UK

United Kingdom · Research and development · Entry Level (0-2 years)

Research Programme Coordinator

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

Start my Research Programme Coordinator plan, free

Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

Keep this job description

Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

Upskilling a team in this role? Talk to us

  • Experience bandEntry Level (0-2 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toResearch Programme Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Research Project Assistant · R&D Administrator · Programme Support Officer · Junior Research Project Manager

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Open Awards Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Further Learning and Employment (RQF) Open Awards · Level 2 · covers 3 of 10 standards
Focus Awards Level 2 Diploma in Care (RQF) Focus Awards Limited · Level 2 · covers 1 of 10 standards
IAO Level 2 Diploma in Care Innovate Awarding · Level 2 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Open Awards Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Health and Care Professions (RQF) Open Awards · Level 2 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Research Skills Open Awards Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Further Learning and Employment (RQF)
Research skills for health and social care NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
Assist the practitioner to carry out health care activities Focus Awards Level 2 Diploma in Care (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Start my Research Programme Coordinator plan, free
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Research Programme Coordinator

3 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Research Skills Open Awards · covers 3 of 10 standards Level 2
  2. Research skills for health and social care NCFE · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  3. Assist the practitioner to carry out health care activities Focus Awards Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Research Programme Coordinator?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • AI-Assisted Content Generation & Summarisation
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Research Programme Coordinator plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Start my Research Programme Coordinator plan, free Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

3What this role really is

A research programme coordinator keeps research programmes organised, tracking schedules and supporting the people who run them.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Jira Intermediate

Updating task statuses, logging comments, creating basic tickets, pulling simple reports to track progress for your manager.

Confluence Intermediate

Creating and editing meeting notes, organising project documentation, ensuring correct version control, using templates.

MS Teams (or similar collaboration suite) Intermediate

Communicating with team members, scheduling meetings, sharing files, participating in team channels.

Microsoft Excel (or Google Sheets) Intermediate

Basic data entry, creating simple tables, using basic formulas (SUM, AVERAGE), filtering and sorting data for tracking purposes.

Microsoft Outlook (or similar email/calendar client) Intermediate

Managing calendars, scheduling meetings, sending professional emails, organising your inbox.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Project Task Prioritisation Follow manager's instructions. Escalate conflicts or questions about urgency. Prioritise routine tasks independently within a workstream. Consult manager on conflicting priorities from different stakeholders. Prioritise tasks and workstreams for a full programme. Make recommendations to leadership on resource allocation for competing priorities.
Documentation & Information Management Follow established templates and filing structures. Ask manager if unsure where to save something. Choose appropriate templates and structures for new project documents. Propose minor improvements to existing documentation processes. Design and implement new documentation standards and knowledge management structures for a programme. Decide on the best tools for specific information needs.
Budget Allocation (Operational) Track expenses against a given budget. Flag discrepancies to manager. No spending authority. Manage a small project budget (e.g., up to £5K) for specific activities. Reconcile expenses and provide forecasts. Manage a programme budget (e.g., up to £50K) with re-forecasting and variance analysis. Approve small purchases within delegated authority.
Stakeholder Communication Communicate routine information (meeting invites, document links). Draft emails for manager's review. Escalate complex queries. Communicate project updates to internal peers. Draft responses to routine stakeholder questions for manager's approval. Communicate programme progress and risks to internal and external stakeholders. Lead meetings and present updates to mid-level management.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Meeting Organisation & Follow-up Accuracy
How accurately and promptly you schedule meetings, distribute agendas, and capture action items and decisions.
Target · 98%+ accuracy in meeting minutes and action item tracking, 24-hour turnaround for distribution.

You organise a critical 'Go/No-Go' meeting, send out the agenda an hour before, take detailed notes, and distribute action items to 10 attendees within 2 hours of the meeting ending, with zero errors.

Jira Task & Documentation Updates
The timeliness and correctness of your updates to project management tools like Jira and our knowledge base in Confluence.
Target · 95% of assigned Jira tasks completed on time; 100% of documentation updates follow templates and are published within 48 hours of request.

A programme manager asks you to update the risk register in Confluence and link it to a Jira epic. You do this within a day, making sure all fields are filled in correctly and the links work.

Budget Tracking Support Accuracy
How well you support the tracking of programme expenses against allocated budgets.
Target · Less than 2% variance in expense tracking data provided to programme managers.

You pull expense reports for a specific research workstream, cross-reference them with purchase orders, and flag a £500 discrepancy to your manager before month-end close.

Stakeholder Feedback (Internal)
How helpful and responsive your internal stakeholders (programme managers, scientists) find your support.
Target · Average feedback score of 4 out of 5 from internal stakeholders.

A scientist tells your manager that your help with scheduling lab time and ordering specific reagents saved them two hours this week, directly impacting their experimental timeline.

Proactive Problem Spotting
Noticing small issues before they become big ones, especially in administrative or logistical areas.
  • You flag an upcoming deadline for a grant report that a programme manager might have missed. You notice a recurring issue with meeting room bookings and propose a simple solution. You spot an inconsistency in a document before it's shared widely.
Learning & Application
Your eagerness to learn new processes, tools, and the specifics of our R&D environment, and then applying that knowledge effectively.
  • You ask thoughtful questions during training sessions. You start using a new feature in Jira without being prompted. You accurately recall a specific compliance requirement for a document you're working on, showing you've absorbed the information.
Team Collaboration & Support
How effectively you work with and support your immediate team, including your manager and other programme coordinators.
  • You offer to help a colleague who's swamped with a deadline. You share a useful tip you learned about a software tool. You're a reliable and positive presence in team meetings, contributing to a good working atmosphere.
Attention to Detail
The precision and care you put into all your tasks, from data entry to document preparation.
  • Your meeting minutes are consistently free of typos and accurately reflect decisions. You catch a small error in a spreadsheet that could have led to a bigger issue. Your filing system is logical and easy for anyone to follow.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Being a Part of Something Big

You'll feel a buzz from knowing your organisational efforts directly contribute to breakthroughs in science or technology. Even if you're not in the lab, you're enabling those who are.

You're asked to compile a report on a new drug candidate, and you feel a sense of pride knowing your accurate data entry helps move it closer to clinical trials.

Learning and Growth

You'll be surrounded by experts and exposed to complex projects, giving you endless opportunities to expand your knowledge of project management, R&D processes, and even the science itself.

You pick up new tricks in Jira from your manager, or you start to understand the basics of 'Stage-Gate' reviews just by observing and asking questions.

Making a Tangible Contribution

You'll see the direct impact of your organisational skills – a smooth meeting, an accurate document, a timely report – making a real difference to your colleagues' efficiency.

A scientist thanks you because your meticulous scheduling meant they could run a critical experiment without interruption, hitting their deadline.

What frustrates people
  • You might feel like you're 'just' doing admin, especially when surrounded by scientists working on groundbreaking discoveries.
  • The pace can be slow sometimes, waiting for scientific results or approvals, which can feel frustrating if you like things to move quickly.
  • You'll often be handed incomplete information and need to chase people for details, which can be a bit like detective work.
  • Things can change at the last minute – a meeting gets cancelled, a deadline shifts – and you'll need to re-organise your plans.
  • You'll probably deal with a fair bit of jargon, both scientific and project management, that takes time to understand.
What this role does not give you
  • Direct involvement in scientific experimentation or research design.
  • Significant independent decision-making authority over project direction or budget.
  • A fast track to senior leadership without first mastering the foundational elements of programme management.
  • A 'hands-off' approach to detail; you'll be deep in the specifics.

8Who you work with

Your work ensures that our Research Programme Managers can focus their energy on the strategic and scientific challenges, rather than getting bogged down in administration. You'll keep the foundational elements of our programmes organised, helping to prevent small logistical issues from snowballing into bigger problems that could delay critical research milestones. Essentially, you're helping us stay efficient and on schedule, which is pretty vital when you're dealing with long-term, high-stakes research.

Inside the business
  • Research Programme Managers (your direct colleagues and those you support)
  • Research Scientists and Lab Teams (you'll help them with admin, scheduling, and documentation)
  • Finance Analysts (assisting with basic budget tracking and expense queries)
  • Procurement (helping with ordering supplies or equipment)
  • Legal & IP Teams (supporting with basic documentation for patents or compliance)
Outside the business
  • Vendors and Suppliers (for scheduling deliveries or basic queries)
  • External Research Partners (for scheduling meetings or sharing routine info, always under supervision)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven organisational skills, perhaps from previous administrative roles, volunteer work, or academic projects.
  • A genuine interest in science, technology, or research – you don't need a science degree, but you should be curious about what we do.
  • The ability to work effectively in a team, supporting others and contributing to a positive environment.
  • Solid written and verbal communication skills, with a focus on clarity and accuracy.
  • Proficiency with standard office software (email, calendar, word processing, spreadsheets).

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Jira & Confluence Administration

As programmes grow in complexity, so do the tools we use to manage them. You'll need to move beyond basic task updates to understanding workflows, custom fields, and how to create more sophisticated dashboards to track programme health.

Jira Workflows · Custom Fields & Filters · Confluence Space Organisation · Jira-Confluence Integration

  • This week: Explore the 'Admin' settings in Jira (if you have access) and see how workflows are configured, without changing anything.
  • This month: Take an online course on advanced Jira user skills – there are plenty of free resources.
  • Month 2: Propose a new Confluence template for a specific type of meeting or document, showing how it improves organisation.
  • Month 3: Work with your manager to build a custom Jira dashboard that helps track a specific programme metric more effectively.

Quick win: Learn five new Jira keyboard shortcuts. Find out how to create a simple 'quick filter' on a Jira board. Explore the different Confluence macros that can make pages more interactive.

Intermediate Data Visualisation & Reporting

While you won't be building complex dashboards from scratch, being able to interpret and present data clearly is vital. As you progress, you'll need to do more than just consume reports; you'll help create them.

Basic Chart Types & When to Use Them · Data Storytelling · Dashboard Interpretation · Data Cleaning Basics

  • This week: Spend an hour exploring an existing Tableau or Power BI dashboard in our company. What insights can you glean?
  • This month: Take a free online course on 'Data Visualisation for Beginners' – focus on principles, not just tools.
  • Month 2: Practice creating simple charts in Excel to represent programme data (e.g., tasks completed over time, budget spend).
  • Month 3: Offer to help your manager prepare a presentation slide that includes a data chart, focusing on clarity and impact.

Quick win: Identify three ways a current report could be made clearer with a different chart type. Learn how to use conditional formatting in Excel to highlight key data points.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Shadowing experienced Research Programme Managers to understand their day-to-day challenges and how they approach them.
  • Taking internal training courses on our specific project management tools (Jira, Confluence) and R&D processes.
  • Attending industry webinars or online seminars related to R&D project management or scientific administration.
  • Seeking out opportunities to take on more complex administrative tasks or small, defined work packages within a programme.
  • Reading up on the basics of the scientific areas our R&D department focuses on – it'll help you understand the context of your work.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Assisted Content Generation & Summarisation

Honestly, AI is already here. Tools like ChatGPT or Claude can draft emails, summarise long reports, and even create first versions of meeting minutes in minutes. People who use these effectively will simply be more productive, freeing up time for more interesting work.

  • Prompt Engineering Basics
  • Output Validation
  • Ethical AI Use
  • Context Windows

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Stage-Gate Process Understanding
  • Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) Awareness
  • Risk Register Management
  • Basic Budget Tracking

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Administrative Assistant / Office Coordinator

    1-2 years in a busy office environment

    Skills to master

    • Organisation, scheduling, professional communication, basic IT literacy, problem-solving for day-to-day issues.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're the 'go-to' person for keeping things organised in your current role.
    • You've shown initiative in improving administrative processes.
    • You're comfortable managing multiple tasks and deadlines.
    • You've expressed an interest in moving into a more project-focused role.
  2. 2

    Recent Graduate (non-science degree)

    0-1 year post-graduation

    Skills to master

    • Academic research skills, critical thinking, written communication, time management (from coursework), eagerness to learn about R&D.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You achieved good grades in a degree that required strong organisational and research skills.
    • You've completed internships or volunteer work that involved project support.
    • You can articulate a genuine interest in the R&D sector and programme management.
    • You're keen to apply your academic skills in a practical business setting.
  3. 3

    Lab Assistant / Research Technician (transitioning to admin)

    1-2 years in a lab setting

    Skills to master

    • Understanding of scientific processes, attention to detail (in experiments), documentation, familiarity with lab operations, desire to move away from bench science.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You've consistently maintained accurate lab records and documentation.
    • You've helped organise lab schedules or equipment maintenance.
    • You're looking for a role that uses your scientific context but is more focused on coordination and management.
    • You're known for your meticulous approach to tasks, even if they're not scientific.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to running research programmes yourself, managing a team of programme managers, or specialising in research operations.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Research Programme Coordinator is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • Associate Research Programme Manager (L2)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Research Skills, worked against Research Programme Coordinator.

Research Skills Level 2

Applied to your work in Research Programme Coordinator

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to develop essential research skills. Learners will understand various research methods, learn how to plan and execute a research project, and gain the ability to report on and evaluate research findings effectively, considering validity, reliability, and ethical implications.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Research Programme Coordinator plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Research Programme Coordinator
  • Stage-Gate Process Understanding
  • Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) Awareness
  • Risk Register Management
  • Basic Budget Tracking
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Research Programme Coordinator is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Associate Research Programme Manager (L2)

    2-3 years in the Coordinator role

    This is the natural next step, where you'll start owning specific workstreams within a larger programme, rather than just supporting tasks.

    • End-to-end management of a small project or workstream
    • More in-depth budget management and re-forecasting
    • Leading small team meetings and discussions
    • Basic contract management support
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Imagine having a super-smart assistant that handles the tedious bits of your job, leaving you more time to learn, grow, and actually enjoy your work. That's what AI can do for you in this role.

In Research & Development, even at the coordinator level, there's a lot of information to process, meetings to summarise, and reports to draft. AI isn't here to replace you; it's here to turbocharge your efficiency, making those administrative tasks quicker and more accurate. You'll be using these tools to make your day-to-day work smoother, giving you a real edge.

Smart Meeting Note Summariser

Ever struggled to distill a two-hour meeting into concise, actionable minutes? AI tools can listen (or read the transcript) and instantly pull out key decisions, action items, and owners. You'll just need to review and refine, not write from scratch. It's a game-changer for accuracy and speed.

AI-Assisted Document Search & Collation

Need to find every mention of 'TRL 6' across a dozen project documents? Or pull together all the compliance forms from the last quarter? AI can quickly scan vast amounts of text, identify relevant information, and even help you collate it into a draft report. No more endless scrolling!

First Draft Email & Report Generator

Staring at a blank screen trying to write a routine email or a basic progress update? AI can generate a solid first draft based on a few bullet points. You'll then tweak it to fit your style and the specific context, saving you loads of time and mental effort. Great for those 'just get it done' communications.

Intelligent Scheduling Assistant

Coordinating calendars for a dozen busy scientists and programme managers can be a nightmare. AI-powered scheduling tools can find the optimal meeting times, send invites, and even follow up, significantly reducing the back-and-forth emails. You'll just confirm the details and hit send.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Research Programme Coordinator?

Common routes in include Administrative Assistant / Office Coordinator (1-2 years in a busy office environment), Recent Graduate (non-science degree) (0-1 year post-graduation) and Lab Assistant / Research Technician (transitioning to admin) (1-2 years in a lab setting). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Research Programme Coordinator progress to?

This role can lead on to Associate Research Programme Manager (2-3 years in the Coordinator role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Research Programme Coordinator?

Increasingly, AI-Assisted Content Generation & Summarisation. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in research and development

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built in research programme coordination carry over into project management in other industries, such as tech, engineering or healthcare operations. Some coordinators move into regulatory affairs, quality assurance or business operations, particularly with a good grasp of the scientific context.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Research Programme Coordinator plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.