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Job description

We are looking for a highly organised and skilled individual to join our Research Support team. The Research Support Team facilitates the acquisition and delivery of science research projects by supporting and administering tenders and contracts, and by providing a project management system which is used to manage all project-based science work, including work funded by grants and donations. The postholder will be responsible for the administration of a specific EU funding grant for 3 days a week, A Changing Climate Impact Monitoring and Assessment Toolbox for Irish Seas (ACCLIMATISE), a project funded under PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The postholder will also be required to work alongside other Research Support Officers / Administrators, reporting to the Head of the Research Support Team. Please see employer website for full job details & person specification.

Responsibilities

• Undertake all activities required to ensure appropriate administration of the Grant.
• Reviewing, understanding and ensuring compliance with the Contract, Guidelines and Regulations.
• Budget management, tracking expenditures and preparing financial reports/claims.
• Maintaining accurate records and responding to regular audit / verification requests.
• Adhering to set deadlines.
• Collate and produce (as appropriate) all such other documents that will be required as part of the grant administration.
• Liaising with internal staff, the ACCLIMATISE Project Management Office in AFBI, and stakeholders.
• Identify and co-ordinate responses to suitable advertised research funding opportunities, liaising with appropriate operational staff.
• Maximise the chances of success and of an appropriate financial return for proposals by providing templates, supporting documentation and guidance to proposal leads; checking the accuracy and completeness of costings.
• Checking compliance with tender requirements; ensuring timely submission to funder.
• Ensure that appropriate contractual project documentation is completed and signed off, liaising with funders, staff and subcontractors as necessary.
• Claim monies receivable, and authorise monies payable, in accordance with contractual provisions.
• Facilitate the resourcing, management, QA and accounting of project delivery by using and contributing to the development of the project management systems.
• Promote and support the development of BTO governance, compliance and QA policies relevant to research contracts.
• Any other duties commensurate with the level and purpose of the role.
• Provide administrative support to the Northern Ireland office of the BTO.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• High level literacy and numeracy, with a keen eye for accuracy.
• Intermediate Microsoft Office.
• Ability to organise a workload with competing priorities under pressure of fixed deadlines and with changes often at short notice.
• Good problem-solving skills and judgement as to when to escalate issues.
• Willingness both to share team workloads and to take ownership of individual tasks.
• Ability to work constructively and negotiate with BTO scientific staff tender leads, and with funders’ contract letting staff.
• Ability to read and appraise formal contract documentation, which can be lengthy and written in legalese.
• Good command of the English language.
• Familiarity with, and aptitude for, formal quality assurance and other governance standards and procedures.

Desirable Skills

• Experience of grant administration (preferably EU funding).
• Familiarity with common services contract terms and conditions, in particular those relating to intellectual property, liability and indemnity. (Training will be provided if necessary).
• Familiarity with Microsoft Project or other Project Management System. (Training will be provided if necessary.)

Further Information

This is a 36 month contract. You can read the full role description by clicking on the role description under 'supporting documents' in the job details on our careers page. Please contact us if you are not sure if you meet all the criteria for the role and would like to discuss the role in more detail. Closing date for receipt of applications is 23:59 on Sunday 23rd November and Interviews will be held on 8th & 9th December. This is a fixed-term position, currently expected to conclude around March 2029, though this could end sooner or be extended subject to project requirements. If applying for the role of 5 days a week, the successful candidate should be able to read and review/compare lengthy contract documentation and will have previous experience in writing/reading contracts/proposals. This position is ideally based at the BTO NI Office in Lisburn. If based at the BTO office you will be able to work from home part of the time on a hybrid working regime and flexible start and finish times can also be accommodated to ensure a good work-life balance. Training on BTO systems will take place at BTO in Thetford, Norfolk, England.