Main Purpose of the Job

The People and Talent Coordinator will provide operational and administrative support to the People and Talent Leads in delivering the Institute’s People and Talent strategy.

This will be achieved by embedding a positive, inclusive and collaborative research culture across the organisation.

The postholder will support activities relating to research culture, equity, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing (EDIW), learning and development, career development, stakeholder engagement, and organisational initiatives. The role will support the implementation of programmes, events, reporting activities, identifying opportunities for staff recognition, as well as internal and external communications that contribute to an excellent employee and researcher experience.

The People and Talent Coordinator will work closely with colleagues across HR, research support, professional services and scientific teams to ensure effective delivery of People and Talent initiatives aligned with institutional priorities. The postholder will also liaise with external agencies, such as funders and EDI-related bodies, to promote institute staff and initiatives.

The role supports the delivery of the Institute’s People and Talent objectives, including promoting an inclusive research environment, supporting career development pathways, coordinating engagement activities, and contributing to reporting requirements linked to funder expectations and research culture frameworks.

The successful candidate will typically spend around 2 days working on-site (based on a 2.5-day working pattern), with some flexibility to accommodate individual and team needs.

Key Relationships

The postholder will work closely with:
• People and Talent Leads
• Executive Board members and senior managers
• HR colleagues and People Services teams
• Research Group Leaders, Fellows and professional services staff
• Early Career Researchers and postgraduate researchers
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committees and working groups
• Learning and Development providers and external trainers
• External stakeholders including partner institutes, universities, funders and research networks
• Communications and Events teams

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Percentage

Research culture and EDIW support
• Assist in coordinating activities that promote a positive, inclusive and respectful research culture.
• Support the delivery of EDIW initiatives, awareness campaigns and staff engagement activities.
• Collect, collate and analyse data to support reporting on research culture and people-related activities.
• Assist with preparation of reports and submissions for funders and institutional reviews.
• Support nomination of institute staff and students for awards and other forms of recognition.
• Support internal communications relating to People and Talent activities and opportunities.

30

Coordination and administration
• Provide high-quality administrative and project coordination support to the People and Talent Leads.
• Coordinate meetings, working groups, training sessions and events relating to People and Talent activities.
• Prepare agendas, papers, presentations, minutes and follow-up actions for People and Talent meetings and events.
• Maintain accurate records, databases and tracking systems for People and Talent initiatives.
• Support budget monitoring and procurement processes where required.

30

Career development and staff engagement
• Support initiatives relating to career development, researcher support and staff wellbeing.
• Coordinate networking and engagement opportunities with external partners and stakeholders.
• Assist with induction and onboarding activities linked to People and Talent programmes.
• Respond to routine queries from staff and direct colleagues to appropriate support services.

20

Learning and development
• Coordinate training programmes, workshops, mentoring schemes and career development events.
• Support promotion and administration of learning and development opportunities for researchers and professional services staff.
• Liaise with internal and external facilitators to ensure smooth delivery of programmes.

10

Organisational support
• Contribute to continuous improvement of processes, systems and communications relating to People and Talent activities.
• Support implementation of organisational development and culture change initiatives.
• Work collaboratively across teams to ensure effective delivery of projects and activities.

10

As agreed with the line manager, any other duties commensurate with the nature of the post, for example, contributing to the work of Institute committees.

Education & Qualifications

Requirement

Importance

Educated to a degree level or equivalent

Essential

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

Requirement

Importance

Good IT skills including Microsoft Office applications and database/spreadsheet management

Essential

Experience of providing high-level administrative or coordination support in a complex organisation

Essential

Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

Essential

Ability to assimilate information from a wide variety of sources

Essential

Familiarity with UK research funders and research culture frameworks

Desirable

Relevant Experience

Requirement

Importance

Experience of organising events, workshops, training sessions or collaborative activities

Essential

Experience facilitating partnerships or collaborative initiatives

Essential

Experience supporting EDI, research culture, wellbeing or staff development initiatives

Desirable

Experience of working in a research institute or similar academic environment

Desirable

Experience of preparing policies or training guidance

Desirable

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

Requirement

Importance

Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to communicate with a range of stakeholders and staff at all levels

Essential

Highly organised and self-motivated, with proven ability to work on own initiative, effectively plan and manage competing priorities and deadlines, and engage others appropriately to achieve successful outcomes

Essential

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work well in a team and build good working relationships with colleagues

Essential

Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Essential

Demonstrated ability to work independently, using initiative and applying problem solving skills

Essential

Additional Requirements

Requirement

Importance

Attention to detail

Essential

Promotes equality and values diversity

Essential

Ability to maintain confidentiality and security of information where appropriate

Essential

Comfortable with ambiguity and working flexibly and at pace in a rapidly changing environment

Essential

Willingness to embrace the expected values and behaviours of Quadram Institute Bioscience, ensuring it is a great place to work

Essential

Able to present a positive image of self and the Institute, promoting both the international reputation and public engagement aims of the Institute

Essential

Willingness to work outside standard working hours when required

Essential

Quadram Institute Bioscience

The Quadram Institute is at the forefront of a new interface between food science, gut biology and health, developing solutions to worldwide challenges in food-related disease and human health.

We are engaged in fundamental and translational food and health research, alongside clinical studies, endoscopy and industry, working together to become a leading international hub for food and health research, combining scientific excellence and clinical expertise, delivering impacts on patient care and accelerating innovation.

The Quadram Institute is a diverse and multicultural scientific community. We thrive on our international and European links, appointing staff from across the world. Any candidate who would like further information on current or anticipated immigration requirements can contact the HR Team on +44 (0)1603 450888 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk.

For more information about working at Quadram Institute Bioscience, please click here.

Department

Directorate

Group Details

The People and Talent Pillar is responsible for EDIW, Career Development and Training within the QIB Pillar Structure.

Living in Norfolk

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People and Talent Coordinator

We're looking for a proactive and highly organised People & Talent Coordinator to join our team and help deliver initiatives that create an inclusive, supportive and collaborative working environment.

Background:

Help shape an inclusive, inspiring workplace where people and research thrive.

The People and Talent Coordinator will provide operational and administrative support to the People and Talent Leads in delivering the Institute’s People and Talent strategy and embedding a positive, inclusive and collaborative research culture across the organisation.

Working closely with the People & Talent Leads, you'll coordinate projects, events and programmes that support research culture, equity, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, learning and development, and career progression. You'll also provide high-quality administrative and project support, coordinate meetings and training, prepare reports and communications, and work with colleagues across the Institute and with external partners.

The ideal candidate:

Applicants should be educated to degree level or possess equivalent relevant experience.

They should have experience of providing high-level administrative or coordination support within a complex organisation, together with excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

Previous experience of coordinating projects, events or training activities is required, along with strong communication and interpersonal skills. Applicants should also possess good IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and database/spreadsheet management, and demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and a positive working environment.

Additional information:

This is a part-time post (18.5 hours) typically worked over 2.5 days per week, with around two days on-site and flexibility to support individual and team needs. There is a contract end date of 31 March 2028.

Salary on appointment will be within the range £30,600 to £37,400, pro rata, per annum (pro rata) depending on qualifications and experience.

Interviews will be held on 1st September 2026.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from all sectors of society. The institute values of People-Centred Impact, Inclusive Excellence, Trusted Integrity, Collaborative Spirit and Agile Innovation are at the heart of all we do, and we expect all employees to share and display these values. To support our commitment, we have a range of family, faith and diversity friendly working arrangements to help all staff achieve excellence in their area of work.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

About the Quadram Institute:

The Quadram Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to understanding how food and microbes interact to promote health and prevent disease. Our vision is Healthy living by design: promoting lifelong health by decoding the interactions between food science, nutrition, microbes, microbiomes and human physiology, and transforming this knowledge into innovative solutions for society.

A partnership between Quadram Institute Bioscience, the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and BBSRC, The Quadram Institute brings together scientists and clinicians in a state-of-the-art building on the Norwich Research Park. This is one of Europe’s largest centres of life sciences and home of the John Innes Centre and The Earlham Institute. (https://quadram.ac.uk/).

The closing date for applications will be 18 August 2026.

The Quadram Institute Bioscience is a registered charity (No. 1058499) and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.