Administration Assistant

UK Research and Innovation; Swindon; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 17,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave (pro-rata)

Discounts and offers

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is seeking a part-time Front of House Assistant to join Polaris House in Swindon. You will deliver a welcoming front of house service for staff, visitors, and external tenants, and support day-to-day reception duties in line with organisational standards.

In this role you will handle visitor sign-in, issue passes, manage phone queries, assist the Facilities Helpdesk, and support emergency procedures as required, contributing to a professional and secure

Qualifications

• Experience using Microsoft Office and standard office equipment.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good organisational and multitasking skills.
• Experience in a customer-facing reception or administrative role.
• Experience in managing competing priorities in a busy environment.
• Ability to multitask and remain calm under pressure.
• Experience using visitor management or booking systems.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for all visitors, ensuring a courteous, inclusive, and professional welcome.
• Overseeing visitor sign in, issuing passes, and following security and safeguarding procedures.
• Answer and route incoming phone calls; take and relay messages in a polite and courteous fashion.
• Providing support to Facilities Helpdesk team to assist in general enquiries and administrative tasks as required.
• Support emergency procedures, including evacuation lists and visitor accountability, carrying out specific duties in relation to emergency evacuations.
• Support all other areas within the Estates function.

Skills

MS Office

Customer service

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Reception experience

Multitasking

Visitor systems

Job description

Band: UKRI Band B.

Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months).

Hours: Part Time – 25 hours per week.

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.

Closing Date: Sunday 16th August 2026.

About the role

To provide a professional, efficient, and welcoming front of house service for staff, visitors, and stakeholders for both UKRI and external tenants such as DWP.

The role ensures smooth day to day operations in working in reception, supporting security protocols, and delivering high quality administrative support in line with organisational standards

This role sits in the Workplace Experience function so a key part of organisational values through professional conduct and high-quality customer service.

Your responsibilities:

• Act as the first point of contact for all visitors, ensuring a courteous, inclusive, and professional welcome.
• This will include dealing with queries regarding; for example - building opening hours, car parking, meeting rooms.
• Overseeing visitor sign in, issuing passes, and following security and safeguarding procedures.
• Answer and route incoming phone calls; take and relay messages in a polite and courteous fashion.
• Providing support to Facilities Helpdesk team to assist in general enquiries and administrative tasks as required.
• Support emergency procedures, including evacuation lists and visitor accountability, carrying out specific duties in relation to emergency evacuations.
• Support all other areas within the Estates function.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

• Experience using Microsoft Office and standard office equipment (S).
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills (S&I).
• High attention to detail and accuracy (I).
• Good organisational and multitasking skills (S&I).
• Experience in a customer-facing reception, or administrative role (S&I).
• Experience in managing competing priorities in a busy environment (I).
• Ability to multitask and remain calm under pressure (I).
• Experience using visitor management or booking systems (S&I).

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. UKRI are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• 30 days' pro-rata annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status, we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y