Job Description

Job details

---------------


Responsible to


Project Lead - Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance (HELA) Research Co-operative


Location


Markeaton Street, Derby Campus


Closing date


Tuesday 11 November 2025


Salary


26,981 to 28,213 per annum pro rata (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to 32,445 per annum, pro rata)


Job grade


ATOS 4


Reference


0204-25


Contract type


Fixed term contract 24 months


Post type


Part-time


Adaptive working type


Hybrid

This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.



About the University
We have one simple promise - to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.



The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.



We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 - making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.



Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.


About the College/Department
Here at University of Derby, the College of Science and Engineering is the home of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths: the STEM skills that are essential to the UK's Industrial Strategy. From digitisation to decarbonisation, we have an important role to play in shaping the future. And by researching or collaborating with us, you can too.



Engineering at Derby has a bold vision to deliver an outstanding learning experience to our students, further develop and expand our research capacity and increase our industry engagement in the region and beyond to fulfil targets for Research Excellence Framework (REF) and Knowledge Excellence Framework (KEF) as well as provide the best opportunities to our graduates. The discipline area is located in the University's STEM annex in Markeaton Street, where staff offices and lab facilities are co-located. Key investments in the last few years include dedicated intelligent instrumentation and smart sensor technologies, robotics, renewable energy, power engineering and advanced materials and manufacturing. The discipline area is actively engaged in knowledge exchange projects and has an active applied research agenda.


About the role
The Electro-Acoustics Research Lab (EARLab) is dedicated to the "democracy of sound" - where all audience members experience an equally excellent listening experience. Our mission is to deliver high-quality and safe listening experiences to all through analysis and optimisation of sound reproduction and reinforcement.



EARLab stands as one of the few research clusters worldwide with expertise in sound reinforcement. The team is instrumental in the ongoing evolution of the field, both in engineering and policy. Some members remain active live sound engineers, providing valuable insights from the field.



The lab hosts the HELA Certification (Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance), described as the world's first safe-listening certification for live events, delivered with input from academics, healthcare professionals and industry experts across the globe. Through HELA, the team provides industry-ready training and certification that promotes responsible sound management while supporting great audience experiences and positive relationships with local communities.



To support our mission, we're looking for an administrator to keep the HELA Research Co-op running smoothly day-to-day. The role involves managing HELA's social media channels, website updates, and e-newsletter scheduling, while tracking engagement metrics. You will act as the first point of contact for website enquiries, coordinating responses with academic and technical colleagues, and maintaining a simple contact log for partners and committees.



As Research Co-operative Administrator, you will also plan and support logistics for online seminars, research workshops, networking events, and partner visits, including venue coordination and travel arrangements for international visitors. Additional responsibilities include assisting with trade-show organisation, supporting finance processes such as purchase orders and expenses, and compiling data for project reporting.



This role is part time (22.2 hours per week) and is a fixed-term, grant-funded role which offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic research environment, supporting collaboration and engagement across academic and industry partners. Some UK travel and occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support events and trade shows.


About You
The ideal candidate will be a proactive and well-organised individual with strong communication and coordination skills to support our projects and stakeholder activities. You will have experience in administration within a project, research, higher education, or Small-Medium Enterprise environment, with the ability to manage social media scheduling and update basic web content.



You will bring experience in planning and delivering both virtual and in-person events, confidently liaising with venues and suppliers to ensure smooth delivery. Excellent written communication, sound judgement when handling enquiries, and strong attention to detail are essential. Proficiency in Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, and basic design tools such as Canva is also required.


Principal accountabilities

Marketing & Digital Communications

Plan and schedule content across HELA social channels.

Update HELA website news area and coordinate monthly e-newsletters.

Monitor analytics and prepare basic engagement reports.

Stakeholder & Partner Liaison

Maintain a simple Customer Relationship Management (CRM)/SharePoint register of contacts, meetings and arrangements with industry supporters and committee members.

Draft routine correspondence and coordinate follow-up actions.

Coordinate calls for funding and help to manage the proposal assessment process.

Front-line Support for HELA

Triage support tickets and web form queries, providing first-line advice or escalating to technical/academic leads as necessary.

Track common issues to inform Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) updates and service improvements.

Event & Travel Logistics

Plan and book arrangements for: Online seminars; Research workshops; Networking events; Travel and accommodation for two international academic partners

Liaise with venues, caterers, audiovisual (AV) teams and attendees; manage budget trackers and risk assessments.

Trade-show Representation & Materials

Coordinate exhibition bookings, procure stand materials, arrange travel, and staff the stand when required (max. 4 events per year).

Finance & Procurement Administration

Raise purchase orders, process travel claims and monitor spend against the grant budget, ensuring compliance with University and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) rules.

Reporting & Compliance

Collect metrics (event attendance, social reach, EDI, enquiry volumes) for EPSRC progress reports.

Draft meeting minutes for the Research Board, Industrial Steering Group and Outreach Group.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

#

Qualifications

A-level/BTEC or equivalent experience in administration/marketing Evidence of Continuous Professional Development in digital communications or events
#

Experience

Substantial administrative experience in a project, research, Higher Education Institution (HEI) or Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) setting Experience of managing social media and basic web content Experience of organising multi-format events and travel bookings
#

Skills, knowledge & abilities

Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to draft professional copy Strong organisational and time-management skills, and able to juggle concurrent deadlines Proficient in Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, Canva (or similar), and mainstream social platforms Attention to detail and data accuracy Confident, proactive and customer-focused, with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision
#

Business requirements

Willingness to work occasional evenings/weekends and to travel within the UK for trade shows or workshops Commitment to the University's values of equity, diversity and inclusion

Desirable Criteria

#

Qualifications

Degree or HND in Business, Marketing, Events, or related field Chartered Institute of Marketing or similar certification
#

Experience

Experience supporting UKRI-funded projects Working with international partners Representing an organisation at trade shows
#

Skills, knowledge and abilities

Familiarity with simple CRM tools Basic finance processing (e.g. raising Purchase Orders, expense claims) Awareness of issues around sound exposure/noise pollution Benefits
Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata) Local Government Pension Scheme Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers Discounted onsite gym Cycle to Work scheme A flexible working environment A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits


Key contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Adam Hill, Associate Professor of Electroacoustics via a.hill@derby.ac.uk


For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.


Important information#

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.



Please visit our website for more information.


#

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.



We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.



Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.



When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.



The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant's name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.



However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.



For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.





A university that celebrates you

#

Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.





Environment and sustainability


Be part of something extraordinary, apply now.