Administrator

Salary: £31,236 to £32,080 with progression to £34,610 per annum

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: 31 October 2025

The Role

About NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium 

Launched in August 2025, the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium (NIHR MDC) is a £50 million, five-year NIHR investment which brings together a diverse range of organisations with expertise in research, capacity development and working with people and communities to deliver a step change in maternity outcomes and developing future research leaders in this area of need. The research carried out by the consortium is organised into five theme and two workstreams and will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy. Nine University-led collaborations comprise the MDC.

The NIHR MDC is co-ordinated from Newcastle University (Research and Capacity Development) and the University of Birmingham (Research). The postholder will be based at Newcastle University and work closely with the Consortium team at the University of Birmingham. The University operates blended working but it is expected you will spend the majority of your time on site.

The NIHR MDC has been established to increase the evidence base to address maternity inequalities, facilitating a multidisciplinary whole systems approach to address uncertainties across research, innovation and implementation. It will task researchers and policymakers with finding new ways to tackle maternity inequalities. The research will have strong community engagement and be guided by inclusive principles. The research will be accessible to those developing policies and services to ensure it delivers the impact needed to improve pregnancy outcomes, access to, and experience of, maternity services.

The NIHR MDC’s research will help answer the most important questions facing policy makers, Local Authorities and service providers organised across five themes and two workstreams. To do this, we need to inspire and equip the next generation of research leaders in maternal health and care. The UK-wide Consortium will develop an innovative and transformative capacity building programme of career development awards and opportunities that are linked and embedded within the MDC’s research themes and workstreams, reflecting who/what is needed to address maternity inequalities. 

This post offers an exciting opportunity to be part of the team to establish this new Consortium.

The purpose of this role is to provide comprehensive administrative support to the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium (MDC) at Newcastle University, providing an effective and efficient service to the Consortium’s co-lead for Research and Capacity Development. The postholder will also provide support to the Consortium Programme Manager (capacity development) and the Capacity Development and Training Manager, as required and in agreement with the co-lead for Research and Capacity.  

You will be the first point of contact for the Consortium (Newcastle) and, amongst other duties, provide diary management, arrange and support meetings, conferences and other stakeholder events; arrange travel, accommodation and catering, report on management information and milestones; develop effective administrative systems and independently prioritise workload; and provide administrative support to the capacity development and training programme. 

This is a fixed term contract until the end of July 2030.

If you have any queries, please reach out to JUDITH.RANKIN@NEWCASTLE.AC.UK.

Key Accountabilties

• To provide administrative support to the Consortium’s co-lead for Research and Capacity Development providing organisational support with milestone reporting on the project timetable, meeting coordination, transcription/production of materials, arranging travel and meetings, booking accommodation. This may include conducting initial investigations/research or drafting correspondence as required. Correspondence may be complex reports, letters, proposals and presentations
• To support the Consortium Programme Manager (capacity development) and the Capacity Development and Training Manager, as required and in agreement with the co-lead for Research and Capacity, including (but not exclusively) diary support, meeting coordination, travel arrangements and booking accommodation for the Newcastle team.  This may also include collating information and drafting correspondence which may be incorporated in reports, letters, proposals, or presentations
• To organise and service group meetings of the team at Newcastle and other subgroups. including arranging meeting and room bookings etc., coordinating papers, drafting agendas; taking minutes; maintaining and proactively managing the actions. To represent the group at meetings and internal/external events, as appropriate
• To co-ordinate and support Consortium (Newcastle) meetings and working groups including arranging meetings, coordinating papers, drafting agendas, taking minutes, maintaining and proactively managing actions
• Be the first point of contact for the Consortium at Newcastle communicating clearly with the Consortium team, and University professional services staff and dealing with enquiries from partners
• To provide support to the Consortium team at Newcastle by developing, reviewing and maintaining systems to manage and store confidential information in an accessible manner in accordance with the various requirements of research governance legislation, data protection legislation and funder guidelines
• To support the reporting of management information including taking responsibility for maintaining database(s) of information; gathering data from multiple sources, extracting reports as required and ensuring the integrity of data entered / recorded and that data is managed in accordance with data protection legislation and funder guidelines
• To source commodities and equipment. Liaise with support staff to execute and monitor purchasing, and ensure efficient distribution of items
• To process and monitor payments including invoices and expense claims ensuring that all expenditure is against the correct budget sub-headings.  Ensure that the receipt of goods and/or services is confirmed, and assist in the resolution of invoicing, coding or expenses queries, to provide an efficient service and assist the Consortium team (Newcastle) to adhere to the University’s Procurement Regulations.  Early escalation of all financial queries to the Consortium Programme Manager. To act as expenses proxy
• To develop, implement and maintain effective office procedures and systems to ensure that support is efficient, timely and accurate
• To contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and participate in Professional Support Staff working groups as required
• To organise regional and national events and workshops and to provide support for patient and public involvement events
• To provide communications support to the grant teams including liaising with internal and external contacts e.g. collaborating institutions/colleagues, project partners
• To develop and maintain project websites, social media sites, shared research space and contact lists

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Relevant recent administrative experience in a large organisation
• Up to date knowledge of MS Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing and verbally
• Excellent administrative skills, including experience of setting up filing systems, preparing agendas and taking minutes of meetings
• Ability to work quickly and accurately to deadlines, paying attention to detail
• Good team working abilities
• Experience of budgetary monitoring including use of financial management systems
• Experience of working with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of servicing complex committees
• Excellent IT skills, including competent use of Microsoft Office
• Experience of developing and operationalising administrative systems
• Experience of research systems and processes in higher education
• Experience of drafting reports and promotional materials

Attributes and Behaviours

• Good team working abilities
• Excellent organisational, communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritise own workload and manage conflicting priorities and monitor/report on project milestones
• Attention to detail
• Ability to act with sensitivity in dealing with partners and stakeholders
• Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships within the Consortium
• Ability to deal appropriately with confidential information
• A positive and supportive attitude; ability to work flexibly and cooperatively with others
• Evidence of a commitment to continuing professional development

Qualifications

• Grades A-C in English Language and Mathematics GCSE (or equivalent) or vocational qualifications

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: 28718