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At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

The Role and the Department

The Department of Engineering at Durham University is consistently one of the very best UK engineering departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students.

Led by Professor Tony Roskilly, the Thermal Energy Systems Group in the Engineering Department consists of 23 staff members ranging from academic, post-doctoral research staff, professional support and technical personnel. The group has a successful track record of attracting funding and as such are looking to recruit a Special Projects Administrator to provide administrative support in the delivery of special projects including network events and communication activities.

The post holder will be required to work independently and within the team to support the delivery of project aims and activities. They will be responsible for supporting the Special Project Managers in the delivery of two EPSRC Network Grants, “Network-H2, a Network for Hydrogen Fuelled Transportation” and “The Network+ for the Decarbonisation of Heating and Cooling”, providing a variety of comprehensive administrative duties, including the typical role requirements detailed below.

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery

• Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• Provide an excellent and timely service to researchers, project collaborators and stakeholders.
• Use your experience and problem-solving skills to resolve routine issues with things relevant to your role such as grant queries and provide information and updates to help your team find solutions.
• Collect, organise and record data and information accurately and provide reports as required.
• Promote positive wellbeing arrangements which benefit you and your team.
• When carrying out your role, use and apply relevant professional and regulatory standards e.g., data protection when managing data.
• Use standard office-based devices and applications such as word, excel and power point to deliver services.
• Update guidance on standard operating procedures followed by the team.
• Arrange meetings, book event venues and travel arrangements for other team members.

Teamwork

• Resolve queries and respond to requests for information and advice and bring any complex issues to the attention of more experienced team members.
• Help your team organise and provide administrative services that support key activities for delivering research projects and contribute to team planning activities.
• Help your team ensure that procedures and services are adapted in response to feedback and to meet changing demands.

Communication/Liaison

• Seek feedback from all stakeholders you engage with to ensure that their requirements from the service you provide are being met.
• Record information e.g., attendance at events and respond to queries which you receive.
• Liaise with staff in other areas, professional organisations and agencies to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way.
• Liaise with external collaborators, suppliers, and service providers to plan the delivery of services and events.
• Provide support for meetings, working groups and committees, such preparing and sending documents for meetings, drafting reports and taking minutes.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits

• 27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year.
• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
• We offer generous pension schemes.

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role.

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1. Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or equivalent experience.

2. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.

3. Experience of managing time to meet deadlines and working under pressure without compromising on quality.

4. Experience of working in a team.

5. Experience of providing administrative support in a busy office environment.

6. Experience of organising events such as webinars, workshops and conferences.

7. Experience of working with financial data.

8. Experience of supporting meetings, including minute-taking and dissemination of paperwork.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

9. Excellent oral and written communication skills.

10. Excellent digital skills including experience in using digital tools including internet, email and video-conferencing tools such as Teams and Zoom, along with a proven ability to learn new systems.

11. Committed to continuing professional development.

12. Ability to solve problems and resolve straightforward issues yourself and as part of a team.

13. Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of colleagues and customers.

Desirable Criteria

14. Experience of providing administrative support in Higher Education environment.

15. Experience of providing administrative support in a research-intensive environment.

16. Experience of document design and production.

17. Ability to update web content and use social media in a business context.

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there is desirable criteria, we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence.

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

What you are required to submit:

1. A CV and;

2. A covering letter which details your motivation for applying for this position along with your experience, strengths and potential in meeting the requirements of the role and;

3. A table with clear examples as evidence of how you satisfy all the essential criteria of this post, and where possible, all the desirable criteria, as defined in the Person Specification.

Contact details

If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Rachel Simpson (Special Projects Manager - Research and Operations) who would be happy to speak to you. Please contact [email protected] in the first instance. All enquiries will be treated confidentially.

Useful links

If you would like further information, you may find the following helpful: https://net-zero-research.co.uk/

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.