Project Administrator - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

Project Administrator - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About us:

Neuroimaging at the IoPPN is world-renowned. The Department of Neuroimaging is embedded in the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, a joint venture between the IoPPN and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). The Centre provides, under one roof, an interdisciplinary research environment that combines the development of high resolution structural, functional and metabolic mapping techniques, with expertise in the definition, diagnosis and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

We are recruiting a highly motivated professional to support the delivery of the large-scale programme and associated projects of the Data & Digital Alliance Team (DIGIT) of the Mental Health Goals Programme. DIGIT-MHG is part of a UKRI funded programme to create an innovative alliance between people with mental health conditions – whose views are often not prioritised – and industry – who face unparalleled challenges in mental health R&D – to accelerate precision psychiatry and deliver valuable new treatments that work for those who need them.

About the role:

As a key administrative partner to the project leads, Profs Mehta and Emsley, the post holder will deliver high‑quality executive support, exercising sound judgement and a proactive approach in managing complex and sensitive matters. The role involves comprehensive diary and correspondence management, preparation of briefing materials, and the organisation and servicing of meetings. You will work closely with departmental operations to support financial processes, oversee procurement activity, and ensure compliance with relevant corporate and university policies, including King’s Travel Policy. The post holder will handle confidential information with discretion, triage enquiries to appropriate colleagues, and collaborate with the communications team to maintain accurate content across SharePoint and external websites. You will support a range of staff‑related processes such as inductions, PDR and probation, and contribute to the planning and delivery of small‑scale events, often working autonomously. The position requires a flexible and collegial approach, providing cross‑team support during periods of high demand and helping to maintain a smooth and efficient administrative environment.

The post-holder will be embedded in the wider professional services team of the Department and expected to prioritise operational workload, allocate resources and take day-to-day decisions, escalating risks and challenges appropriately.

The role is 0.5FTE which can be distributed flexibly. The post-holder is expected to attend in-person for a minimum two days per week.

This is a part-time post and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31st March 2030.

About you:

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Demonstrable knowledge and skills of business operations acquired through previous roles/qualification.
2. Experience of providing high level administrative and/or personal support to a senior staff, using a range of IT software packages (mainly Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams).
3. Experience of complex diary management and organising and supporting formal committees, meetings, events and taking minutes.
4. Excellent communication skills, including excellent spoken and written English, in formal documents, letters, emails and other communications and ability to manage financial paperwork and a good level of numeracy.
5. Proactive approach with the ability to work independently and flexibly, managing and prioritising own workload, escalating as appropriate, working under pressure in a busy environment and meeting deadlines.
6. Proven ability to maintain confidentiality, handle situations sensitively, exhibiting a high level of awareness and confidentiality, tact, and diplomacy.
7. Excellent people skills with the ability to work with staff at all levels, inside and outside the organization, with assurance and ease.

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of working in higher education sector and familiarity with HE administration
2. Effective negotiation skills
3. Experience of event organisation

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.