About

• Position Details
• School of Engineering
• 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 salary that can be offered is Grade 6, salary £35,608.
• Part Time (22.5 hours per week)
• Fixed Term contract up to September 2029
• Closing date: 8th December 2025
• Our offer to you
• People are at the heart of what we are and do.
• The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
• We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
• We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
• Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
• The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
• Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
• Background
• Co-AIMS is a £13.7 million national research hub funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC). It unites seven universities and High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres with over 50 partners from industry, innovation, and government to position the UK as a world leader in AI-powered sustainable manufacturing. Combining pioneering research with industry-led flagships, the hub’s vision is to deliver robust, trustworthy AI systems that boost productivity, resilience, and environmental performance. The hub-and-spoke model connects universities as research “spokes” to address real-world challenges across priority sectors. This is a timely, transformative initiative: leveraging cutting-edge AI to reduce waste and emissions while empowering workers and businesses to adapt sustainably in the face of global disruptions. Co-AIMS offers a unique opportunity to drive UK leadership in human-centred, ethical AI for manufacturing.
• Role Summary
• This role is based within the School of Engineering (College of Engineering and Physical Sciences). The School, which is the largest in the College is a multi-department School comprising the disciplines of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering.
• This role is part of a wider, dynamic and exciting professional services team. The post holder will manage the administration of the Co-AIMS research hub through the provision of significant high-quality project management support as directed by the Hub Director, Professor Lohse and Senior Project Manager (Co-Aims). The post-holder will offer post-award support to the Co-AIMS Hub PIs. Working closely with the Hub Director, the Project Officer will support the day-to-day activities and administration from the outset of the Hub as it moves into set-up and delivery. This role will involve duties such as the monitoring and collection of project deliverables, monitoring and reviewing financial expenditure and the communication of information, guidance and regulations to project participants. The post holder will also contribute to the planning of events such as funder meetings, research events and conferences; and assist the Hub Director and Senior Project Manager (Co-Aims) in the successful delivery of these activities. Support the implementation of the School Research Strategy, with direction from and liaison with the Head of Operations, Research Administration Manager, Head of School, Senior Leadership Team and School Director of Research. The post-holder will be a key contact for research collaborations with other Schools and Colleges, Higher Education institutions, industry, and other external partners. A key component of the position is to establish successful working relationships with teams across the University including the Research Strategy and Services Division, Finance, HR, IT and Marketing Teams supporting successful delivery of research.
• 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 and administration. You will be expected to work proactively and using initiative and planning skills set your own priorities to ensure progress is maintained as expected, identifying issues and proposing solutions.
• To support the Hub Director and Senior Project Manager (Co-Aims) in the successful delivery of the Co-AIMS research hub.
• To support Research Project delivery, Advisory and Steering Boards, workstreams and working groups within an overall project; or manage elements of larger projects or smaller projects on your own.

Support may include some or all of the following

• Carry out project planning activities
• Identify milestones which will need to be adhered to
• Data collection and analysis
• Milestone tracking/key performance indicator tracking
• Develop and proposing solutions for any potential issues
• Recommend improvements for project management
• Prepare progress reports for project boards or other meetings
• Assist in budgetary monitoring and management, including reporting
• Assist with stakeholder management, develop and maintain regular contact with internal and external stakeholders to understand requirements
• Assess and escalate issues and risks as appropriate
• Support with a wide range of project operational duties to include project recruitment and procurement
• Any other project related requirements as deemed necessary by the PI for successful project delivery, e.g. possible travel in line with project deliverables.
• Contribute to development of communications plans, presentations, promotion of projects and outcomes of projects/workstreams e.g. via the Hub’s website and social media channels.
• Support with the Hub’s research activities such as the organisation of events, including seminar series, workshops, summer schools, and the annual hub conference.
• Contribute to the School Research network, providing input and assist in the implementation of processes and guidance to support the Project Officer role.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of project management methodologies and work with the wider Project Officer community (School, College and wider University) to develop best practice for post-award support.
• Work alongside the School Operations Hub and the wider Senior Leadership Team to support the delivery of Hub specific strategies.
• Determine short term priorities for own work, ensuring maximisation of quality, efficiency and continuity.
• Assist in the evaluation and review of projects.
• Support the Hub’s and School’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Promote equality and value diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade and as directed by the Research Administration Manager to support the Co-AIMS Research Hub.
• Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent), and or significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a similar role.
• Demonstratable experience of budget preparation, together with tracking and monitoring of budgets.
• Experience of managing complex information and queries within project delivery.
• Experience with developing and maintaining website content and professional social media feeds like LinkedIn.
• Highly proficient IT skills, including the wider MS Office suite of programmes.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to analyse information and data.
• Ability to understand policy, processes and procedures recommending improvements and implement changes if and when required.
• Excellent analytical skills in order to produce reports, identify and resolve issues decisively.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire confidence and with clear and effective direction with a range of colleagues and provide excellent customer service.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of an effective and high performing team.
• A high degree of professionalism, diplomacy, and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues.
• Ability to use initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility, with a self-motivating approach.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation, and to develop an understanding of the University and the higher education sector.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, ensuring that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.
• Desirable
• Experience working in an operational role or an administrative role supporting wide-scale research in an academic setting.
• Experience of using project management tools.
• Experience with event organisation.
• Informal enquiries to Laura Harvey, email: mailto: l.j.harvey@bham.ac.uk
• View our staff values and behaviours here
• 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. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.