Contract Type: Part-Time (17.5 hours per week / 0.5 FTE), Fixed Term for 27 months (with a possible 6 month extension)
Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days (pro rata)
About our Team
The Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Sciences at Heriot-Watt University (HWU), Edinburgh, Scotland has an opening for a part time project manager supporting the European Union/Scottish Enterprise funded project GEOGUARD (De-risking Geothermal Heat Extraction from Tight Hot Sedimentary Aquifer). Further details about GEOGUARD are available at the project webpage: https://geoguard.hw.ac.uk/
Detailed Description
The successful candidate is expected to work with the project leader to develop, promote, and coordinate the research and knowledge exchange activities across the GEOGUARD project. This involves organising project meetings, industrial meetings, workshops, webinars, and CDT courses throughout the project duration. Further, this will also include preparation of promotional materials, lay summary documents for a wider audience and media releases.
The post holder will pro‑actively liaise with external partners and stakeholders to ensure the development of innovative approaches to knowledge exchange. This includes making connections to other national and international projects on geothermal energy and various active stakeholders within the wider geothermal energy research theme.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Responsible for the overall day‑to‑day management of the GEOGUARD project on behalf of the project leader, including the assessment of project needs, preparing timelines, identifying key milestones and project work plans, and ensuring that deadlines and deliverables are achieved.
- Ensure timely preparation for all internal and external reporting within the set deadlines.
- Proactively manage close working links with key internal and external stakeholders.
- Organise project workshops, webinars, summer schools and hackathons.
- Monitor and produce collated reports for all work packages while anticipating and documenting project risks and delays to minimise adverse impacts.
- Ensure effective communications are in place with all stakeholders including consultation and management of expectations.
- Develop and regularly review performance against the project’s milestones and be responsible for management of risk and issue management.
- Support Heriot-Watt Professional Services in preparation and delivery of written and oral reports on finances and project outcomes for the sponsor, and other stakeholders as required.
- Monitor and support the implementation of the project data‑management plan across different project work packages.
- Liaise with Professional Services in Heriot-Watt.
Education, Qualifications and Experience
- Degree (or equivalent qualification or relevant professional experience) in a business, financial or scientific discipline.
- Experience in successfully managing projects that involve digital outcomes and development of open‑source codes.
- Experience in organising hackathon, summer schools, hybrid (in‑person/virtual) workshops and webinars.
- Demonstrable track record of successful staff leadership and/or senior management with ability to motivate project team members and to develop strong working relationships at all levels.
- Experience of working in an academic/HEI environment.
- Project and financial management skills, applicable to both small and large projects.
- Organisational skills, relating to own work and that of others with analytical and problem‑solving skills, as applied to technical and non‑technical hurdles.
- Postgraduate Degree or equivalent in project management or subject matter area.
- Experience with implementation of systems in an educational setting.
- Proven ability to apply project management methodologies across projects of varying complexity.
- Flexible approach to work and responsibilities.
- Energy and enthusiasm for the project.
- Experience of working within the energy transition sector.
Person Specification
- Have highly developed project management skills, able to manage projects from start to finish with minimal supervision and guidance.
- Excellent networking skills able to build strong relationships both internally and with clients, liaising with industry to increase the portfolio of the projects.
- Data analysis, producing reports and presentations to a high standard.
- Self‑motivated and highly organised, able to carry out multiple tasks and prioritise demanding workloads with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Responsible for close supervision, mentoring, and guiding team members to ensure meeting the project objectives as scheduled.
How to Apply
Please must submit via the Heriot-Watt on‑line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV.
Applications can be submitted until midnight on Sunday 23rd August 2026.
We anticipate shortlisting to be complete by 30th Aug and interviews to commence from 07 Sept.
Equal Opportunities
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 maximising 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.html 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.
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