ExoMars Project Manager

The Role

Aberystwyth University (AU) is seeking to appoint an experienced Project Manager with extensive technical and financial and schedule management skills to support the delivery of the Exo Mars Rosalind Franklin rover project objectives.

The Exo Mars Rosalind Franklin rover is a joint European Space Agency and NASA project to deliver a rover to the surface of Mars in 2030. The rover will be used to explore the Martian surface for at least 6 months to search for signs of past or present life in the subsurface. The UK is a key contributor to the Exo Mars project, providing the Enfys Instrument led by Aberystwyth University and the Pan Cam Instrument led by UCL Mullard Space Science Labs (MSSL).

These instruments will be used together and operated primarily by teams based at Aberystwyth University, MSSL and the Open University.

The post holder will be responsible for assisting the management of the Aberystwyth based team in the delivery of the project and its deliverables. They will work closely with the university’s Research Finance team and colleagues undertaking similar roles for the project partners, as well as internal and external agencies and government representatives, to provide reliable and proactive advice and services to academics and researchers at Aberystwyth University and provide advice to, and coordinate the activities of, the partners involved in the projects.

The appointee will be a member of the project management committees and will work closely with the Principal Investigator to support them in their role, organising project meetings, events, and delivering technical and financial reports. They may be required to travel within the UK and Europe.

To make an informal enquiry, please contact the Principal Investigator, Matt Gunn, at

Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.

This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties.

• Contribute to the overall project management through financial and administrative oversight, maintaining the project schedule and monitoring of day-to-day activities, processing travel claims, and collating information for audits, collating and validating reports from the partners.
• Together with the Principal Investigator, write reports for the funding bodies. Use financial and administrative tools to ensure compliance with the funders’ rules, and the reporting and achievement of targets.
• Oversee the management of any staff travelling to and from Aberystwyth University to deliver the project outcomes.
• Assist with the planning and running of key events associated with the project and co-ordinate the marketing and promotion of the projects as required. This might include internal and external meetings with stakeholders, governing bodies, funding bodies and various public engagement for a, including outreach activities associated with the projects.
• Serve as the central contact point for internal university staff for all administrative requirements of the project. Proactively deal with any issues to maintain trust and confidence within the administrative structure of the university.
• Undertake occasional visits to partners and attend project board and operational review meetings.
• Undertake other duties as assigned by your line manager, commensurate with the role's grade.
• Engage in university-level projects and initiatives as directed, and undertake any additional duties commensurate with the role, as assigned by the line manager.
• Demonstrate flexibility by supporting colleagues during periods of high demand, including attendance at key university events such as open days and graduation ceremonies which may include weekend work.
• Promote equality of opportunity, and to support and uphold the University's commitment to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work.
• To support the university strategy and underlining plans, engage in continuous personal and professional development in line with the demands of the role, including undertaking relevant training and…