Business Support Assistant - 35 hour per week

Alternative Futures Group; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Hybrid role

Career development support

Job summary

Alternative Futures Group is seeking an organised Administrative Assistant to support the Collaboration Hub in Liverpool on a hybrid basis. You will maintain a professional, welcoming environment, oversee meeting room bookings, post handling, and front desk duties, ensuring spaces are tidy and ready for use.

You will provide high-quality administrative support across the organisation, manage communications, minutes, and agendas, assist with procurement and travel bookings, and help keep records

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent Qualification.
• Hybrid role requiring 2/3 days per week at Collaboration Hub in Liverpool.
• Experience in administration/data entry in a large organisation.
• Experience handling multiple internal and external stakeholders with discretion.

Responsibilities

• Provide high level administrative support and organisational skills.
• Communicate with internal/external stakeholders and provide information as required.
• Promote best administrative practice and suggest improvements using technology.
• Maintain professional, confidential service and welcoming atmosphere.
• Manage stationery and procurement with approved processes.
• Coordinate meeting room bookings on-site and off-site, logs, and invoicing.

Skills

Administrative support

Stakeholder communication

Attention to detail

Time management

Problem solving

Teamwork

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent Qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Email management

Job description

To deliver professional, efficient, flexible and responsive business support services to aid the smooth running of the charity and on a rota basis, support the day-to-day operation of AFG's 'Collaboration Hub' in Liverpool by maintaining a professional, welcoming and well-organised environment. This may include undertaking routine checks of meeting rooms, shared workspaces and communal areas, ensuring they are left tidy and ready for use, reporting any issues requiring attention and encouraging good workplace etiquette amongst colleagues and visitors

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

• To provide a high level of administrative support and organisational skills to support the business in delivering our core activities and business priorities.
• To communicate with, and support, a wide range of internal and external stakeholders – providing support and information as required and appropriate.
• To promote best administrative practice across AFG at all times, suggesting improvements to working practices including the use of technology to increase administrative efficiency.
• To promote the highest standards of service and a professional, welcoming and friendly atmosphere and maintain confidentiality at all times
• To maintain stationary supplies and manage stationery requests/orders as required for business delivery, following the agreed procurement process with suppliers
• Receive and action requests for meeting rooms on site at the head office or off-site. For on-site, liaising with on-site concierge for availability and booking equipment and catering where required through approved suppliers, keeping a log of all bookings & invoices. For off-site, maintaining a list of preferred venues and organising off-site meetings as per requestor requirements.
• Provide administrative support to the planning and facilitation of digital and face-to-face Senior Leadership Team, Executive and Board workshops/meetings including but not limited to attendance tracking, sourcing appropriate venues, catering and accomodation where required.
• Collate the papers for the operational level group meetings following up any outstanding papers in accordance with the deadline for reports and escalating to the lead Functional Director where necessary
• Circulate agendas and papers for operational group meetings, taking full and accurate minutes and in addition maintaining and action logs and following up any actions to be completed, prior to each meeting.
• Ensure the papers for the meetings reflect the correct reference and item number and are formatted in line with AFG templates and branding
• To answer any overflow calls that come through from the switchboard promptly and professionally, redirecting calls as appropriate, using manual or computerised databases, for example Jabber
• Manage all incoming organisational post, scanning and forwarding on to relevant departments. Keeping an accurate log of all forwarded communications
• Manage all incoming deliveries ensuring checking, receipt, secure storage and organising onward transport / distribution as required
• Manage outgoing post including franking and posting including batch requests across the organisation working collaboratively with colleagues from other departments
• Book train travel and hotel accommodation for staff as requested
• Manage the "Reception" & general "Ask" email inboxes, actioning requests where appropriate and diverting to relevant departments as necessary
• Manage the production of security badges, including electronic activation and uploading photo ID to Select HR records, keeping accurate records and mailing badges to staff
• Report any breakdowns or Head Office maintenance issues to Estates/IT and ensure they are actioned in a timely manner, logging all requests, and escalating where required.
• Proficient use of all Microsoft Office packages to provide administrative support across the organsation, contributing to the development of reports and efficient record keeping.
• Maintenance of the archiving database, ensuring accuracy of data input

Experience

• Previous experience as a business/administration assistant
• Previous experience of undertaking administration/data entry duties in a large organisation
• Experience of processing, extracting, monitoring & evaluating information and data from a number of different systems
• Experience of handling a range of internal & external stakeholders in person and on the phone and dealing sensitively with difficult issues.
• Experience of complex administration and record keeping in an office environment
• Experience of prioritising workload to meet competing and conflicting deadlines without close supervision.
• Experience of agenda setting, producing and monitoring action logs and minute taking at senior level – for group meetings
• Basic financial administration skills
• Experience of organising and managing the facilitation of small-medium corporate meetings

Skills & Knowledge

• Excellent IT skills, including office programmes - excel, word, outlook, shared drives and accessing the internet
• Excellent analytical and assessment skills
• Excellent verbal, written and communication skills
• Ability to solve problems and use initiative to secure desired outcomes
• Ability to understand and learn new software and admin procedures and train others on their application/use
• Very high level of attention to detail
• Ability to manage own time effectively and efficiently with ability to prioritise key tasks
• Ability to follow governance procedures & policies and being able to advise staff on the application of these
• Ability to communicate effectively with teams and individuals at all levels, whilst remaining diplomatic, confidential and approachable.
• Ability to form and maintain good working relationships

Qualifications & Training

• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration or equivalent Qualification
• This is a Hyrbid role and will require 2/3 days a week at our Collaboration Hub in Liverpool.

This is a Hyrbid role and will require 2/3 days a week at our Collaboration Hub in Liverpool.

With our extended flexible working options, you can also choose to work a 9-day fortnight or a 4.5-day week, supporting our employees with their work life balance.

This role is Band I as per our structure.

About Us

We're Alternative Futures Group, a health and social care charity providing specialist support for people with a learning disability or mental health condition.

We're proud to have been positively changing lives and enabling people to achieve amazing outcomes for over 30 years.

We have a vision to create a world where amazing people do amazing things every day. Our skilled and experienced teams work with every person we support to create a personalised, outcome-focused plans to achieve their aspirations.

As a 'values based' employer, the people that work for us genuinely care about the people they support, and we are seeking likeminded people to join our team. If you are passionate about working in Health and Social Care and have a real desire to make a positive difference to the lives of the people we support then we would love to hear from you.

At AFG we also recognise the contribution and value that our staff make. We would not be able to provide the life changing support that we do without people like you!

In return for your contribution we will support you throughout your career and we provide a wide range of employee benefits, career development and lifestyle support services to ensure that you too feel supported, fulfilled and valued from day one of your employment with us.