Entry-Level Office Assistant

Animal & Plant Health Agency; Burton on the Wolds; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency is seeking an administrative support professional to aid in the delivery of services to laboratories globally. Responsibilities include managing inquiries, preparing shipping documentation, and maintaining records. Candidates need to demonstrate strong organisational and communication skills, along with proficiency in MS Office tools. The role is full-time based in Sutton Bonington with potential for remote work on an ad hoc basis, requiring some travel within the UK and abroad.

Qualifications

• Motivated and calm under pressure.
• Self-aware with high resilience.
• Ability to balance and prioritise multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and scientific services.
• Handle email and telephone enquiries.
• Prepare paperwork for shipping biological materials.
• Monitor and maintain reports on customer activity.

Skills

Strong organisational skills

Excellent electronic record-keeping

MS Excel skills

MS Word skills

Excellent written communication skills

Excellent verbal communication skills

Good verbal reasoning skills

Good numerical reasoning skills

High interpersonal skills

Ability to work under pressure

Tools

OneDrive

MS Teams

SharePoint Online

Job description

Provide administrative support for the delivery of products and services to laboratories worldwide. Work independently and as part of a team, handling a wide range of administrative and customer service duties. Act as the central point of contact for all incoming enquiries and work to improve productivity, efficiency and work processes.

Responsibilities

• Support staff and customers by providing administrative and scientific services.
• Receive and facilitate replies for email and telephone enquiries (most are related to customer contracts and shipping administration).
• Prepare paperwork for shipping biological materials (e.g., customs proformas and export/import documents).
• Assist with the preparation, labelling, packaging and distribution of PT samples.
• Ensure accurate records are kept and updated.
• Monitor and maintain reports and spreadsheets to show customer activity (details of new business, business retention, figures for re‑ordering, etc.).
• Work in accordance with health, safety and wellbeing procedures.
• Adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures and the relevant ISO standard.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Motivated, self‑aware with high inner resilience, approachable and calm under pressure.
• Strong organisational skills with excellent electronic record‑keeping and MS Excel/Word skills.
• Experience using OneDrive, MS Teams and SharePoint Online.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to balance and prioritise multiple tasks with competing deadlines.
• Good verbal and numerical reasoning skills.
• High standard of interpersonal skills; resilience and an approachable attitude within a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Ability to work under pressure in a flexible and agile way.

Working Conditions

Full‑time position (5 days per week, 37 hours per week), based at Sutton Bonington. Working from home is available for some duties and is by agreement on an ad hoc basis. The department occupies a building on three levels with no lift; the post holder must be able to use two flights of stairs and be reasonably physically fit. Periodic travel within the UK and overseas is required. The role is contractually based in a Defra group workplace; duties must be carried out from a UK location (excluding Northern Ireland).

Behaviours

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace