Advert

Please note that this job is open only to current members of staff of Cardiff University who are eligible for redeployment.

Internal Redeployment Only - Project Manager
Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
School of Medicine
College of Biomedical and Life Sciences

We are seeking a highly motivated and strategic Project Manager to lead the operations and development of the Mental Health Goals Omics programme at Cardiff University.

The Mental Health Goals (MHG) Omics programme is a landmark UK-wide initiative, funded by the UK Government, aiming to revolutionise our understanding and treatment of severe mental illness. Building on significant advances in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and digital health, the project will establish the world's largest multi-omic cohort of people with psychosis and mood disorders, linked to extensive clinical and real-world health data. This new national infrastructure developed in close collaboration with individuals with lived experience, the NHS, academia and industry, will accelerate the discovery of biological mechanisms, identify biomarkers for personalised treatments and make the UK an attractive place globally for mental health innovation. Led by a collaborative, friendly and highly expert team spanning Cardiff University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, MHG Omics offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a truly pioneering programme with the potential to change lives and shape the future of mental healthcare.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for managing the project's professional services team, supporting strategic planning and ensuring the successful delivery of research, engagement and innovation activities. You will work closely with the Principal Investigator, project researchers, collaborators across the Mental Health Mission, stakeholders across academia, healthcare and industry to drive forward the project's objectives.

We would like to hear from you if you have substantial experience in project/resource management, particularly in a research environment. Proven competence in financial management is essential, as are excellent interpersonal, communication and influencing skills and experience operating successfully in a matrix management environment.

This post is based at the Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays campus.

This role is eligible to be offered on a blended working basis, meaning that as well as spending time working on campus you can also choose to spend some time working from another location, e.g. your home. The University is committed to offering this flexibility, wherever the role and business need allows, supporting work-life balance.
Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl bank holidays), local pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

How we will support you in performing in this role -

There are some things that you must have before you can start this role (see 'Essential Criteria'), but other things can be developed either through training, or just by general on-the-job experience. We want to support and develop you once you have started in the role using a combination of the following to get the best out of you:

1. Regular one-to-ones with your manager.
2. An experienced and supportive team around you.
3. Supporting you through job-relevant training and development that you may require.
4. A mentoring scheme.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Kimberley Kendall KendallKM@cardiff.ac.uk

We anticipate the interviews will be held on 23rd January 2026.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), available from 1 May 2026 and fixed term until 31 March 2030.

Salary: £51,753 - £56,535 per annum (Grade 7). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Closing date: Thursday, 18 December 2025

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

Job Purpose
Lead and manage the Mental Health Goals Omics Project, providing strategic direction, professional advice, and operational oversight.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties

Line Management
• Manage performance, induction and development of the project staff, as required and as appropriate.
• Support and guide team members in working culture, environment, and staff welfare issues, escalating as necessary to specialist support areas as appropriate.
• Ensure the delivery of the project's commitments, adapting these according to changes in workload and collaboration requirements.

Project Management
• Support the Principal Investigator and project leads in developing and delivering the project goals.
• Manage and lead the project's professional services team and all professional support functions within the project, ensuring the project's academic community and external stakeholders are supported in their contribution to the University and College Strategic plans. This will involve planning, organising and delegating work, monitoring progress and intervening as required to ensure objectives are communicated and understood.
• Manage and maintain the project's planning and management processes, ensuring accurate delivery of day-to-day financial support and management information, providing advice and guidance to colleagues on relevant procedures and compliance.
• Gather and analyse data to inform decisions, establishing basic trends and patterns in data and creating reports as appropriate.
• Take responsibility for regularly assessing progress against outputs and targets, analysing and reporting on project spending, activities and outputs to the Management Team.
• Project manage the development of additional funding opportunities associated with the project from both internal and external funding sources, to include writing business cases, preparing documentation for grant applications and liaising with funding bodies and associated internal teams.
• Contribute to the long-term strategic planning and management of the project, ensuring successful and timely completion of milestones/Key Performance Indicators.
• Contribute to the development of project and relevant University initiatives, fostering partnerships, strengthening engagement and delivering meaningful research impact.

Working with Others
• Work effectively with senior staff throughout Cardiff University, as well as with external collaborators and funders, including the Office of Life Sciences and the Medical Research Council.
• Facilitate collaborations with businesses and organisations external to the University, to support project initiatives related to Public Engagement, research impact and innovation.
• Undertake the training of others in areas relating to the project's work.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts to help improve service levels, developing appropriate communication links with the University's Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required.
• Oversee public facing communications in conjunction with the Communications Officer.

Personal Development
• Undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate and will enhance performance.

General Duties
• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, data protection, copyright and licensing, security, financial and other, as well as with funder requirements.
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Additional Information

It is the School of Medicine's policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing. Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement.

Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to your application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance for this post, 21200BR.

If candidates do not provide written evidence of meeting all of the essential criteria then their application will not be progressed. The School of Medicine welcome the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education
1. Degree level/NVQ 4 or equivalent Professional membership/experience

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
2. Substantial experience of managing a section consisting of one or more teams.
3. Ability to set up office systems and procedures.
4. Experience of contributing to budget planning and managing a defined budget, which should include forecasting, reconciliation and reporting.
5. Ability to manage several teams with demonstrable experience of using matrix management, balancing multiple objectives and priorities, as well as dealing with performance and welfare issues with experience in conflict management.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working
6. Ability to communicate detailed and complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people.
7. Evidence of ability to explore customers' needs and adapt the service accordingly to ensure delivery of a quality service.
8. Ability to develop and maintain existing internal and external networks to support operational outcomes and sustainability, including supporting effective engagement with funders, academic staff and researchers and a range of third-party stakeholders.

Planning, Analysis and Problem Solving
9. Evidence of ability to plan the work of a section over year plus time scales, reacting to changes in workload and strategic direction.
10. Ability to contribute to decision making as part of a team and the confidence to take considered, independent decisions.

Desirable Criteria

1. Postgraduate/Professional qualification.
2. Experience of working in research management or a Higher Education environment with in-depth understanding of planning, coordination, conduct and translation of research at a Senior Level.
3. Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.
4. Proven experience in dealing independently with diverse and challenging problems, including researching issues and creating new solutions where no prior precedent exists.
5. Experience of delivering service excellence at a senior level in a STEM research environment.