Newcastle University
Research Support Officer
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Salary: £29,588.00 per annum with progression to £31,236.00
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 28 September 2026
The Role
Are you an experienced administrator with a strong eye for detail, excellent organisational skills and experience working with financial data?
We are seeking an enthusiastic administrator with great communication and problem solving skills to join our research and finance team where you will help to support our innovative and world-leading research agenda.
As part of the research and finance team, you will work closely with academic and professional services colleagues across the School of History, Classics and Archaeology and our Research Cluster colleagues in Arts and Cultures to play a key role in supporting research applications and awards.
You will work with academic colleagues to help cost applications, ensuring that these costs meet the funders eligibility requirements and University policy. A good ability to read, digest and communicate complex policy and procedures is therefore required.
Once research applications have been awarded you support the financial management of the projects including advising on budgets, reconciling spend on accounts and using University systems to facilitate purchasing. Experience working with financial or numerical data is needed, along with good Excel skills.
We are looking for someone who is a good team player with excellent interpersonal skills as this work involves liaison with different stakeholders within and outside the University. A positive ‘can do’ attitude and a flexible and helpful approach is essential.
This position is full time but we are willing to consider applicants wishing to work a reduced FTE of 0.8 (29.6hrs). We operate a blended working approach with at least half of your time spend on campus in our shared office space.
If you would like to discuss this role please contact James Copley-Mills (james.copley-mills@ncl.ac.uk), Research and Finance Coordinator and line manager to this role.
Key Accountabilities
- Act as the first point of contact for research support services as allocated by the Research and Finance Coordinator
- Provide advice and guidance to academic colleagues on costing and planning research proposals, conferences, networks, fieldwork and other activities, in line with University and funder rules, ensuring that correct procedures are followed and maximum recovery of costs is achieved
- Support academic colleagues with the application process and account set-up of research awards. This includes liaising with; Grants and Contracts, Contract Financial Management, the funder and project partners and to compile and complete appropriate project documentation e.g. application forms
- Provide project financial management for research accounts including budget management, regular reporting and advising the academic project lead and Professional Service managers on forecasted over/under spending
- Liaise with Grants and Contracts and Contract Financial Management as necessary through to project closedown and working across university services to help resolve issues
- Oversee/undertake transactions such as travel bookings, purchasing, sales, expenses checks and payments as required, ensuring accurate records are maintained for audit and reporting purposes in compliance with relevant legislation
- Devise and maintain efficient administrative systems to ensure effective record keeping, budgetary management and the smooth running of projects
- Be responsible for the administration of the School’s External and Internal Quality Assurance processes under the direction of the Directors of Research
- Be responsible for ensuring that the school web presence is kept up to date with information about research projects, seminars, conferences and other activities, and to act as a central point for the coordination of school, faculty and University research news items
- Any other duties within the scope and general nature of the grade which may be required from time to time including deputising for other members of the School research and finance team during busy periods and absences
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The Person (Essential)
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Experience of working to a high standard within a financial/administrative role that is relevant to this post
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to forge good working relationships, influence and persuade
- Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to proof-read own work and that of colleagues
- Ability to understand, interpret, and explain complicated policies and regulations, both orally and in writing to a wide range of audiences
- Proven ability to work accurately and quickly and to organise and prioritise work against many tight deadlines
- Experience of working with financial data including the ability to monitor budgets and forecast of expenditure (or comparable experience with numerical data and the ability to apply this to budgets)
- Ability to draw inferences from financial data and to explain conclusions effectively to non-financial experts (academic and administrative staff)
- High level of knowledge and experience using Microsoft Office programs including Excel
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Attributes and Behaviour
- Ability to work on own initiative with minimum supervision and as an active and communicative member of a team
- Excellent problem solving skills
- Works continually towards achieving success through understanding and meeting or exceeding the expectations of the area, the University, students, colleagues and other stakeholders
Qualifications
- Educated to A Level standard (or equivalent) or significant workplace experience
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 29739
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