ICC Project Coordinator

Job description

The University

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.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

The Role and the Department

We are seeking a full-time ICC Project Coordinator who, working closely with the Director and other members of staff, will contribute to the future success of Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC). A world-renowned research centre, the ICC is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary during which time it has made decisive progress on fundamental questions ranging from the origin of galaxies to the nature of matter. We are looking for an administrator who will take ownership of varied and wide-ranging areas such as: coordinating our portfolio of grants; working as needed with internal university departments such as HR and Finance; welcoming and arranging support for research students and high-profile visitors; and managing recruitment of research students and other staff.

The successful applicant will work closely with the administrative team in astronomy and the broader Physics department, as well as with academic staff from the ICC and other relevant research groups. The base location for this role is the award-winning Ogden Centre West building, in which the ICC is homed alongside the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy and Centre for Advanced Instrumentation. This is chiefly an in-person role, although a small amount of hybrid working (such as one day per week) can be considered.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:
• You'll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days. 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.
• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community.
• Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships.
• We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

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.

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/Person Specification

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. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1. Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or a Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.

2. Experience of working in a busy office environment delivering front line administrative services to a high standard.

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

4. Experience of providing advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

5. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.

6. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including including communication tools such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 applications (i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook and others).

7. An understanding of general financial procedures such as approaches to managing expenditure within strict budgets.

8. Ability to solve problems yourself and as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.

9. Ability to prioritise tasks effectively.

10 Ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with a variety of sensitive data and information.

11. Committed to continuing professional development.

12. Ability to participate in networks to share and discuss good practice and exchange information.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a university and/or research environment.
  
• Familiarity with grant-costing and reporting software such as WorkTribe and/or HR systems such as Oracle.
  
• Experience of meeting or events organisation.
  
• Familiarity with arranging business-related travel/accommodation.
  
• Experience of managing website content and ensuring that it remains readable, up-to-date and relevant.
  

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 are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

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:
• A CV
• A supporting statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification

Contact details

If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Claire Davies would be happy to speak to you [email protected]

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery

• Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the University's values.
  
• Ensure that relevant regulatory and professional standards, for example regarding financial and HR reporting, are being used within services being delivered by your team.
  
• Help to develop and implement policies and procedures relating to visitors, grant applications and management, events and reporting.
  
• Respond to queries and provide information/advice, while raising more specialist or complex queries with more experienced team members.
  
• Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues relevant to your role such as making most efficient use of available grant funds to support a variety of staff with different roles, and make recommendations based on your findings.
  
• Continually review what is required from staff, students and other members of the administrative team to make sure the best possible service is provided.
  
• Ensure that processes and business systems effectively support the services being delivered by the team, for example ensuring that grants are optimally costed and fully utilised if awarded, and ensuring that travel processes support the team.
  
• Monitor and analyse the use of grant and other sources of funding to ensure efficiency and report your findings to senior colleagues.
  
• Ensure that data is accurate and provide reports and analysis of patterns and trends to senior colleagues.
  
• Capture and share information and data that needs to be shared with relevant networks and committees.
  
• Use digital media e.g. emails, SharePoint and our externally-facing website to update team members and the wider research community, and the general public.
  
• Prepare and submit reports for senior managers and grant funders.
  
• Coordinate the diary of the ICC Director and other busy stakeholders where needed to ensure the smooth operation of the ICC.
  

Planning and Organising

• Plan and organise own workload to deliver the role.
  
• Organise and schedule assigned meetings as required to ensure both short-term and long-term goals receive adequate attention from administrative and academic staff, in consultation with the ICC Director.
  
• Organise and plan travel of ICC members as required.
  
• Organise other events such as workshops, PhD vivas, International Advisory Board meetings and workshops.
  
• Plan ahead to ensure that grant end dates and their implications for staffing are understood and appropriately communicated / acted upon.
  
• Monitor processes and activities to ensure team priorities are met.
  
• Support wider Physics department activities as required, including coordinating and servicing departmental committees, preparing agendas and papers, taking minutes, tracking actions and supporting the implementation of committee decisions.
  

Teamwork

• Provide specialist support and advice to team members on the ICC and broader astronomy grant portfolio.
  
• Explain and provide instruction to other team members on how to correctly record and manage data.
  
• Make changes to the services provided by your team in discussion with other team members.
  
• Identify opportunities and contribute to decisions on how to improve services being delivered by the team.
  
• Seek feedback from all ICC group members and external stakeholders such as visitors on their requirements from your service and recommend improvements to senior colleagues.
  

Communications/Liaison

• Use your knowledge and expertise to provide advice and guidance to resolve problems and respond to a wide range of queries.
  
• Provide instruction and demonstrations to others within the broader Physics department and Faculty of Science, as required.
  
• Create good working relationships with other team members and anyone else that you come across as part of your role to work together on joint activities.
  
• Liaise internally with staff in HR, Finance, CIS and externally with funders such as UKRI, Royal Society, ERC to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way.
  
• Create good working relationships with internal and external partners and suppliers to work together on joint activities.
  
• Build relationships with contacts and contribute to internal and external networks to share good practice and exchange information.
  
• Liaise with Event Durham, CIS, Key Travel and philanthropic partners such as the Ogden Trust to plan the delivery of services and events.
  
• Any other reasonable duties.
  

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 Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Privacy Notice which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Durham University is a UKVI sponsor. Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK should note that not all roles are eligible. Further information on visa requirements and eligibility can be found on the UKVI website.

Version 07-2026