Senior Project Manager (MHRG)

The Division of Health Research, within Lancaster University’s Faculty of Health and Medicine, is seeking a committed and experienced Project Manager to lead on administration of the new Mental Health Research Group (MHRG). The MHRG is a five-year initiative funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It awarded Lancaster University almost £11 million to conduct world-class mental health research in the North West region.

The group will identify local needs and priorities for mental health research and work alongside residents to develop a more proactive, preventative model of care. Four initial research themes aim to tackle inequities in access to effective mental health interventions, particularly for those experiencing multiple disadvantages and/or complex mental health issues. The voices of diverse individuals with lived experience are central to all aspects of the research programme.

You will play an integral role in the MHRG programme and its management, coordinating collaboration with all programme members to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the programme objectives. This will include leading on strategic engagement with partner institutions, including other universities, NHS Trusts and third sector organisations, as well as on tracking MHRG progress again defined KPIs, managing budgets and expenditure, and producing accurate and timely project reports. You will also have joint supervisory responsibility for a dedicated Administrator alongside the programme co-leads.

We require an individual with previous experience of project management to ensure the smooth running of the MHRG. Previous experience must include:

• Managing large scale, diverse research projects, including negotiating with a wide range of research partners;
• Leading strategic engagement with academic and non-academic stakeholders;
• Organising and facilitating meetings, events, workshops and conferences;
• Running promotional media campaigns including web presence and social media.

The post will be based in the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research at Lancaster University and may involve travel within the UK.

The team and the Division of Health Research provide a friendly environment that strongly supports the individual needs of each employee and actively promotes a healthy work-life balance. The Faculty is committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies and has held a Silver Athena SWAN award since 2014 in recognition of its good employment practice undertaken to address gender equality in higher education and research.

The post is available to start July 2026 and we will consider against the business needs of the project flexible working arrangements including condensed hours, days/hours worked and flexible start and finish times. You will join Lancaster University on a fixed term contract; however, the role remains contingent on external funding, which at this time is due to come to an end on 30th June 2031.

Applicants wishing to consider the Skilled Worker Route should ensure they meet the points requirement before applying. Further information can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website.

For further information to discuss any aspects of the position, please contact: Dr Jasper Palmier-Claus: j.palmier-claus@lancaster.ac.uk or Professor Steven Jones: s.jones7@lancaster.ac.uk.

Further Details:
Job Description
Person Specification

Please note: unless specified otherwise in the advert, all advertised roles are UK based.

Advert information