Senior Project Manager; Prosperity Partnership School of Metallurgy and Materials 103041 Grade 8

Position: Senior Project Manager (Prosperity Partnership) School of Metallurgy and Materials 103041 Grade 8

Description

School of Metallurgy and Materials, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Birmingham

Position Details

Location:

High Temperature Research Centre, Coventry, UK

Contract:

Fixed‑term, Part‑time (18.75 hours per week), up to May 2028

Grade: 8 – Full time starting salary normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression to £63,606

Closing date: 4th January 2026

Due to ITAR restrictions, this position is only open to individuals holding citizenship of nations that do not appear on the ITAR 126.1 list of proscribed countries.

Background

The High Temperature Research Centre (HTRC) is a research partnership between the University of Birmingham and Rolls‑Royce, operational since 2016. The centre focuses on manufacturing nickel superalloy single crystals and related technologies. The HTRC is jointly managed by a School of Metallurgy and Materials laboratory at the Edgbaston campus and a large‑scale research facility at Ansty Park, Coventry.

The HTRC recently secured an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership grant on Advanced Research in Crystal Anisotropy and Nucleation effects in Nickel Superalloys (ARCANE). This 5‑year, £11 M project involves the University of Birmingham, Rolls‑Royce, University of Oxford and University of Greenwich. The project has five work packages and a data‑science strand.

Role Summary

The Senior Project Manager will support the Principal Investigator and deliver the ARCANE project. The post involves strategic direction, day‑to‑day operational management, financial oversight, stakeholder engagement and reporting to the EPSRC funder.

Main Duties

• Lead project management activities, including the development of complex project plans.
• Create and maintain an overall project management plan and schedule.
• Identify objectives, success indicators and deliver contractual obligations.
• Plan and manage regular project meetings and stakeholder engagement.
• Establish effective networking relationships with all stakeholders.
• Set up, manage and monitor the project budget and cash flow.
• Co‑ordinate output evidence and ensure timely delivery of outputs to budget and quality standards.

Budget Management, Monitoring and Reporting

• Maintain accurate expenditure records and cash‑flow forecasts to maximise funder recovery.
• Ensure all allowable costs are recorded in accordance with University policy.
• Lead colleagues in accurate cost recording and audit controls.
• Delegate budgets to key task managers and monitor control and audit of project expenditure.
• Approve expenditure within delegation limits and escalated decisions to the Project Director when required.
• Ensure all grant reimbursement to beneficiaries is processed in line with policy.
• Provide quarterly financial reports to the project funder and the Project Management Board.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Communication

• Develop and implement a comprehensive evaluation strategy.
• Establish reporting procedures that meet requirements and gather data efficiently.
• Analyse data to ensure quality and take action when necessary.
• Report progress to the ARCANE Management Group and highlight risks.
• Maintain a risk register and communicate risks proactively.
• Engage with stakeholders to disseminate project outputs.
• Coordinate and organise strategic governance meetings (Steering Board, Advisory Board).
• Support PI in short‑term, medium‑term and long‑term reporting and planning activities.

People Management and Research Culture

• Line‑manage staff, ensuring targets and goals are achieved within resource constraints.
• Create a motivating and collaborative project environment to achieve outstanding research outputs.
• Identify development opportunities and encourage team growth.
• Maintain the ARCANE website as an external communication portal.
• Support day‑to‑day needs of ARCANE research students.

General

• Actively manage equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring, evaluation and challenge of unacceptable behaviour.
• Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource‑efficient working.
• Perform any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Relevant degree or equivalent professional qualification and substantial…