Programmes Administrator

SKAO; England; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Generous pension scheme

Regular social events

Family-friendly environment

Job summary

SKA Observatory, headquartered at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, UK, seeks a proactive Programme Administrator to support Senior Project Managers and the Project Controls Manager. The role focuses on coordinating meetings, maintaining calendars, documenting minutes, and ensuring smooth project operations in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.

You will develop proficiency with Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Miro and Slack, while delivering reliable administrative support and contributing to process

Qualifications

• Experience in an administrative support role (typically at least two years).
• Experience in coordinating events, workshops and/or training sessions.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills in English.
• Good interpersonal skills with a friendly and customer-oriented approach.
• Good attention to detail.
• Be a flexible team player who is adaptable to change and able to work under own initiative.
• Ability and willingness to learn new skills or systems such as Google docs/sheets, Confluence, Miro, Jira, Slack and others as required.
• Good IT skills, including use of MS Word, Outlook and experience of hosting video conference meetings.

Responsibilities

• Coordinating and scheduling meetings, workshops and training sessions across various timezones.
• Maintaining shared project calendars.
• Recording meeting minutes and actions.
• Tracking and following-up on outstanding action items.
• Coordinating and maintaining shared workspaces in tools such as Confluence and Jira.
• Formatting and reviewing documentation and presentations.
• Analysing and manipulating data to facilitate decision-making and support project processes.
• Supporting process improvement activities.
• Opportunity for occasional international travel to support events.
• The above responsibilities are not exhaustive and a flexible approach and willingness to adapt to unexpected and changing needs and priorities as well as performing further general administrative tasks is essential.

Skills

Time management

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Team player

Adaptability

IT skills

Education

Administration qualification

Tools

Confluence

Miro

Jira

Slack

Google Docs/Sheets

MS Word

Outlook

Job description

At the SKAO we are coordinating a global effort to deliver one of the largest science facilities on the planet. The SKAO telescopes will be next-generation instruments that will help to answer key questions in astrophysics, drive technological innovation and support human capital development.

More than a dozen partner countries and over a thousand scientists and engineers around the world are already on board, making the SKA project an international collaboration like no other, and one of the most ambitious science and engineering endeavours of the 21st century.

Headquartered in the UK, with telescope sites in Australia and South Africa, the SKAO will be one observatory operating two telescopes, an endeavour spanning three continents. Multinational by design, in early 2021 the SKAO became an intergovernmental organisation, one of only a select handful of science infrastructures to do so worldwide.

Our Global HQ is located near the buzzing city of Manchester at the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the Cheshire countryside. It is home to a rapidly expanding international team of more than a hundred, working in a highly collaborative and inclusive way, in coordination with SKAO teams in Australia and South Africa as part of a global astronomy and engineering community.

Being part of Team SKA means contributing to something extraordinary: a uniquely exciting project to advance human knowledge that will last for decades. In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, visa and support with relocation (if applicable), regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more. Come and join us!

Job LocationCheshire, UK (Head Office)

The role(s) will be based at the SKAO Global Headquarters at the iconic Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, UK, and will be known internally as Programmes Administrator(s), reporting to the Senior Project Manager SKA-Low and working on a day-to-day basis for the Senior Project Managers and Project Controls Manager.

The successful candidate(s) will be proactive and self-motivated team player(s) with excellent time management skills and the ability to work under time pressure. We welcome applications from candidates of all nationalities, especially those from member countries. However, for these roles visa and relocation support will not be available and applicants must be able to comply with the terms of a UK based local contract, details of which may be accessed on SKAO's recruitment portal.

SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory. We encourage applications from under-represented groups such as women and individuals with disabilities, as well as open conversations during the recruitment process in relation to any specific requirements.

There may be occasions where this role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.

We welcome applications from candidates of all nationalities, especially those from member countries. However, for this role visa and relocation support will not be available and applicants must be able to comply with the terms of a UK based local contract, details of which may be accessed on SKAO's recruitment portal.

This is a fixed term position with a duration of up to 1 year.

Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties

• Coordinating and scheduling meetings, workshops and training sessions across various timezones.
• Maintaining shared project calendars.
• Recording meeting minutes and actions.
• Tracking and following-up on outstanding action items.
• Coordinating and maintaining shared workspaces in tools such as Confluence and Jira.
• Formatting and reviewing documentation and presentations.
• Analysing and manipulating data to facilitate decision-making and support project processes. Supporting process improvement activities.
• Opportunity for occasional international travel to support events.
• The above responsibilities are not exhaustive and a flexible approach and willingness to adapt to unexpected and changing needs and priorities as well as performing further general administrative tasks is essential.

Mandatory Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience in an administrative support role (typically at least two years).
• Experience in coordinating events, workshops and/or training sessions.
• Good organisational and time management skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills in English.
• Good interpersonal skills with a friendly and customer-oriented approach.
• Good attention to detail.
• Be a flexible team player who is adaptable to change and able to work under own initiative.
• Ability and willingness to learn new skills or systems such as Google docs/sheets, Confluence, Miro, Jira, Slack and others as required.
• Good IT skills, including use of MS Word, Outlook and experience of hosting video conference meetings.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• An administration qualification.
• Experience of working in a multicultural environment across international boundaries and time zones.
• Experience of working in a project environment.
• Proficient with software tools that enable collaboration such as Google docs/sheets, Confluence, Miro, Jira, Slack

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement

SKA Observatory recognises that our diversity is a strength. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong, and diverse perspectives and ideas thrive. As such, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the core of SKA Observatory’s agenda.

Our aim is to recruit and retain the most talented individuals, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, nationality or background.

Women have traditionally been under-represented in the fields of science and engineering; SKA Observatory welcomes and encourages female applicants.

Where applicants with a disability need facilities or adjustments to enable them to participate in the recruitment process, these will be provided.

SKA Observatory welcome all candidates, especially those from member countries.