Business Support Officer

NHS; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An esteemed health security agency is seeking a dedicated administrative professional to support its operations. This role involves managing office systems, providing high-level administrative support, and ensuring compliance with policies. The successful candidate will thrive in a collaborative environment, utilizing advanced MS Office skills to enhance productivity. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, this organization values innovative solutions and is dedicated to making a positive impact in the community. If you are self-motivated and possess strong organizational abilities, this opportunity could be your next career step.

Qualifications

• Significant administrative experience, including developing office systems.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.

Responsibilities

• Providing high-level administrative support, including diary management.
• Organizing meetings, preparing agendas, and taking minutes.

Skills

Administrative Experience

Communication Skills

MS Office Proficiency

Organizational Skills

Data Management

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

Job description

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public, and reducing inequalities in how different communities experience and are impacted by infectious diseases, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA's remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation's expert health security agency, UKHSA will:

1. Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation's readiness, defenses, and health security.
2. Detect: use cutting-edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health.
3. Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and monitor threats, identifying how best to control and mitigate risks.
4. Respond: take rapid, collaborative, and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats when they materialize.
5. Lead: lead strong and sustainable partnerships at global, national, regional, and local levels to save lives, protect the nation, and reduce inequalities.

Main duties of the job

The Microbiology laboratory at Cambridge provides services to Addenbrooke's, Royal Papworth, the E&N Herts Hospitals, surrounding districts, and other NHS laboratories. It has active research and epidemiological interests, undergoes assessment against UKAS ISO 15189 standards, and has strong teaching interests. Located on the outskirts of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital is a leading UK hospital and NHS Foundation Trust, closely associated with the University of Cambridge and a major center for biomedical research and education.

The department conducts a wide range of manual and automated microbiological and molecular investigations for clinical and public health services.

About us

We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice, promoting equality of opportunity, and encouraging applications from underrepresented groups. UKHSA fosters an inclusive culture where differences drive innovative solutions to meet community needs, achieved through celebrating diversity, removing barriers, and promoting equity.

Visit our careers site for more information: https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job responsibilities

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Providing high-level administrative support, including diary management and travel arrangements.
• Maintaining office management systems and processes.
• Using MS Office functions such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and databases.
• Proposing improvements to office management systems.
• Managing records related to sustainable development and staff security files.
• Working independently on day-to-day issues, exercising judgment within your role's scope.
• Promoting adherence to UKHSA policies and values.
• Managing data returns for HR purposes, such as sickness absence reporting.
• Maintaining departmental resource records for audits.
• Organizing meetings, preparing agendas, and taking notes and minutes with follow-up actions.
• Ensuring compliance with HR policies, including flexible working requests.
• Supporting administrative processes for new staff, including IT setup.

The above duties are current and not exhaustive; additional tasks of similar level may be assigned.

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency framework based on your knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities related to the essential criteria. You must complete an application form and a 1000-word Statement of Suitability demonstrating how your skills and experience meet the criteria. The application and statement will be marked together.

In case of high application volume, we will shortlist applicants who meet all or some essential criteria into different piles, and will shortlist based on significant administrative experience, including handling sensitive information and developing office systems.

Late applications will not be considered. CV uploads are not permitted; please complete the application form in detail. Feedback is not provided at this stage.

Successful candidates will be invited for a face-to-face interview, with possible remote options, where knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities will be assessed.

Location

This role is based at our Cambridge site. Candidates may need to undergo a Counter Terrorism Check and ensure UK residency for the last 3 years for security vetting purposes. Exceptions may apply; contact the recruiting manager for advice.

Eligibility and Security

Open to all external applicants. Successful candidates must pass a security check, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Person Specification

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with appropriate use of digital resources.
• Significant administrative experience, including developing and maintaining office systems and handling sensitive data.
• Experience organizing meetings, producing agendas, and taking minutes.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with finance systems and supporting financial reports.
• Self-motivated, able to work independently within tight timescales.
• Advanced MS Office skills, including Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• A team player committed to collaborative working.

Additional Information

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Salary ranges from £29,109 to £34,131 per annum, pro-rata. The position is permanent, with flexible working options.