Job Description

Science and Technology Facilities Council

Salary: 35,049 per annum + 1,000 welcome bonus

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time

Location:

UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

Closing date: 19th October 2025

Assessment Centre: December 2025 / January 2026

Start date: September 2026

The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) is the national centre for the design and production of world-leading astronomical instruments and systems in the United Kingdom. As a science driven, professional engineering organisation, we employ groundbreaking technology across all engineering fields, including sophisticated optical and infra-red detectors, vacuum-cryogenics, control electronics and software, for both astronomy and non-astronomy applications, in collaboration with academic and industrial partners around the world. The instruments we produce are outstanding and technically challenging, but must be easy to use and highly reliable in difficult environments, such as on high mountain sites and in Space. Our current major projects include Harmoni and METIS for the ELT, MOONS for the VLT, MIRI for the JWST, and software for ALMA and the SKA.

Graduate Scheme

The STFC Graduate scheme will give you the opportunity to really pursue your interests and passion early in your journey with us, supported by technical training and a broader programme of career support and training and development.


Our dedicated Graduate Development Team will provide the right combination of challenge and support throughout, helping you achieve your ambitions. We know that professional recognition is also important to you too, so we will provide mentoring and expertise to help you achieve valued qualifications or chartered status in your chosen field.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

We are pleased to be able to offer a Graduate Project Manager to work within teams across a wide range of projects, according to the processes and procedures in place which are based around the APM Body of Knowledge standards and the STFC Project Management Framework.


Working within a matrix organisation alongside encouraging and experienced engineers, technicians and scientists, and reporting to the Head of the Project Management Group, the main duties will include:


Project Planning & Risks: Support the Senior Project Manager and the Work Package Managers by facilitating the planning, tracking of progress, and status reporting of key tasks against the project delivery commitments. Initially, this will involve tasks such as schedule capture and maintenance, closing-out actions, identifying delays and compiling progress reports etc. As experience is gained, other duties will be required including critical path identification and control, and risk register analysis. Project Finance: Assist in the set-up of work package budgets against estimates, then supervise actual project spend in terms of effort and material cost against the budgets, reporting status as required to the Senior Project Manager. Stakeholder Reporting: Draft information to assist the Senior Project Manager in the reporting of project status to all partners and customers. Consortium Management: Using the experience gained from UK ATC specific work packages, supervise and control schedule and costs incurred on work packages external to the UK ATC within the project Consortium. This includes tracking institute schedule updates and feeding the date back into the master schedule; following-up on actions, especially risk mitigation actions; checking institute financial returns against their budgets and consolidating them into the overall finance plan. Procurement & Contract Management: Produce and implement procurement plans, work with procurement staff to raise orders, then track all key items towards delivery according to contract terms and conditions. Project Management of Small Projects: Be responsible for the cost and delivery, to the required specification and standards, of some small scale and/or short duration projects.
Some of these tasks may involve UK/international travel to consortium institutes external to the UKATC.

Person Specification

In order to apply for the role we are looking for the following:

Essential:

Achieved, or be on course to achieve, a minimum 2:1 degree, in a relevant field of study (S) Have the right to live and work in the UK at time of starting employment (S) Strong interpersonal, communication, organisational and presentational skills (S&I). Knowledge of project management principles gained either through university modules or work-place experience - including project set-up, planning, risk analysis, financial control (S&I). Knowledge of the principles of system engineering and the project life-cycle models (I). Sound technical awareness in an engineering subject area (S&I).

Desirable:

IT skills, especially with respect to Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) (S&I). Knowledge of QA and Safety, Health and Environment Management Systems (I). Awareness of one or more project management frameworks such as PMI, APM or PRINCE 2 (I).

Employee Benefits

We are offering a permanent position with a whole host of benefits including:


30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days). Flexible working hours. An excellent defined average salary pension scheme. Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking. Excellent learning and development opportunities. Cycle to work scheme.
Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/


As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y

Application Guidance

Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.


Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.


Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.


We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.


What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible!