The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Project Administrator to join the Division of Population Health in the School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield. The role is to support a process and outcomes evaluation of the Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams (PHIRST) scheme (https://phirst.nihr.ac.uk/) and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research (PHR) Programme.

The post-holder will set up and manage administrative systems and ensure project timelines are adhered to in a professional and efficient manner. The role will involve development and maintenance of work processes to support the evaluation. This requires the application of established project management methods, managing the project budget, monitoring and maintaining accurate financial records. You will work closely with the evaluation’s Project Manager and the broader team members, and you will liaise with external staff at NIHR, professional and public stakeholders, and other collaborators.

You will be a competent user of the Microsoft Office Suite, an excellent organiser, and have the ability to use your initiative to solve problems. You will have impeccable attention to detail, respect for confidentiality and proven budget management and research project management experience, ideally in an academic research environment.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Support the management of the evaluation, acting as its primary point of contact.
• Establish and maintain robust project-management systems to determine priorities, milestones, progress and risks, ensuring the efficient and timely delivery of the evaluation.
• Support the management of the evaluation budget, which involves interpreting financial reports to ensure the efficient allocation of expenditure and staffing resources, maintaining a thorough audit trail, escalating any areas of concern to the evaluation Project Manager.
• Support the production of project reports by working closely with staff and collaborators to ensure suitability of formatting and accuracy for submission to the funder.
• Organise and manage face-to-face and online events and workshops.
• Support activities relating to dissemination, which may include creating and maintaining web pages and social media accounts and contributing to the design of evidence briefing materials.
• Have an understanding of University and Departmental policies and procedures, and experience of working to ensure compliance with Research Governance, Data Protection and Ethical Requirements.
• Ensure administrative support is provided for the evaluation, to include organising meetings, travel and accommodation and processing expense claims.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Further Information

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on 23rd April 2026. This will consist of an interview and an aptitude test. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage asap following the closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact dph-section-operations@sheffield.ac.uk

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in a new window).

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.