NIRAS -Grant Administrator Contract type: Maternity cover Salary: £25,000 - £32,000 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (Hybrid working available) About Us: NIC-UK is contracted by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to manage a number of grant funds, including the Biodiversity Challenge Funds (BCFs), comprising the Darwin Initiative, Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus, the Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Grants Programme . This role will involve working as part of an established and highly successful team to support the administration of these grant funds. Key Responsibilities: Support overall administration of grant funds, including processing financial claims, applications and reports. Specific Tasks: Communicate with applicants on the progress of their applications, including provision of support to enable successful completion of applications. Communicate effectively with Defra teams on issues related to the grant funds (application numbers, payments, any issues from applicants and projects not able to be resolved within NIRAS). Management of applications and financial and technical reports, including communicating with applicants and projects to ensure submission within agreed deadlines. Management of financial data related to projects, including approval of financial claims against key criteria and documentation checks, and assistance with financial spot audits. Proofread and quality assure written reports and other written content for formatting, grammar, and logic of arguments. Process applications and make eligibility assessments against pre-agreed criteria, and collate and synthesise written and verbal comments to write detailed technical feedback for applicants. Provide support to applicants and projects based globally. Data collation and synthesis to help respond to client requirements. Provide overall support to Senior Grant Administrators Other comparable duties as may be required by your Line Manager. Person Specification: Experience of working on competitive grant schemes. Experience of working with UK Government departments. Knowledge and Skills: Meticulous attention to detail, and strong numeracy and literacy skills Strong communication skills across all levels of the organisation and with Defra staff Strong written communication skills (communication with Defra and applicants) Good planning and organisational skills. Ability to work to defined project deadlines, with competing demands on time. Ability to be adaptable and flexible and work in a multi-cultural environment. Ability to prioritise work effectively and balance conflicting demands without close supervision. Excellent Microsoft Office skills (particularly Excel and Word). Understanding of financial control processes related to payments. Knowledge of Flexi-Grant, Microsoft Azure and Umbraco software. About you: A keen interest in and strong aptitude for financial processes associated with grants and/or contractual procedures. Good team-working skills alongside the ability to work independently with little direct supervision in a busy office. Salary and Benefits: In addition to a competitive salary, NIRAS offers a comprehensive benefits package including: 25 days paid annual leave plus public holidays. Employee Life Assurance. Employer pension contributions, and optional salary sacrifice arrangements. Company Sick Pay available from day one of your employment. 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Programme. Enhanced provisions for family-friendly leave/pay. Paid time off for dependents and emergencies. Cycle to Work scheme. Flexibility over your working hours. How to Apply: To apply for this position, please submit your CV at your earliest convenience. Cover letters and any relevant portfolio or project examples are not essential, but will be reviewed alongside CVs if submitted. Please do not hesitate to email Grace Hodgkinson (Assistant Talent Acquisition Partner UK) at ghod@niras.com should you have any questions. NIRAS is an equal opportunity employer with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals. We value diversity in all its forms and welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds. We look forward to receiving your application. Note: Due to time and workload constraints, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and should you not receive feedback within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
