Project Manager - Lincolnshire Unit for Mental Health Research (LUMHR)

The University of Lincoln is seeking a Project Manager to play a central role in the delivery of the Lincolnshire Unit for Mental Health Research (LUMHR) – a major NIHR-funded initiative focused on improving mental health and wellbeing in rural, coastal, and underserved communities across Lincolnshire.

This post is permanent and full-time (1.0 FTE) and offers the opportunity to work at the heart of an ambitious, multidisciplinary research programme involving academic, clinical, community, and lived-experience partners.

About the role

Reporting to the LUMHR Operations Manager and working closely with the academic Co-Leads, the Project Manager will provide day-to-day operational coordination to ensure the successful delivery of the five-year LUMHR programme.

You will develop and maintain detailed project plans, coordinate activity across multiple work packages and themes, monitor progress against milestones and KPIs, and ensure delivery remains aligned with funder requirements. You will play a key role in supporting governance, reporting, and compliance processes, including preparation of NIHR reports, maintenance of risk registers, and coordination of audit-ready documentation.

The role includes responsibility for financial monitoring at project level, working with College Finance colleagues to track expenditure and support forecasting, and for coordinating meetings, workshops, and governance groups. You will act as a central operational point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, supporting effective communication across academic teams, professional services, NHS and local authority partners, voluntary-sector organisations, and lived-experience contributors.

You will also line manage the LUMHR Administrator (Grade 4), ensuring effective administrative support for meetings, reporting, events, and day-to-day Unit activity. The role requires sound judgement, strong organisational skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Where appropriate, you may also contribute to coordination and learning across related rural, coastal and health research initiatives within the University.

About you

You will be educated to degree level (or equivalent professional experience) and have substantial experience of project management in higher education, research, health, public sector, or third-sector settings. You will have proven experience of coordinating complex projects, monitoring budgets, maintaining delivery documentation, and working across organisational boundaries.

You will be highly organised, proactive, and solutions-focused, with excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to inclusive, collaborative ways of working. An interest in mental health research and improving outcomes for underserved communities is essential.

About us

LUMHR is Lincolnshire’s first integrated, multidisciplinary unit dedicated to applied mental health research in rural, coastal, and small urban-deprived settings. The University of Lincoln is proud to be a recipient of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education (2023) and is based in the heart of one of the UK’s great historic cities. LUMHR works in partnership with the Lincoln Institute for Rural and Coastal Health (LIRCH) as part of the University’s wider place-based research portfolio focused on rural, coastal and community health.

Informal enquiries

For informal enquiries or further information, please contact the LUMHR Co-Leads, Prof David Dawson (ddawson@lincoln.ac.uk) and/or Prof Nima Moghaddam (nmoghaddam@lincoln.ac.uk).

You can find out more about working at Lincoln, and everything that we have to offer, at: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/jobopportunities/

Type / Role:

Subject Area(s):

Location(s):