birmingham Professionals will take ownership for getting things done. You will be expected to be flexible as required in supporting your department and wider University.

• Planning and organising: project management; prioritise and schedule work and resources to ensure on time and (where applicable) on budget delivery; set priorities and quality standards for a wide range of tasks and duties; manage a team of staff who are carrying out similar kinds of work; contribute to written documents, for example handbook or guidelines internal to the area, taking account of audience; operate with limited supervision as they will have considerable scope for initiative, within established work procedures.
• Problem solving and decision making: anticipate and identify issues in own area based on experience; make appropriate suggestions for improvements and implement these when agreed in own area; facilitate change, and articulate the implications and benefits of change to others; focus on determining short-term priorities of work area, and how to maximise quality, efficiency and continuity.
• Organisational understanding: quickly develop an understanding of their working area and how it contributes to the success of the University; display an interest in how the University operates beyond own working area; develop and share this knowledge with others.
• Relationships and communication: develop and maintain excellent working relationships in own area, and more widely as required for collaborative working opportunities; communicate clearly and openly with others both within and external to the University, and use a range of communication skills and strategies to gain commitment to a course of action; demonstrate collaborative working at all times, including with others outside the immediate work area.

Informal enquiries to Tamara Jordan, email: t.c.jordan@bham.ac.uk

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.