Project Support Officer (ID4588)

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 3,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions. We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, high impact and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our People are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.

Project Support Officer (PSO) – provides appropriate project support to APHA Project Leaders (PLs) and budget holders to ensure their projects are planned, monitored and controlled effectively. Their role is to prepare and provide information and analysis for PLs and Lead Scientists, monitoring the financial and scientific progress of projects and to flag any deviations. Contribute towards the provision of similar information for stakeholders and customers. The PSO will ensure that projects are set up on all relevant agency systems and included in the annual budget planning and closed when completed. The role requires the candidate to be proactive, demonstrate excellent communication skills, and be able to build strong relationships with PLs and staff across both the Directorate, and agency, and to be able to convey project specific finance issues to them.

The purpose of the role is as follows

• Support PLs in the planning of new projects
• Ensure projects are planned onto the APHA business systems
• Monitor scientific and delivery progress of projects, and their financial status; forecasting and budgeting
• Stakeholder reporting and communication
• Assist with the submission of project / contract documentation
• Maintaining registered files and supporting audit requirements
• To advise on funding / business opportunities in accordance with Agency Procedures and processes

To advise on funding/business opportunities in accordance with Agency Procedures and processes

• Provide advice and guidance in relation to new requests for work and/or extensions to existing projects. Recommend projects to be reviewed at project approval meetings to exercise governance, ensure that the correct forms and costs are included with submission
• Provide project support to APHA Project Leaders (PLs) and budget holders to ensure their projects are planned, monitored and controlled effectively

Key contacts may include

PLs, project team members, heads of department, work group leaders, lead scientists, network procurement, sub-contractors/collaborators/suppliers, customers (e.g. external organisations, policy leads, devolved administrations, funding sponsors).

Support Project Leaders in the planning of new projects (prior to approval)

• Provide advice and guidance concerning APHA Business Systems, Contracts and Customers where required.
• Input proposal cost breakdown information to generate official proposal costings, prior to customer quotations, using appropriate contingency and margin.

Monitor scientific and delivery progress of projects, and their financial status

• Ensure that systems are regularly updated with the correct project milestones and deliverables information, to ensure the accuracy of KPIs (key performance indicators).
• Utilise appropriate systems for financial reconciliation activities
• Attend in-year project meetings, provide guidance on financial, administration and planning issues.
• Attend and actively participate at Finance Review Meetings, providing status updates on project income and expenditure, forecasting and budgets.
• Raise journals and deferrals for project income and expenditure.
• Raise purchase orders for high value costs, following specified approvals process.
• Attend related project meetings, budget and forecasting reviews with Project Leaders and budget holders.

Ensure projects are planned onto the APHA business systems

• Plan all projects into required systems.
• Ensure that projects are correctly set up in Oracle for project effort and cost recording.

Stakeholder reporting and communication

• Develop and maintain communication routes and relationships to ensure that all stakeholders are advised, as appropriate, of project progress and delivery.
• Provide analysis and information to PLs, lead scientists, heads of department and other stakeholders to support them in their project/portfolio management responsibilities.
• Participate in project and portfolio customer meetings.
• Produce progress reports at agreed timescales for PLs, lead scientists, heads of department and other stakeholders
• Input financial and administration information into proposal documents, annual and final reports
• Work closely with finance teams to support the delivery of accurate information to Defra and customers.

Assist with the submission of project / contract documentation

• Liaise with Project Leaders to produce project/contract documentation.
• Check, collate and obtain signatures where required for all proposal documents.
• Provide appropriate documentation to enable projects to be covered by appropriate contracts and agreements.
• Carry out in-year project amendments as confirmed or required by Customers; manage change control procedures.
• Supporting Lead Scientists with bid submission activities

Maintaining registered files and supporting audit requirements

• Identify all significant project related documentation. Store electronic records in shared work areas.
• Maintain electronic records archive.
• Exercise good records management, data/information handling, and maintain the quality of files in readiness for audits and quality checks.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Disability Confident

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A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.