PA and Project Administrator

We are seeking a full-time PA and Project Administrator to provide high-level administrative and financial and operational support to the BOLD programme and its leadership team. Working closely with the Senior Programme Manager, academic investigators, professional services staff and external partners, the postholder will help ensure the efficient day-to-day operation of a major multi-institutional AI research programme. This post is full-time, fixed term to 14th December 2027.

About The Role

This is an opportunity to join The British Open-ended Learning and Discovery (BOLD) Lab, a major new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded initiative that will establish a world-leading AI research laboratory at the University of Oxford. Bringing together more than 80 researchers from Oxford, UCL and Imperial under one unified vision, BOLD Lab will pursue ambitious, high-risk research to advance the fundamental science of artificial intelligence and address some of the field's most important challenges. The programme will create a unique collaborative environment where researchers, students and partners work together to develop transformative new ideas, train future leaders in AI, and strengthen the UK's position at the forefront of global AI research. Through its pioneering approach, BOLD Lab aims to unlock breakthroughs that could shape the future of AI and deliver lasting scientific, economic and societal impact. Supported by an initial investment of around £8 million, with the potential to receive further £22 million extending the investment over six years, BOLD Lab represents one of the UK's most ambitious investments in fundamental AI research. BOLD also has access to national compute resources (3M GPU hours on Isambard for the first 1.5 years) and we are working hard to get to 5000 H100 equivalent compute capacity in total across industry and government support.

About You

The post holder will provide PA, administrative and financial support high-quality administrative, financial and operational support to the BOLD programme and its leadership team. Working closely with the Senior Programme Manager, academic investigators, professional services staff and external partners, the postholder will help ensure the efficient day-to-day operation of a major multi-institutional AI research programme.

You will be educated to degree level or have equivalent experience with previous PA skills at senior level. Experience of diary management, managing administrative processes and making complex travel arrangements with excellent interpersonal and communication skills is essential. Excellent skills in office IT systems and Microsoft 365 applications, including email, word processing, databases, along with an ability to deal with changing office technologies. Experience of using financial information systems (e.g. Oracle Financials) is also required

What We Offer

Your happiness and wellbeing at work matters to us, so we offer a range of family friendly and financial benefits including:

An excellent contributory pension scheme

38 days annual leave

A comprehensive range of childcare services

Family leave schemes

Cycle loan scheme

Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs

Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

The University also runs an enormous number of social groups and sports clubs for those looking for more than just a great place to work.

Application Process

Informal enquiries may be addressed to sarah.hoeksma@eng.ox.ac.uk

For more information about working at the Department, see

www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/

Only online applications received before midday on Wednesday 29th July 2026 can be considered. You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, (describing how past experience fit with the advertised position), CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application. Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 19 January 2026.

The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze award, highlighting its commitment to promoting women in Science, Engineering and Technology.