Senior Administrator

National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Teddington; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK is seeking a highly organised Senior Administrator to support our Digital Innovation function and the CIO Senior Leadership Team. You will coordinate executive support, calendars, and governance across a busy portfolio of digital, data and AI activity.

This role offers a structured, collaborative environment where you’ll manage documents, meeting papers, and SharePoint/Teams spaces, ensuring information is accurate and delivered on time.

Qualifications

• Experience in supporting senior leaders and coordinating multiple priorities.
• Proficient with Microsoft 365 and information management systems.
• Customer-focused with clear, professional communication.
• Able to work across teams with a positive, practical delivery approach.
• Willing to learn as the Digital Innovation function evolves.

Responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact for Digital Innovation administration requests.
• Provide diary, calendar, meeting and administrative support for senior leaders.
• Coordinate activity across the function to meet deadlines and quality standards.
• Prepare, format and circulate documents, reports and briefing materials.
• Support portfolio administration, including action tracking and planning data.
• Administer and maintain SharePoint sites, Teams spaces and libraries.
• Coordinate administration for AI, Copilot and digital adoption activities.
• Gather information, prepare summaries and maintain action logs.
• Help improve administrative systems and ensure compliance with procedures.

Skills

Executive support

Calendar management

Document management

Stakeholder coordination

Communication

Cross-team collaboration

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

At NPL, we’re helping make the impossible, possible. As the UK’s National Metrology Institute, our work underpins confidence in science, technology, innovation and industry. Behind that work are the people who make sure our teams are connected, organised and able to deliver at pace.

About the Role

At NPL, we’re helping make the impossible, possible. As the UK’s National Metrology Institute, our work underpins confidence in science, technology, innovation and industry. Behind that work are the people who make sure our teams are connected, organised and able to deliver at pace.

We’re looking for a highly organised, proactive and service-driven Senior Administrator to support our Digital Innovation function and the CIO Senior Leadership Team. This is a varied role for someone who enjoys bringing structure to busy environments, keeping people and information moving, and providing calm, reliable support across a fast-changing portfolio of digital, data and AI activity.

As Senior Administrator, you’ll manage and coordinate the day-to-day administrative, executive support, calendar management and portfolio coordination activities that keep Digital Innovation running effectively. You’ll provide practical support to the Head of Digital Innovation, CIO and CIO Senior Leadership Team, helping ensure meetings, papers, actions and minutes, records, communications and planning information are well organised, accurate and delivered to agreed standards.

What you’ll be doing

• Act as a key point of contact for Digital Innovation administration requests, responding professionally and helping colleagues get the right support.
• Provide diary, calendar, meeting and administrative support for the Head of Digital Innovation, CIO and CIO Senior Leadership Team, including scheduling, logistics, agendas, actions, travel and expenses.
• Coordinate administrative activity across the function so that work is delivered to agreed deadlines, quality expectations and business standards.
• Prepare, format, circulate and maintain documents, reports, presentations, briefing materials, meeting papers and management information.
• Support Digital Innovation portfolio administration, including action tracking, document management, planning information, stakeholder lists and coordination of programme activity.
• Administer and maintain SharePoint sites, Teams spaces, mailing lists, document libraries, records and collaboration areas.
• Coordinate administration for AI, Copilot and digital adoption activity, including working groups, governance forums, stakeholder networks, workshops and engagement events.
• Gather information, prepare summaries, coordinate inputs and maintain action logs, decision records and evidence where required.
• Help improve and maintain administrative systems and records, ensuring they remain compliant with company procedures, information management expectations and relevant standards.
• Take reasonable duty of care for your own health and safety, and for others who may be affected by your work, following health and safety instructions at all times.

About You

Essential Skills:

• You’ll bring strong hands-on administration experience, including the ability to support senior leaders, coordinate multiple priorities and work confidently with colleagues across different teams.
• You’ll be comfortable using Microsoft 365 tools, managing information carefully and creating order in a busy environment.
• Just as importantly, you’ll be customer-focused, clear in your communication and motivated by providing a high-quality service that helps others do their best work.
• You’ll thrive here if you enjoy working with people, spotting where things can be made simpler, and bringing a positive, practical approach to delivery.
• You don’t need to be a digital or AI specialist, but you should be curious, confident with collaboration tools and willing to learn as the function evolves.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.