A2/AO Administrative Officer (Manchester)

The Insolvency Service; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 24,000; Full time

Job description

Manchester

Job Summary

A number of positions across the Insolvency Service are being recruited at the Administrative Officer grade. Where possible we will aim to match successful candidates with positions that best match their skills and experience.

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!

Job Description

A number of Administrative Officer roles based in our Manchester office have become available. These roles will be focused on delivering quality administrative support to technical and operational staff across the organisation.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities associated with this grade may include some or all of the following:

Administrative support

• Undertaking general administrative duties related to the overall effective working of the directorate and delivery of key priorities.
• Providing various office administrative and business support duties to the immediate, and when required wider, team.
• Resolving queries and complaints in a courteous and professional manner.
• Raising and monitoring requisitions orders and ensuring accurate records are kept and updated accordingly.
• Providing support and guidance to others (internally and externally).
• Continually reviewing procedures in your work area and identifying efficiencies.
• Ensure actions are carried out in accordance with the procedures and within the necessary timescales.
• Provide support to managers and frontline staff by undertaking procedural or transactional work in a particular area.
• These roles may include occasional travel to other locations across the organisation.

Insolvency service specialist roles

• Some of the roles may require the Administrative Officer to receive specialist knowledge and training, this would be provided.
• Some roles may require the Administrative Officer to undergo security vetting (for example some Intelligence and Enforcement roles). Should this be the case the implications of securing vetting would be explained in full, and where possible should you not wish to be subject to background checks alternative positions, should they be available, may be offered.

Person specification

The Successful Candidate Must Have The Following Skills:

• Good organisational skills, including ability to work well under pressure and deliver to timescale.
• Good interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Flexible and able to adapt in a fast-paced environment with frequently changing/conflicting priorities.
• Ability to see the bigger picture and understand the wider impact of work being done.
• Building and maintain great working relationships with key stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Working collaboratively to achieve shared outcomes.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills and delivery focus.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office software packages, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe.
• The ability to learn to use in-house IT systems such as INSSIGHT, and the document management system WISDOM.
• The ability to work in a busy and pressured environment, often to tight or conflicting deadlines.
• An awareness and/or willingness to learn about insolvency and associated legislation.
• A commitment to build continuous improvement practical knowledge as well as a general commitment to Continuous Professional Development.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,736, Insolvency Service contributes £6,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We Want You To Have a Good Work-life Balance And Want To Support You In All That You Do, So We Offer a Great Benefits Package Including:

• flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid leave for learning and development
• 5 days paid for volunteering
• a Cycle to work scheme
• staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a 500-word personal statement, and behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your personal statement should be no more than 500 words and should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria and our values within the person specification.

After submission of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, and Civil Service Numerical Test.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 29/04/25. If you fail to complete the online tests before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take the tests. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on 26th and 27th April. There will be up to 1 hour during this time where candidates will not be able to access tests.

All online tests will be affected.

Impact for candidates

Candidates who are taking a test when the downtime starts will have their test paused. They will be able to pick up where they left off after the downtime. They can do this by accessing the test again from their application centre.

Candidates will not be able to launch new tests during the downtime.

Candidates reporting issues should be advised to return to take the test after 7:00pm on 26th and 27th April 2025.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

We will test your ability, and experience as part of the application process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours, and strengths. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Sift – w/c 30/04/25

Interview – w/c 07/05/25

Location - MS Teams

Your interview will be conducted by video. You will be notified of this if you are selected for interview. Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Use of AI

Candidates must ensure that their applications, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Visa Applicants

To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [e-mail] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via [e-mail] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service.

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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 a 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 : Marke RothwellBarron
• Email : [e-mail]

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]

Further information

A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service if they think that:

They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010.

There have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance: [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.