External Projects Officer

Research at Edinburgh Napier University is creating high-quality knowledge that benefits the social, cultural and economic life of the society we serve.

Our Research, Innovation and Enterprise department (commonly known as RIE) supports our academics and researchers with the full research journey and planning process at Edinburgh Napier University.

To help us maintain the high level of support we provide, we are now recruiting an External Projects Officer for a fixed-term 12 month contract, to contribute to the delivery of the University’s Research and Innovation Strategy and Corporate Plan through effective record keeping, spend monitoring and administration, and supporting the development of commercial and enterprise funding opportunities.

The Role:

As External Projects Officer, you will have the opportunity to use your previous experience of research administration to ensure accurate recording of bid submissions, supporting evidence and award details on the  “Worktribe” research management system, in order to evidence regulatory compliance and correct reporting.

Your knowledge & understanding of Research and Commercial project finances will also serve you well, as you take responsibility for undertaking financial checks to ensure that funding awards reconcile to the original application, and where differences arise, ensure a revised costing model is completed.

Your attention to detail, proactive nature and excellent communication skills will all come in handy here, as you work with schools to ensure costs are assigned accurately to projects, meet regularly with PIs to review and monitor project balances and act as a main point of contact for all external EU and Research related audits, providing supporting evidence to meet all audit requirements.

Your knowledge & expertise in creating contracts to capture project activities will also be well utilised, as you support the RIE business relationship and enterprise teams with the development of commercial funding opportunities, including the creation of consultancy and CPD contracts.

This is an excellent opportunity to take the next step in your career in research or commercial administration and make a valuable contribution to studies that often make a significant and positive impact on our society.  If you have the relevant experience and motivation to make a real difference, then we would love to hear from you.

What we will need from you:

• An undergraduate degree or an equivalent level of knowledge gained through experience in a similar role
• Previous research or commercial administration experience including project finance costing
• Populating and interrogating research information management systems such as Worktribe
• Experience of Agresso accounting system, or equivalent
• Knowledge and understanding of creating contracts and research/commercial project finances

Benefits we offer:

We offer 41 days annual leave (includes bank holidays), a generous pension scheme (17.6%), flexible working and professional development opportunities. Further information regarding our benefits can be viewed here.

Additional information:

Contract Fixed Term – 12 months, Part Time – 28 hrs p/w

Interviews: Week commencing 12th January 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

On this occasion, the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship for this role. International workers will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

The University holds Disability Confident, Carer Positive and Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champion status. More details can be found here. We are a flexible Employer.

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