Scholarships Project Officer - FTC

The Institute of Physics (IOP) exists to help our lives, our society and our planet through promoting physics applications and supporting the people behind it.

Working alongside our members and leaders from across the physics community and beyond, we’ve identified three priorities that will shape our work over the next five years: Skills, Science and Society. These priorities sit at the heart of everything we do.

We’re proud of our ambitious and forward looking 2024 – 2029 strategy. You can find out more about our priorities and principles by clicking here.

We’re currently looking for a Project Officer, Scholarships on a fixed term basis until September 2027, to help us deliver our mission. This a full-time position working 35 hours per week.

What’s it like working at the IOP?

The IOP is a friendly, inclusive and ambitious organisation. Diversity and inclusion are central to how we work. We focus on supporting our people to thrive, offering competitive pay, great development opportunities and a generous benefits package.

Some of our benefits include:

• An excellent pension scheme
• Private medical insurance, life assurance, dental insurance and a healthcare cash plan
• Eye care vouchers, annual flu vaccinations, long service awards and access to an employee assistance programme
• 25 days’ annual leave as a standard, in addition to floating bank holidays
• Flexible working opportunities

The Role

This position will support the Education, Workforce and HE team in its mission to build a thriving, diverse physics teaching community and will see you support the operational delivery of the Scholarships Programme, including the recruitment, assessment and selection of Scholars, and the two-year support programme.

What will I be doing?

Working with the Manager, Strategic Implementation, the focus will be on leading on the operational delivery of the IOP Teacher Training Scholarships. Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Providing support to the Manager, Strategic Implementation in relation to the Scholarships budget, including creating budget forecasts and quarterly invoices.
• Working with our internal Marketing Department to shape the marketing programme and evaluating the effectiveness of our various advertising channels – including our webinar series.
• To manage applications, including setting up and maintaining the online application form, screening ineligible candidates, obtaining references from referees, collating applications for the shortlisting process and assessment panels.
• Data management and storage, including providing data and analysis to facilitate monthly/quarterly reporting and invoicing to the DfE, ensuring candidate and Scholar data is captured, maintained and deleted according to the IOP policy guidelines, supporting the tracking of scholars through their initial training and into teaching.  Including, supervising the consultant in charge of the data capture of the status and wellbeing of Scholars.

Who will I work with?

You will be line managed by the Manager, Strategic Implementation and support the Manager, Teaching Workforce in the delivery of their projects.

Ideally, we hope you’ll apply if your skills include:

Essential Criteria

• Experience of working in a project-based environment with significant internal and external stakeholder interest. Note that formal project management qualifications are not a requirement.
• Sustained and confident working knowledge of MS Excel and handling data
• Skilled in the administration and PM of multiple projects and ensuring quality assurance through evaluation, reporting and monitoring processes and documentation.

Nice to have

• This role does not require physics subject knowledge or teaching experience, but these would be an advantage.
• Website maintenance experience
• Experience using customer relationship management software, such as Salesforce.

The Institute of Physics is an open and inclusive organisation that welcomes and celebrates diversity. We know that not every candidate fits into a neat little box, and that's okay! So, even if your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified but you believe you’d bring passion, creativity, and a willingness to learn, we’d love to learn more about you! 

How to apply

Alongside your CV, please include a brief cover letter explaining how you meet the person specification.

How will I be working?

We operate a flexible, trust based working model that gives colleagues autonomy over how, when and where they work, while recognising the value of in person collaboration. You will be assigned a base office, with hybrid working offered as standard.

You will engage in regular in person collaboration with your team (as operational appropriate), as well as with colleagues across the wider organisation, to ensure effective operational alignment and to support our inclusive approach to working.

As an organization we meet in person once a quarter at our Head Office in Kings Cross, London. 

Why join the IOP?

The IOP is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland. As a charity, we’re passionate about increasing public understanding of physics and supporting a diverse and inclusive physics community. There’s never been a better time to join us, watch our film to find out more about the difference we make.

We’re committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive culture for everyone. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the application or recruitment process, please let us know we’re always happy to help.

Please note whilst we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role, we warmly encourage applications from candidates who already have the right to work in the UK and Ireland.