Centre Coordinator

The Post

The Centre for the Sciences of Place and Memory (CSPM), based in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, is seeking a Centre Coordinator to provide dedicated operational and administrative support to the Centre Director and Deputy Director. This is a hands-on coordination role covering financial administration for the Centre and the Centre's seed funded projects, research administration, events and visitor coordination, and day-to-day communications for a research team of 18.

You will demonstrate excellent organisational and administrative skills, sound financial attention to detail, and the ability to plan, prioritise and organise a varied workload independently while working closely with the Director and Deputy Director.

Informal enquiries about the role are welcome and should be addressed to the Centre Director, Professor John Sutton, at john.sutton@stir.ac.uk

Description of Duties

Financial Administration

• Process invoices, expense claims and reimbursements through Agresso
• Support monthly budget reporting and reconciliation, escalating queries to the Director or Finance as needed
• Support seed funding administration, tracking expenditure against awards

Team & Seed Funding Recipient Coordination

• Provide day-to-day administrative, event and operational matters (ordinary Centre business) for the wider research team and seed funding recipients — a wider group of Stirling researchers holding Centre-aligned small grants, which overlaps with but is not limited to the core team. Use initiative to resolve routine requests, and escalate to the Director when necessary
• Act as a day-to-day point of contact for team members and seed funding recipients on administrative and operational queries, directing requests to the appropriate process or resource

Research & Reporting Administration

• Maintain records of Fellows' and PhD researchers' outputs and activities to support annual Leverhulme reporting
• Assist with collating publications and engagement data ahead of reporting deadlines

Events & Visitor Coordination

• Provide logistical support for seminars, workshops, conferences and visiting researcher stays (room bookings, welcome materials, travel/expense processing, catering arrangements, AV support and equipment booking)
• Arrange transport and collection for visiting speakers and researchers (e.g. from train stations or airports) as required
• Maintain an inventory of shared equipment and room supplies, ensuring items are documented and available to borrow and return
• Process visiting researcher paperwork and Associate member applications as instructed

Communications & Team Support

• Maintain the Centre's shared inbox, calendar, and Teams/SharePoint sites
• Support meeting scheduling and take minutes as required
• Update existing content on the University website and internal communication channels, as directed by the Centre Director

Operational Support to the Director and Deputy Director

• Provide day-to-day administrative support, including diary support, correspondence and general office administration
• Act as first point of contact for the Director, handling and resolving matters where possible, redirecting others appropriately, and escalating to the Director only when necessary
• Support HR-related administrative processes (e.g. contract paperwork submission) as directed

Records & Data Protection

• Maintain accurate Centre records (financial, research administration and team-related) in accordance with data protection legislation and University policy, escalating data protection or freedom of information queries to the Director or University Information Governance team as appropriate

Other

• Work flexibly on occasions to support Centre events and conferences
• Demonstrate a proactive approach to personal development, undertaking training relevant to the role
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as reasonably required

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

• Educated to a minimum of HND level, or equivalent professional experience

Knowledge & Experience

• Proven experience in a busy administrative environment
• Experience of financial administration or processing (e.g. invoices, expenses, budget records) using a finance or ERP system
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel
• Experience managing sensitive/confidential information with tact and discretion

Skills & Attributes

• Excellent organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise a varied workload independently
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Sound judgement and the ability to identify when to escalate an issue
• Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively within a small team

Desirable Criteria

Knowledge & Experience

• Previous experience in Higher Education administration; experience using Agresso specifically; experience supporting research grant administration or reporting

Additional Information

Part time (80% FTE)
Fixed term until August 2029

Grade 5: £26,707 - £29,588 p.a. pro-rata

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 18 October 2026.
Interviews are expected to take place on Tuesday 03 November 2026.

There is an expectation that work will be undertaken in the UK.

This role is not eligible for sponsorship. Applicants require to have existing right to work in the UK.

The University of Stirling recognises that a diverse workforce benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers and welcome applications from those who would contribute to further diversification of our staff and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is woven into the substance of the role. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds including gender, identity, race, age, class, and ethnicity.

The University

The University of Stirling is Scottish University of the Year 2027 and UK Sports University of the Year 2027 (Daily Mail University Guide).

The University of Stirling is committed to providing education with a purpose and carrying out research which has a positive impact on communities across the globe. Driven by our mission to be the difference, we are addressing real issues, providing solutions, and helping to shape society.

The University has more than 17,500 students globally and employs 1,500 staff, with more than 140 nationalities represented within our community. Our campus environment is ranked first in the UK and top 10 in the world, and our sports facilities rank first in the UK and second in the world (International Student Barometer 2024, wave two), reflecting our long-standing designation as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.

We are proud holders of a Silver institutional award from the Athena Swan Charter, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality. We have an overall five-star rating in the QS Stars University Ratings and, in recognition of our excellence in business education, we are accredited by AACSB International.

Eighty-seven per cent of our research has an outstanding or very considerable impact on society, with more than 80% rated either world leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2021), and we are ranked among the top 200 institutions in the world for our contribution to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have twice been recognised with a Queen's Anniversary Prize; for our Institute for Social Marketing and Health (2014) and our Institute of Aquaculture (2019).

Alongside partners, the University spearheads the £214 million Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal – which will deliver major University-led projects, the National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub and Scotland’s International Environment Centre. We are also a central partner in the Forth Valley University College Health Partnership.

www.stir.ac.uk @stiruni