Heriot-Watt University
PGR Administrator
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Role Title: PGR Administrator
Grade and Salary: Grade 4, £24,546 - £26,707 per annum
FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35hrs per week) Fixed Term (13 Months)
Reward and Benefits: 28 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full-time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About our Team
The School consists of the Department of Psychology, Department of Languages & Intercultural Studies, Department of Research Methods and Practice, and Edinburgh Business School, and delivers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate taught and research degrees across all of the University’s global campuses, as well as through a range of high-quality distance learning programmes. The PGR team oversees all aspects of the PhD and DBA programmes in the School, including a pre-doctoral Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods. The team also has responsibility for oversight of a range of additional research methods courses at UG and PGT level.
Purpose of Role
To assist with administrative tasks associated with running the doctoral programmes, including dealing with enquiries, taking minutes, and operating established administrative processes associated with tasks such as processing applications and monitoring student progress. Our administrative assistant needs to be flexible and versatile, picking up tasks and helping with projects from across the team.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Reporting to the School PGR Manager, the role holder will:
- Provide a high-quality service to current and prospective doctoral students, including timely response to enquiries: in person, by phone, and monitoring shared mailboxes, escalating complex queries as required.
- Process admission applications; this includes document verification and following up with requested documents before making recommendations based on admissions procedures, collating application documents for the scholarship panels, arranging interviews, and issuing decisions from the Admission/Scholarship Panel.
- Monitor and update student records. In particular, this includes supporting the student attendance monitoring process, coordinating suspension applications, ensuring that all procedures are properly and accurately followed, and escalating as required.
- Assist in organizing seminars both online and at the Edinburgh and Dubai campuses.
- Committee support for PGR meetings, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in routine administrative duties (e.g., minute taking).
- Liaise with academic and professional services colleagues in the doctoral team, the wider School, and University as necessary to ensure efficient performance of administrative tasks.
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Person Specification
These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.
Essential
- Literacy and numeracy skills equivalent to SCQF Level 5 or similar (see link https://intranet.hw.ac.uk/ps/hrd/recruitment/Documents/Simple%20Comparison%20of%20Education%20Qualifications%20in%20the%20UK.pdf for details) or equivalent experience
- Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above
- Competent in the use of relevant IT packages
- Well-developed interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
- Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
- Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly, and accurately in a dynamic, changing, and pressured environment
- Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Desirable
- Educated to SCQF Level 6 or equivalent qualification
- Experience with databases and platforms, including Virtual Learning Environments
- Knowledge of the postgraduate research student lifecycle
How to Apply
Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system:
- Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post
- Full CV
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Applications can be submitted until 23:55 on Sunday 27th September 2026.
About Heriot-Watt University
At Heriot-Watt, we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real-world impact achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot-Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximizing potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
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