Administrator / Business Assistant

ADMINISTRATOR / BUSINESS ASSISTANT

Grade: UKRI Pay Band B

Salary: £23,328 per annum 

A great benefits package is offered including an outstanding pension scheme (with an extremely generous employer contribution – on average 27% of your pay), 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and access to flexi-time

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time – 37 hours a week (some flexible working options may be available but please note, this role is not suitable for remote working)

Location: BGS offices in Edinburgh (Heriot-Watt University campus)

Closing date: 10 October 2024

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and experienced Administrator / Business Assistant to provide highly effective administrative support at our office in Edinburgh.

You will provide comprehensive and proactive administrative support to one or more Science Directors, the Challenge Programme Manager (CPM) and a team of staff, enabling colleagues to carry out their roles as effectively as possible. Developing and demonstrating an understanding of the context within which the Chief Scientist, CPM and capability leads operates to provide effective and proactive support. You will undertake a wide variety of administrative tasks, including the use of a range of software packages and IT systems, working flexibly to facilitate the projects, events, meetings and other priorities of the business area. Working independently on day-to-day tasks, you will be supported by, and support a small team of Administrator / Business Assistants.

Duties include; 

• Diary Management
• Arranging travel and accommodation 
• Development and maintenance of spreadsheets and documents
• External events and internal meetings, including booking venues and catering, drawing up agendas
• Taking minutes
• E-mail management for senior manager(s) as required
• Raising of purchase orders and general finance management
• Monitoring staff allocations and expenditure reports.

About you

You will be educated to at least GCSE (or equivalent) standard and/or have relevant comparable work experience, providing high-quality support in an administrative or secretarial role. A qualification in customer service and/or business administration (e.g. NVQ level 2 or 3 in business administration) would be highly desirable.

You will have effective verbal and written communication skills and be able to communicate with people at all levels clearly and concisely. We are looking for highly organised candidates who also have knowledge of and experience of using a variety of Microsoft Office and other IT applications, in particular Outlook, Word, and Excel, plus a willingness to develop these skills further.

Please also refer to the additional specific essential and desirable skills criteria for this post.

Please note – you will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during your employment.

Skills Specification – Criteria to be assessed at Shortlist ‘S’ and Interview ‘I’ Stage

Essential 

• GCSE (Grade C/4 or above) or equivalent qualifications in Mathematics and English Language (S)
• A good level of work experience in an administrative/secretarial role, including experience of note taking, travel booking and procurement (S&I) and supporting staff at a senior/director level including managing electronic calendars (S)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Zoom (S&I)
• Ability to work unsupervised and work within a variety of teams, and to demonstrate flexibility and participate as a team member (I)
• Effective verbal and written communication skills and the ability to be discreet with a clear understanding of handling confidential information (I)
• Demonstrates an enthusiasm for the work of BGS/UKRI and the BGS core values of impact, impartiality, and knowledge (S&I)

Desirable 

• Relevant qualification in customer service and/or business administration skills (e.g. NVQ level 2 or 3 in business administration) (S) 
• Ability to learn bespoke IT systems eg Oracle and competent in the use of the wider range of Microsoft Office packages (eg PowerPoint, Access) (S,I)
• You will be committed to a diverse and inclusive approach to work in the geosciences (I)
• Ability to travel off-site occasionally if required (I)

About us

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is an applied geoscience research centre that belongs to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is affiliated to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It is a world leading geological survey whose core mission is to advise government of science related to the subsurface and to undertake applied research to solve earth and environmental issues, both in the UK and globally. It is funded directly by UKRI, as well as through research grants and private sector contracts.

We strive to promote equality and diversity across our organisation in order to continuously improve our scientific and organisational efficiency. As such, we aim to have a workforce with employees from all backgrounds with people who are passionate about earth science and who share our dedication to work for the good of the environment and the benefit of society. BGS became a signatory of the Technician Commitment in July 2022.

How to apply

Applicants are required to include a CV and covering letter outlining their suitability for the role. We would stress the importance of this paperwork in our selection process.

A well thought through application providing evidence and examples of how you meet the advertised essential and desirable criteria for the post will be considered far more favourably than a generic covering letter and CV.

If you experience any issues applying for this role, please contact [email protected].

The closing date for receipt of applications is Thursday 10 October 2024. Interviews will be held on Thursday 17 October 2024 in Edinburgh.

About The British Geological Survey (BGS)

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is an applied geoscience research centre that is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and affiliated to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It is a world leading geological survey that provides a core science mission to inform government of science related to the subsurface and its interfaces and also undertakes applied research for solutions to earth and environmental processes, both in the UK and globally. It is funded directly by UKRI as well as through research grants and via private sector contracts. 

BGS has an annual budget of approximately £60 million and employs 650 people. It has two main sites, a head office in Keyworth near Nottingham and the Lyell Centre, which is a joint collaboration with Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. BGS works with more than 150 private sector organisations as well as having close links with 40 universities and sponsors approximately 100 PhD students each year. 

How to Apply 

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit your CV and a covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for BGS and the role you’re applying for. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit your application without a covering letter may result in your application not being considered. You will only be assessed on the content of your CV and covering letter and not the ‘experience’ section of the application. 

About UKRI 

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). 

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org. 

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce 

At UKRI we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to flourish and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’ 

Disability Confident Employer 

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. 

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