Project Officer (Research)

Job description

King’s Climate & Sustainability (KCS) is a new university-wide initiative to step up our response to the challenge of climate emergency and global sustainability, and to accelerate and connect research, education and action across King’s. With an ambition to become a net zero institution, King’s has already made progress to embed sustainability into our operations. We are now uniquely positioned to amplify, connect and scale impactful research, education and action, build new connections between fields of study – including technological, socio-economic, legal, geopolitical – and create meaningful external partnerships to deliver strong, distinctive and visible contributions to the challenge of achieving just and fair transitions to sustainability.

The research workstream is an important aspect of this initiative. Our aim is to substantially grow the volume and quality of environment and sustainability research and our research impact. Our plan is to foster new research on a broad basis, but with particular emphasis on interdisciplinarity and impact, to attract large centre-of-excellence investments from the public sector and philanthropy.

The Project Officer (Research) will play a key role in supporting and managing the work associated with the research workstream. This includes supporting the new KCS Research Working Group, and working collaboratively with faculties, institutes and the Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID) to grow our research activity, income and impact. The role holder will ensure that activities associated with the research workstream are developed, planned, organised and delivered successfully.

We are looking for someone with experience of working on projects and/or supporting research operations/funding, with strong verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate will have excellent organisational skills and the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues and students. 

This is a full time post.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract until 31 August 2026.

Key responsibilities

• Provide proactive and timely project support to all aspects of the King’s Climate & Sustainability (KCS) research workstream, ensuring activities are developed, planned, organised and delivered successfully against key milestones
• Work with the KCS Project Manager to develop project and delivery plans, reports and tracking tools, ensuring the wider KCS Delivery Team are kept updated and informed, and progress is monitored
• Work collaboratively with faculties, institutes and the Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID) to ensure our KCS goals are embedded into plans and new academic appointments
• Provide secretariat support to the Research Working Group, working closely with the Chair to prepare papers, booking rooms, inviting speakers, taking minutes/notes, and following up the completion of actions
• Support the establishment of interdisciplinary structures to drive cross-departmental research development and collaboration, research-enhanced climate education, external partnering, fundraising and public engagement
• Support the organisation of a programme of workshops to develop research ideas and partnerships, with at least one workshop each term
• Work closely with colleagues in RMID to support the research seed-fund programme for climate & sustainability, ensuring that calls are publicised and supporting the application and shortlisting process
• Support the establishment and running of the climate and sustainability research network for PhD students
• Support the promotion of sustainable practice in research, working with researchers and technical services colleagues in research laboratories on expanding the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF)
• Work with the KCS Delivery Team and other colleagues across the university to ensure that relevant data and research metrics (e.g. reporting on grant applications and successes) are recorded and analysed for internal and external reporting purposes
• Lead and/or contribute to the planning of internal and external events related to the research workstream in collaboration with the wider KCS Delivery Team
• Undertake analysis and fact-finding to support the development of our climate & sustainability research plans
• Support communication activities related to the research workstream, liaising with other members of the KCS Delivery Team and key stakeholders across the university
• Develop and maintain excellent relationships to represent the KCS Delivery Team effectively and credibly in person, on the telephone and in correspondence with senior influential stakeholders within and beyond King’s
• Have awareness of the implications of the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act on the management and retention of data, and to act accordingly in line with both statutory regulations and King’s procedures
• Maintain professional knowledge by attending training, establishing personal networks and participating in professional development activities
• Act as an evacuation marshal

*The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

1. Relevant work experience and/or education. A wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you in this role, such as research operations, research administration, research funding or project management. Relevant educational experiences might include an undergraduate degree, professional qualifications (e.g. project management) or other training
2. Knowledge of project management methods, techniques and tools for the effective delivery of projects
3. Demonstrated experience in organisation and planning to manage complex and collaborative tasks effectively and complete activities to agreed deadlines
4. Demonstrated experience in building high-quality internal relationships with teams and key stakeholders, including at a senior level
5. Experience of collaborative team working to deliver successful outcomes.
6. Adaptability and flexibility to work across multiple areas in a complex and fast-paced environment, comfortable with ambiguity and complexity
7. IT literate, including the ability to use all Microsoft packages and an aptitude and desire to learn to use new tools.
8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to produce clear and concise written materials.
9. Experience of servicing committees
10. Ability to be a self-starter and have the motivation to see things through to completion, with the ability to work without close supervision
11. Ability to learn quickly and understand technical material, with an aptitude for understanding research issues

Desirable criteria

1. Interest in sustainability issues and familiarity with climate and sustainability research
2. A recognised qualification in programme or project management
3. Knowledge and understanding of research administration and/or the UK Higher Education sector