About Project Youth
Project Youth (officially known as the Adolescent Health Study) is a major new study about the health and wellbeing of young people. It will explore how children and teenagers change as they grow up and help to understand the many things that affect their physical and mental health. Project Youth aims to recruit 100,000 volunteers aged 8-18 years from across the UK and follow their health and wellbeing for at least 10 years. We plan to collect information from volunteers in several ways. These…
will include questionnaires, measurements, biological samples (such as saliva), and information from their health, education and other records. The study has received over £60 million of funding from UK Research and Innovation, the UK Government’s national funding agency for science and research.
Purpose of the post
The Programme Support Officer (PSO) will provide comprehensive administrative, governance and programme controls support for the Adolescent Health Study. The role is responsible for supporting the team to maintain programme artefacts, governance processes, reporting activities and helping ensure programme records remain accurate, accessible and audit-ready. The postholder will support the Quality, Risk and Governance Lead in delivering effective programme oversight and compliance. In addition to supporting the study, the PSO forms part of the wider Business Operations Team and may be required to contribute to broader organisational administration, governance, operational planning, business support and continuous improvement activities as organisational priorities require.
Main responsibilities
Programme administration and coordination
• Coordinate meetings, workshops and governance forums.
• Prepare agendas, papers, minutes and action logs.
• Monitor actions and escalate overdue items.
• Support workstreams as required.
Programme artefact management
• Support with maintaining programme plans, milestone trackers, risk registers, decision logs, change records and other artefacts as required.
• Manage document repositories and version control.
• Ensure documentation complies with quality standards.
Governance support
• Support in coordinating submissions to oversight groups
Quality management and compliance
• Support the delivery and maintenance of AHS’ quality management strategy.
• Support audits and assurance reviews.
Business operations support
• Provide administrative support across wider business operations when required.
• Support organisational governance, planning and operational improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to organisational record management and process improvement activities.
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential criteria
• Qualified to A level or vocational qualifications, or equivalent, plus some experience in a relevant role.
• Experience supporting complex projects and programmes, ideally in research, and/or governance, and/or public or third sector.
• Experience coordinating meetings, actions and documentation.
• Knowledge of project and programme management methodologies, lifecycles, governance, risk and issue management.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with the proven ability to prioritise, at times under pressure, produce accurate work to deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to take ownership of problems and find solutions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite of software, and project management tools (e.g. MS Project, Monday.com, etc.).
Desirable criteria
• A project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2 Foundation, APM Project Fundamentals Qualification, etc.).
• Experience of working in a programme support role for a hybrid or virtual organisation, preferably a charity or small-to-medium (SME) organisation.
Dimensions
• This is expected to be a full-time post.
• AHS is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK.
• Primarily home working, with the expectation of travel across several geographical locations in the UK.
Application process
All candidates are required to complete the application form:
http://jobs.ac.uk/enhanced/fp/DTG432-App-Form.docx
Please refer to the ‘How to Apply’ section of the downloadable application form.
Please note that only application forms with an accompanying CV, submitted directly to jobs@gravitatehr.co.uk, will be accepted for this position.
The closing date for this position is Sunday 08 November 2026 at 11pm.
Interviews are currently expected to be held during the week commencing 07 December 2026.
Equal opportunities policy statement
AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.
Values
It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team in 2025. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.
£35,000. Circa