POSITION DETAILS

Campus Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,130 to £45,413 with potential progression once in post to £48,149
Grade: 7
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 14th August 2025

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE

• Ideally Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus significant relevant practical experience – where no equivalent qualification is held substantial practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly for a variety of audiences, and to produce and analyse source material, information and data.
• Proven experience in business development and/or project management within a food, beverage, retail or hospitality environment.
• Strong operational delivery skills with a track record of taking projects from concept to implementation.
• Excellent organisational and planning abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Experience managing or working closely with digital systems, including EPOS and other retail technology platforms, improving digital systems to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Highly effective communicator, with the ability to influence and build relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness, and the operational drivers of retail success, with experience contributing to income growth and cost efficiency initiatives.
• Line management experience and the ability to lead, develop and motivate a small team, supporting and fostering a collaborative high performing culture.
• Understanding of Higher Education or Public Secor Operations.
• High level of IT literacy, particularly with MS Office and project management tools.
• Excellent budgetary management skills and experience.
• Project management qualification (e.g., Prince2, APM, Agile).
• Ability to manage complex projects end to end with strong planning, tracking and delivery capabilities.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and solutions focused with a strong sense of accountability.Skilled In working across functions and levels to achieve buy in and effective collaboration, internally and externally.
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  Informal enquiries to Peter Kelland, email: p.kelland@bham.ac.uk
  View our staff values and behaviours here
  We believe there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website

ROLE SUMMARY

This is a key delivery role within the Food, Beverage and Retail (FBR) department, responsible for turning strategic ideas into operational reality. Working closely with the Operations Team, the Business Development and Project Manager will lead the planning and execution of a wide range of projects — from launching new supermarkets and franchise operations, to implementing income and cost-saving initiatives already in the pipeline. The role is hands-on and delivery-focused, managing the full project lifecycle and ensuring outcomes are achieved on time, on budget, and to a high standard. The post holder will also lead the EPOS team, contributing to the department’s wider digital transformation. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on making things happen, bringing structure to ideas, and driving tangible progress in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

MAIN DUTIES

• Lead the implementation of strategic initiatives and projects across FBR from concept through to delivery, working closely with the Head of Retail and Brands.
• Manage the operational roll-out of new ventures, including the launch of two new supermarkets and new franchise operations.
• Support the delivery of income-generating and cost-saving projects currently in planning stages.
• Serve as the operational lead on project delivery, taking ideas through business case development, stakeholder engagement, project planning, implementation and evaluation.
• Line-manage the EPOS team, supporting the department’s wider digital transformation agenda.
• Work cross-functionally with finance, marketing, procurement, HR and operations teams to ensure seamless project execution.
• Attend Project Oversight Group (POG) meetings, providing updates on project status, milestones, risks, and key performance metrics.
• Reporting on progress including the development of reporting mechanisms, writing reports (eg on project budgetary management), and presenting to appropriate meetings such as Project Board or to other key stakeholders
• Providing executive support to Project Boards, work streams and working groups as required; setting agendas, collating and distributing papers and minutes and ensuring follow up action is taken
• Develop and manage detailed project plans, ensuring timelines, budgets, and quality standards are met.
• Identify and mitigate project risks and dependencies, escalating where necessary.
• Develop and deliver communication strategy for the project(s), which may include developing, for example, newsletters, briefings for stakeholders and/or websites or other social media.
• Ensure that priorities are balanced, taking action to deliver agreed deliverables against timelines.
• Ensure projects remain aligned with strategic goals, departmental priorities, and university values.