Administrative Office Manager (ID1093)

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Weybridge

About the job

Job summary

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 3,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.

The Administrative Office Manager is based in the Surveillance and Laboratory Services Department (S&LSD). In this department we perform serological testing, reagent production and DNA sequencing for international trade, diagnostic and surveillance purposes for farm and companion animals. 

Job description

The role of Administrative Office Manager is to lead the admin team within S&LSD. This team provides support to the scientific work that is performed in the department by communicating with customers via the phone and email, checking and reporting laboratory test results, filing and archiving.

Your responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to:

• Line managing the SLSD office team.
• Managing staff performance reviews, absence, occupational health referrals and disciplinary actions.
• Reviewing and updating administrative procedural documentation.
• Responsibility for your team’s ISO17025 accreditation.
• Overseeing administration tasks including customer interactions.
• Covering for other SLSD managers in their absence.
• Investigating non conformances and documenting findings.
• Communicating essential information to the admin team for discussion and feedback by regular minuted meetings.
• Complying with all safety procedures including wearing appropriate PPE and reporting incidents and near misses.
• Responding to animal disease outbreaks which may involve working weekends and shifts.
• Participating in all the necessary training to allow you to perform your role correctly and safely.

Person specification

The role of Administrative Office Manager requires excellent written and oral communication skills coupled the ability to stay calm under pressure.

No qualifications are necessary, however, previous management or supervision of admin staff would be beneficial.

Ways of Working

This post requires you to be on the Weybridge campus five days a week or less if part-time.

Staff maybe required to work weekends, Bank Holidays and occasional evenings in the event of an incident or disease outbreak. In the event of this you may be eligible for overtime payments and where overtime is approved you will receive appropriate payment. APHA Management reserves the right to change overtime patterns to meet requirements.

Periodic travel within the UK and Europe will be required to attend training courses, conferences and scientific meetings. 

The post is full-time and we may consider two part-time staff on a job share basis if continuity can be arranged. 

The post will also require Health clearance.

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,220, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £9,334 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

In return for your dedication and hard work, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support as the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave, a generous employee contributory pension (28.97%), staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme, reward vouchers and in-year bonuses. We also offer additional days off if accrued extra hours (flexi-time –if accumulated), three paid volunteering day per year. Further details can be found in the Candidate Information Pack. 

Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Science.DirectorateHR@apha.gov.uk
• Email : Science.DirectorateHR@apha.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@defra.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact:

Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/ to visit Civil Service Commission.

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