"Project Administrator (Maternity Cover)"

Project Administrator (Maternity Cover)

50 Faculty of Life Sciences
Startdate:13.05.2026 | Working hours:40 | Collective bargaining agreement:§54 VwGr. IIIb
Limited until:02.09.2026
Reference no.:5478

If you love to work with an active team of researchers, support and assist them in their daily operations then welcome to the team! Our teams consist of personalities who want to make a change. Our work is based on respectful communication, professionalism and high aspirations of having a positive impact on society.

Your personal sphere of influence:

As project administrator (maternity cover) you will join a new research cluster at the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology and will be part of a leading international team of researchers in the fields of Human Evolution, Ancient DNA and Archaeological Science (Lab heads: Professors T. Higham, R. Pinhasi, K. Douka). You will also liaise with the team members and with researchers from across the globe, and handle running operations, including of several research projects.

Your future tasks:

The focus of the activity lies in the autonomous coordination, cooperation and independent implementation of tasks in the area of administration, communication, strategic planning, and budgetary management, event-management of the scientific research activities hosted by the researchers described above.

This is a maternity cover position limited to initially 4 months, which will prospectively be extended to 16 months (or for as long as a staff member is on maternity leave).

We expect you to have a meticulous and detail-oriented approach, specifically for:

• Personnel management (preparation and documentation of recruitment processes, setting up new contracts, handling the advertisement for new posts)
• Project management (ERC, FWF, other third-party and university-funded projects)
• Communication and interaction with project partners
• Updating of webpages
• Help with ordering new equipment, overseeing deliveries, handling invoices
• Travel planning and help with filing reimbursement of travel and other expenses
• Supporting the scientific staff in all administrative matters

This is part of your personality:

• Matura or equivalent qualification
• Several years of office/administrative/organisational work with some independence and a level of responsibility (professional experience absolutely necessary), management of projects
• Excellent IT user knowledge (MS Office, text formatting and layout skills in MS Word and the ability to use spreadsheets in MS Excel)
• Initiative, willingness and ability to take responsibility for the handling of tasks
• Willingness to obtain training
• Excellent written and verbal skills in English and German are essential
• Understanding and / or experience in the academic field and university administration processes, structures and guidelines
• Communication and team skills, commitment, service orientation, independent work style; high level of organization, care and accuracy; flexibility and resilience

Your special working style: You like to work independently and in a structured manner, you are service-oriented and you like to find solutions. You are a team player and have high social and communicative skills.

What we offer:

• Home office:In accordance with your team, you can work up to 50% remote.
• Good connections with public transport:Your new workplace in the University of Vienna Biology Building can easily be reached by using public transport.
• Trust and responsibility:We rely on a working environment that is based on trust and personal responsibility. You have the opportunity and freedom to contribute your ideas and work independently on projects.
• Salary:The basic salary of EUR 3,131.30 (on a full-time basis) increases if we can take professional experience into account.
• Inspiring working atmosphere and appreciation:You are part of a committed, multifaceted team with flat hierarchies that treat each other appreciatively and recognize each other's performance.

It’s that easy to apply:

• With your CV and letter of motivation
• Via our job portal / Apply now-button

If you have any content questions, please contact:

Thomas Higham
thomas.higham@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team!
The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We place particular emphasis on enhancing women’s representation among the academic and general university staff, particularly in leadership roles, and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

Application deadline: 04/05/2026

Administration & Organization