Operations Assistant

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days annual leave

Flexible working

Excellent pension

Staff discounts

Staff networks

Recognition awards

Career development

Family-friendly policies

Job summary

The University of Sheffield is seeking an experienced administrator to join the School of Medicine/Health Sciences team. You will act as first point of contact, handle queries, maintain records, arrange travel, bookings, and support recruitment and events.

This role requires GCSEs, strong IT skills, excellent communication, and the ability to work under pressure while maintaining confidentiality. It is a full-time, on-campus post with standard hours, and the university offers generous benefits.

Qualifications

• Five GCSEs at grade C or above including Maths and English.
• Experience providing high-quality administrative and business support within a complex organisation.
• Excellent IT skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office and/or Google Drive.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to deal with difficult situations and conversations in a confidential manner.
• Ability to work flexibly as part of a team, and to show own initiative.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively and accurately to deadlines.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent customer service skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as first point of contact for School enquiries and guide students, staff and visitors.
• Provide general admin support: records, databases, filing, lists and committee membership.
• Carry out travel and accommodation bookings.
• Perform financial administrative tasks, including requisitions and purchasing card coding.
• Provide administrative support for recruitment activities: postings, processing, interviews, checks, onboarding, recruitment records.
• Plan and coordinate School events, workshops and meetings, including logistics and rooms.

Skills

GCSEs including Maths & English

Administration experience

IT skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

GCSEs or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Drive

Job description

Overview

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Act as first point of contact for School enquiries at the Medical School reception and provide guidance to students, staff, and visitors, directing them as needed. Handle non-standard queries by collecting and assessing information to provide effective solutions.
• Provide general admin support by maintaining and updating records, databases, filing systems, phone/email lists and committee terms of reference and membership lists and assisting with the organisation of the school's annual calendar of meetings and events
• Carry out travel and accommodation bookings for the School, ensuring that the University financial regulations are adhered to.
• Perform a variety of financial administrative tasks, including creating requisitions where appropriate, goods receipting, and coding purchasing cards.
• Provide administrative support for recruitment activities, including job postings, application processing, interview coordination, pre-employment checks, onboarding, and maintaining recruitment records.
• In collaboration with colleagues, plan and coordinate School events, workshops, and meetings to a high standard. Manage logistical preparations, including booking rooms, catering, taking minutes or notes, organising parking and booking accommodations.
• Maintain the School s Staff Handbook and externally facing web pages, creating pages and layouts, monitoring information, and liaising with staff to ensure information is accurate and up to date.
• Act as the departmental contact for building maintenance, liaising with Estates and Facilities Management, reporting faults using the EFM Self Service. Provide support to office moves as required, including arranging any maintenance required, updating door plates, and ordering keys.
• Support senior staff in ensuring the School's compliance with Health and Safety, Information Management, and Security requirements. Responsibilities include monitoring training records, sending reminders, generating reports, and distributing relevant information.

• Provide support as required across the Professional Services team in key operational areas in the event of absence/peaks in workload, including providing administrative support for events, conferences and seminars. Answer the main enquiry telephone line, dealing with messages appropriately and promptly

• Proactively identify areas requiring further action to maintain excellent service delivery, ensuring adherence to quality standards, guidelines, and procedures. Raise issues with senior colleagues when necessary and contribute solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

• Five GCSEs at Grade C or above including Maths and English (or equivalent experience).
  • Essential
  • Application
• Experience of providing high quality administrative and business support within a complex organisation.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Excellent IT skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office and/or Google drive.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Ability to deal with difficult situations and conversations in a sensitive and confidential manner.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Ability to work flexibly as part of a team, and to show own initiative.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Ability to work effectively and accurately to deadlines.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Ability to produce work to a high standard with attention to detail.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Ability to remain calm and maintain high level service standards whilst under pressure.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview
• Excellent customer service skills.
  • Essential
  • Application/Interview

Further Information

• Grade: 4
• Salary: £25,249 - £26,707 per annum pro rata (Potential to increase to £28,778 per annum pro rata through sustained exceptional contribution)
• Work arrangement: Full-time post – 35 hours per week – Monday – Friday; Fully on campus – Not suitable for hybrid working
• Line manager: Senior Operations Officer
• Direct reports: Not applicable
• Our website: www.sheffield.ac.uk/smph
• For informal enquiries about this job contact Mrs Emma Rower, Operations Manager at [e-mail]

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on within 3 weeks of the advert closing date.

We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage as soon as possible. If youneed any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact the Staffing Team at [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date :05/11/2026

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.