Operational Support Assistant

Durham County Council; North East; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

A local government authority in the North East of England is looking for a Temporary Operational Support Assistant for 18 months. This part-time role (16 hours per week) involves delivering administrative support across various services, including Allotments and Pest Control. Applicants should have five GCSEs and experience in an office, alongside strong ICT and communication skills. The position offers a competitive rewards package, including generous annual leave and pension benefits.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Contribution to Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Previous experience working in an office environment.
• Confident working as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality administrative support to front-line services.
• Handle service requests and customer enquiries promptly and professionally.
• Assist with electronic filing, scanning, and data input.
• Support financial tasks such as invoice processing.
• Work collaboratively to ensure continuous service improvement.

Skills

Strong ICT skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to prioritise workload

Education

Five GCSEs (Grades A-C) or equivalent

Job description

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

Durham County Council is seeking a 18 month Temporary Operational Support Assistant to join our Neighbourhood Protection Team at Meadowfield Depot. This is an excellent opportunity to provide vital administrative support to services including Allotments, Neighbourhood Wardens, and Pest Control. 16 hours per week working Thursdays and Fridays.

Your Key Responsibilities will include:

• Deliver high-quality administrative support to front-line services.
• Handle service requests and customer enquiries promptly and professionally.
• Assist with electronic filing, scanning, and data input to streamline processes.
• Support financial tasks such as invoice processing and cash receipting.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure continuous service improvement.

For further information regarding this role please contact [e-mail] or [e-mail].

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You will have at least five GCSEs (Grades A–C) or equivalent. You will have previous experience working in an office environment and be confident working as part of a team. Strong ICT skills are essential, along with the ability to prioritise your workload effectively to meet deadlines. Excellent communication skills and a customer-focused approach are also key requirements for this role.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held week commencing 19th January 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website.

We welcome applications from disabled people and those who are or consider themselves to be neurodivergent.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email [e-mail].

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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