Business Specialist / Advisor

We have an interesting new part-time project administration role, a Business Specialist / Advisor, at Rothamsted, North Wyke in Devon.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive experienced project administrator to work with us on our Agri-tech Cornwall Project (ACP), funded by ERDF and the Department for Communities and Local Government. This role is .5 FTE which is 18.5 hours per week which we are open to accommodating working patterns around work life between Monday - Friday.

The successful candidate will support researchers engaged in collaborative R&D projects with agri-tech business partners to ensure the smooth running of projects and adherence to ERDF eligibility requirements. The ERDF senior project administrator will be responsible for collating the evidence required to support the eligibility of SMEs joining Rothamsted’s funded projects and maintaining core compliance documents including asset registers, procurement records, timesheets, and claims forms.

As part of this role you will:

• Support the Rothamsted Research project teams in adhering to ERDF eligibility and reporting requirements
• Maintain comprehensive and accurate records of SME activity, registration and eligibility information
• Co-ordinate ingoing and outgoing communication with SME clients involved in the project; maintaining full records of this engagement;
• Liaise with the core Agri-tech Cornwall Programme team, Rothamsted internal departments and stakeholders involved in the project to ensure smooth running of collaborative research projects;
• Establish and maintain records and databases in line with funders audit requirements;
• Be responsible for the collation, compilation and submission of compliant and verified output information to core Agri-tech Cornwall compliance and finance teams.
• To carry out any other duties appropriate to the post as determined by your line manager.

A good understanding of European Structural Investment funds rules and regulations would be of great benefit to the role along with proven experience of carrying out internal project administration relating to these.

Agri-tech Cornwall is a £10m initiative to support ambitious small and medium-sized Cornish companies develop innovations to improve efficiency, profitability and resilience in the agricultural sector. The project is led by the Duchy College Rural Business School in partnership with leading research institutions – the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and Rothamsted Research, as well as the Cornwall Development Company. SMEs can access support through a range of mechanisms including innovation grants, graduate placements and larger collaborations with research providers.

Interview dates will be week commencing 19 March 2018