Smart Data Research UK – Personal Assistant

Smart Data Research UK: Personal Assistant

Job title: Personal Assistant

Location: Swindon based – Hybrid working available (see hybrid working below)

Salary: £28,498 per annum

Contract type: Open Ended

Hours: Full-time or 0.8 FTE role. ESRC have a wide range of policies to support work/life balance. As such, we welcome full time/part time/compressed hours applications for this role. 

Closing Date: 8th December 2024

Interview Date: 17th December 2024

Smart Data Research UK

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of UK science and technology. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is investing £59.3m in Smart Data Research UK – an ambitious programme to unlock, organise and champion safe access to smart data. Smart data is made whenever we engage with the digital world – when we buy something, ‘like’ something, or get directions. If used for scientific research, smart data can help us understand important social challenges – from preventing diseases to tackling climate change.

Our mission is to unlock the power of smart data for research that improves lives. We will do this by providing researchers with safe, trustworthy access to smart data, safeguarding public trust, building capability for cutting-edge research, and supporting research that addresses significant social and economic challenges.

Smart Data Research UK will invest in data services – teams of experts from research institutes across the country. They will build partnerships with data owners and provide secure access to data for researchers. Coordination and leadership are provided by a Strategic Hub team, led by a Director, based at the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). 

About the role

The Personal Assistant will provide administrative and secretarial support to the Director and Deputy Director to ensure the smooth management of day-to-day affairs, and most effective use of time. This role will also involve maintaining a range of documentation, servicing meetings, gathering and analysing data and advocating the use of standardised processes and documentation across the SDR UK Strategic Hub. 

Key Responsibilities

• Diary management including arranging travel and ensuring that the Director and Deputy Director are suitably briefed.
• Organising and co-ordinating correspondence, and visits with stakeholders.
• Main point of contact for the Director and Deputy Director, managing requests and queries.
• Maintain office systems, including data management and filing.
• Produce documents, briefing papers, reports and presentations.
• Organise meetings and ensure that the Director and Deputy Director are well prepared for those meetings, preparing agendas, pre-meeting briefings and where appropriate meeting papers.
• Meeting management including creation, collation and distribution of agendas and papers, attending meetings, taking notes/minutes, recording actions and progress chasing.
• Support a range of administrative functions including the team mailbox, team meetings, team task log.
• Operate effectively within a matrix management environment on one or more assignments with the flexibility and resilience to respond to the changing demands of a fast-paced environment.
• Any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Director, Deputy Director or Senior Management.

This is not a comprehensive list, and we may require you to undertake other duties within the Strategic Hub (especially while it is under development) commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post.

Hybrid Working

This post is based at our Swindon office, but we operate a hybrid approach, and you can expect a mix of working from home, the office, and external locations. This post also requires travel to attend external visits and meetings.

Key Relationships

• Director
• Deputy Director
• Operations Manager

Shortlisting and Interview Criteria (Person Specification)

Essential

• Experience providing high-level administrative and secretarial support to leadership, including diary and travel management
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain a seamless workflow for senior leaders in a fast-paced environment
• Experience creating and maintaining professional documents and records, including meeting agendas, minutes and action logs
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively manage requests and queries from a range of stakeholders at varying levels of seniority
• A flexible and adaptable approach, with experience adjusting to shifting priorities in a dynamic team environment
• Good general PC skills including a good working knowledge of MS Office packages and document management systems.

Desirable

• An understanding of the research and innovation ecosystem, including the role of UKRI
• Experience supporting high-profile people, programmes or projects

APPLICATIONS

Online applications only for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter to the attachments section (ignore free textbox for cover letter under ‘Experience’ section) which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for the role. 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 an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘Experience’ section of the application process. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DEVELOPING TALENT:

We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e-learning, classroom training and on-the-job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.

BENEFITS:

UKRI can offer the successful candidate:

• Flexible Working
• 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays
• Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme
• Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider

Visit our dedicated benefits webpage for more info: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

About the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) 

The ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. It supports the development and training of the UK’s future social scientists and funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policy-makers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective. 

For more information about ESRC, please visit https://esrc.ukri.org/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI) 

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. 

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led 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 for 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 thrive 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. 

How to apply 

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. 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 an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application. 

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us. 

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