University access officer jobs in Belfast

Are you a highly organised project leader with a track record of developing rigorous and impactful processes? Do you want to lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation transforming mental health in higher education? This could be the role for you.

We’re looking for a methodical and strategic Programme Manager (Award) to manage the end-to-end delivery of University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) Award and act as key spokesperson for the programme. 

You’ll play a vital role in ensuring that the Award upholds its standards and values, and continues to develop and scale, supporting positive change for staff and students at universities across the UK.

About the role

• Lead the delivery of the nationally-recognised accreditation for mental health in higher education: the University Mental Health Charter Award.
• The UMHC Award recognises universities that promote the mental health and wellbeing of their university communities and supports them to continually improve. 
• You will own the end-to-end management of a complex, high-profile and impactful programme, balancing administrative excellence and strategic development.

Key responsibilities

• Drive the Award lifecycle, from onboarding universities, coordinating our network of assessors and managing the Award panel.
• Scale and continually improve the Award process, ensuring it remains rigorous, impactful and values-led.
• Act as key spokesperson and point of contact for universities and other stakeholders.
• Responsible for budget, risk and line management. 

What we’re looking for

• Proven track record of managing complex projects.
• Experience developing, maintaining and improving robust systems and processes.
• A rigorous approach to accuracy and quality control.
• Comfortable holding difficult conversations with stakeholders at all levels.
• A commitment to co-production, equality, anti-racism and an interest in mental health.

Find out more about the essential criteria for this role by downloading our Recruitment Pack from the documents section.

What you will gain

• The chance to contribute to a high-impact national programme supporting better mental health for university communities across the UK.
• Experience in a varied role with opportunities to learn and develop.
• A supportive and collaborative workplace culture that values wellbeing.
• Flexibility in how and where you work. 

How to apply
If this sounds like a good fit, we’d love to hear from you!

1. Click “Redirect to recruiter”, then scroll to the 'Vacancies and volunteering' section of our 'Join our team' page to access the job listing.
2. Download the recruitment pack in the document section at the bottom of this page, where you’ll find more information about the role including responsibilities and person specifications. 
3. Download and complete our application form - instead of collecting CVs, we use an application form to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all. 
   1. Please refrain from including any identifying details in your application answers.
4. Upload your completed application form as a word document. 
   1. Please note that once you start your application on our portal, you will have 24 hours to upload your completed form. Before clicking 'Apply' and beginning the application process, make sure your form is fully completed and ready to upload.
5. Complete the Equality Monitoring Form.

Student Minds is committed to building an inclusive team and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life.

Role

The Programme Officer will manage day-to-day relationships with Degrees’ research groups based in the Latin America and Caribbean region, ensure smooth grant administration, and support regional events.

Key Responsibilites

Grantees

• Being the first point of contact for our grantees and stakeholders, including volunteer research collaborators. 
• Supporting research teams to gain access to, for example, modelling data. 

Grant management 

• Grant management, including onboarding and ongoing administrative support for the grantees of the various research funds at Degrees. 
• Processing payments.  
• Supporting the monitoring, evaluation and learning process in relation to programmatic activities. 

Events

• Working closely with the Events Manager, other regional Programme Officers and Policy Engagement staff to organise international events, including regional workshops in Latin America and the Caribbean.  

Administration

• Support the building and improvement of internal processes. 
• Contributing to the monthly call and research seminars. 
• Provide ad-hoc support as needed, for example, financial administrative support for grants and programmatic events, note-taking, organising travel, inputs to communications, working with Degrees’ senior management, board, volunteers, and partners. 

Key relationships

• Within the Programmes team forge close working relations with Programmes Director, Programmes Manager, other Programme Officers, Events Manager, Staff Scientist and Scientific Writing and Publishing Lead.
• Develop strong working relations with colleagues from the following teams i) Operations, ii) Policy & Engagement and iii) Communications. 
• Provide ongoing support for Degrees funded scientists based in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Qualifications

We are seeking a dynamic self-starter based in the UK, with experience in planning and running international events as well as academic workshops. As Degrees is still operating as a relatively small but growing team, the successful candidate will be flexible and motivated – prepared to turn their hand to whatever needs doing to deliver Degrees’ programme of work.

Essential

• A university degree in a relevant subject such as international development, international relations, public policy or earth sciences.
• At least two years’ experience.
• An understanding of climate change science and associated development challenges.
• Fluent in English and Spanish. 
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.  
• Good analytical skills with an ability to distil key messages from complex information. 
• Strong digital skills.
• An ability to multitask, to set and deliver on priorities, and to work under pressure.  
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work with people of all levels and backgrounds.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, remote start-up environment.  
• Ability to travel overseas for up to a week per visit as required. 
• A commitment to the mission and values of the Degrees Initiative. 
• Legal right to work in the UK.  

Desirable

• A master’s degree in a relevant subject. 

• A degree in environmental science or international development.  

• Five to ten years of post-university professional experience 

• Proficiency in Portuguese. 

• Advanced digital skills, such as proficiency with advanced spreadsheet functions.

• Experience using CRM systems and Microsoft Office applications, with strong proficiency in Excel.

• Experience working in or with developing countries. 

• Experience in event organisation, workshop facilitation, grant administration, impact monitoring and evaluation, and/or budgeting and financial management. 

Hours: A minimum of three days per week up to full time 

Contract: Permanent 

Location: Home-based with occasional travel to our office in Vauxhall, London (approximately four times per year), occasional travel to visit projects and approximately two overnight stays per year 

Reports to: Head of Marketing, Communications and Fundraising. 

About Housing Justice 

Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to offer various accommodation options while building a network of local support. This includes providing personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant local services and address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by housing injustice to both local and national governments. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and recognise the value of lived experience of homelessness. 

About your role 

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled Fundraising Co-ordinator to join the Marketing, Communications and Fundraising team at Housing Justice.As Fundraising Co-ordinator, you will identify both statutory and grant funding opportunities to fund our projects, and craft compelling bids and proposals that clearly articulate our vision, services, and value to commissioners and funders. You will also be responsible for applying for relevant accreditations to support your applications and will have experience of building corporate partnerships. 

Please note that we do not accept CVs or applications that are not submitted using our standard application form..

Senior Compliance Officer

About Internews

Internews works globally to ensure people everywhere can access trusted, quality information that empowers participation, accountability, and healthier, more informed communities. For more than 35 years, in over 100 countries, we have strengthened local media, supported civil society, and helped millions of people access crucial information across issues such as health, governance, conflict, and the environment.

We are an international nonprofit with administrative hubs in California, Washington DC, London, and Paris. Our teams represent a wide mix of backgrounds, identities, cultures, and lived experiences. We actively foster an environment rooted in dignity, belonging, justice, and flexibility.

About the Role

We are seeking a high-performing, experienced, and self-directed compliance professional to provide maternity cover within the Grants, Contracts & Compliance (GCC) department.

This role requires someone who operates with excellence, independence, and sound judgement from day one—a person who is confident navigating complex donor rules, shaping risk‑mitigation strategies, and leading award management processes without needing extensive onboarding. We are seeking an experienced practitioner with proven applied experience, rather than a purely theoretical background.

You will oversee the full lifecycle of European donor‑funded awards, ensuring rigorous contractual and regulatory compliance across Internews. Working closely with colleagues across Programmes, Finance, and Global Development, you will help maintain a culture where doing things right is prioritised over shortcuts.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise with major European donors (European Commission, Sida, FCDO), a proactive mindset, and the ability to lead, train, and influence teams across the organisation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES include the following, with other duties upon request: 

Compliance

· Review and approve proposal budgets for assigned funding opportunities.

· Review donor agreements and ensure terms are acceptable; support the Director of GCC in strengthening organisational risk‑mitigation practices.

· Advise staff on Internews’ internal and donor rules across the project cycle.

· Work with Programme Officers and cross-functional teams on effective project start‑up, including inductions, adapting award procedures/templates, and ongoing staff training; conduct country visits when required.

· Collaborate with Finance to support successful programme audits.

· Maintain and update organisational data on institutional donor platforms (e.g., EU Transparency Register, IATI).

· Develop and maintain training materials and guidelines for at least one major donor; provide expert compliance guidance across GCC.

· Deliver inductions and training for new and junior GCC staff.

· Set up and maintain complete and up‑to‑date award records in line with donor and Internews requirements.

Development

· At proposal stage, review and approve teaming agreements and NDAs with bid partners.

· Review and approve donor budget submissions, ensuring accuracy, consistency, compliance, and adequacy.

· Coordinate pre‑award due diligence for prospective donors.

· Review and negotiate donor agreements and modifications, managing associated risks.

· Establish and maintain proposal, award, and contract records within the award management system, including significant data entry.

Procurement Management

· Advise staff on procurement requirements and maintain internal records for procurements under awards.

· Support development of compliant procurement plans.

· Lead and administer higher‑value procurements, including negotiating contractor terms.

· Draft and execute sub‑contracts and amendments in full compliance with donor and Internews policies.

· Troubleshoot contractual issues, prepare termination notices, and manage related risks.

· Prepare procurement documentation for audits and serve as point of contact for procurement audit processes.

· In all duties, uphold Internews’ Core Values and demonstrate commitment to fostering a culture of Belonging, Dignity, and Justice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

· Line‑manage GCC staff when assigned.

· Deputise for the Director of GCC as required.

· Lead award management for flagship programmes and advise programme teams and partners on donor compliance, budgeting, and agreement management.
 

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required

· University degree in a relevant field or equivalent lived/professional experience.

· Extensive senior-level experience in award management within an international nonprofit or international development organisation.

· Demonstrated hands‑on experience interpreting and applying donor rules and compliance requirements (especially European Commission, FCDO, and SIDA) in real project implementation contexts.

· Proven experience managing procurements and negotiating contracts, including drafting and executing agreements and amendments in compliance with donor and organisational requirements.

· Experience preparing procurement documentation for audits and managing procurement‑related risks.

· Demonstrated experience troubleshooting compliance, contractual, and financial issues, and advising programme teams on practical solutions.

· Experience assessing and managing compliance and contractual risks across the project cycle.

· Experience using award management systems or structured grant/contract databases, including maintaining accurate award records and donor‑required data.

· Native-level proficiency in English (written and spoken).

· Strong writing and editing skills, with prior experience producing key work outputs such as proposals, budgets, reports, and trainings.

· Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, including diplomacy, negotiation, cross-team collaboration, donor communication, and discretion with confidential information.

· Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities, with a demonstrated track record of applying critical thinking to complex compliance or award management challenges.

· Excellent time‑management and organisational skills, including the ability to handle shifting priorities in a fast‑paced or complex operating environment.

· Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively within multicultural and remote teams; demonstrated leadership capacity.

· Flexibility to manage periodic shifts in workload and working hours.

· Experience mentoring or training staff on compliance, procurement, or donor‑related procedures.

· Experience leading cross‑functional processes involving both programme and operational teams.

Preferred

· Prior experience living or working in a global majority country/region

· Proficiency in Russian (written and spoken).

· Experience with EU/UK‑funded projects (e.g., EC, FCDO) in complex environments.

· Experience developing internal policies, guidelines, or training materials related to compliance, procurement, or award management.

· Familiarity with Internews’ operating environment, systems, or organisational approaches.

Vacancy Timeline:

Deadline for applications: 13 March 2026 (Note: This is a rolling recruitment process candidates might be invited for interview before the deadline)

MISCELLANEOUS:

Candidates must submit a succinct cover letter of no more than 2 pages explaining how they satisfy the requirements of the role, and a CV highlighting relevant experience. Successful candidate will also be asked to provide three professional referees, one of whom must be from their most recent employer.

The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the associate a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of their position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.

This position will be located in the United Kingdom and therefore, a successful applicant must both be present in the UK for the duration of the assignment and be able to demonstrate their Right to Work in the UK in order to commence employment.

Purpose of the post

The Financial Planning & Analysis Manager will support the Associate Director of Finance to provide insightful analysis of financial trends and oversee the recoverability of funds.

They will coordinate the month-end process and work with Finance Business Partners to coordinate the quarterly forecast and the 2026/27 budget.

They will also act as Finance Business Partner to a number of teams, working closely with Budget Holders and external partners to provide effective management of resources and risk, and monitoring of quarterly partner reporting.

Main responsibilities

Financial Planning & Analysis element of role (60%):

• Coordination of month-end process: overseeing the month-end checklist and coordination of FBPs; production of monthly management accounts using JET reports
• Coordination of quarterly forecasting and annual budgeting across cost centres and funds: preparation of forecasting templates; coordination of FBPs; upload and review of forecast onto finance system
• Coordination of long-term (high level) forecasting across all cost centres and funds to end of current Core Funding cycle
• Oversee the cost recovery process of new and existing funds (overhead recovery and monitoring of funding gaps)

Finance Business Partnering element of role (40%):

• Work with Budget Holders to manage financial performance, forecasts, and budgeting including understanding financial opportunities and risk for the area of business partnership.
• Provide donor reporting and analysis as required to funders of specific programmes.
• Consolidation of quarterly partner reporting

Experience

• CCAB qualified with a minimum of 5 years practical experience in financial analysis or business partnering roles

Desirable

• Experience of fund management
• Experience of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
• Experience of JET reports 
• Experience in the academic or scientific research sector
• Experience working with UKRI and/or Research Councils
• Experience of funding under Full Economic Costing (FEC) model
• Experience of managing stakeholder relationships within an academic or not-for-profit environment

Skills

• Excellent quantitative skills, use of Excel and finance systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively and confidently with people at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to handle sensitive issues positively
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and to working in an agile, flexible and pragmatic way
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new environments
• Ability to lead and work as part of a team
• Ability to work autonomously and make decisions without supervision
• Ability to process complex information and present targeted messages to different audiences.