About the job

Job summary

Administrative Officer

£22,194 - £24,184, AO (National)

UKHSA Porton Down, Manor Farm Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG

Permanent Contract

The Research and Evaluation Administration Team are recruiting for one, permanent Administrative Officer based at UKHSA Porton Down. The post holder will work collaboratively with all members of the team and/or Directorate to provide an accurate and effective administrative support service. They will work with minimal supervision and be expected to work flexibly as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing a wide range of specific administrative duties.  The post holder will work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely.

As an Administrative Officer, your role will involve providing day-to-day administrative support to specific groups within the department. Additionally, you’ll offer secretariat support to senior management within these groups. Your tasks will encompass activities such as diary management, collating information, taking minutes, and providing logistic support. Building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders across the division is essential, and delivering exceptional customer service is a priority. The position requires the ability to work independently and flexibly as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

UKHSA Porton Down, Manor Farm Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*

Working Pattern – Full Time – 37.5 hours per week

Job description

Responsibilities section:

This post holder will engage with Scientists, Researchers, Service Providers and Planners to underpin the delivery of a wide variety of key, research projects on infectious disease, and will:

• Provide a professional front of house reception and hospitality service for the department which may involve meeting and greeting visitors to the building/site.
• Provide flexible departmental support in-line with emerging priorities/challenges and during periods of capacity pressure. This will include a reciprocal arrangement to contribute to office cover during absence of other administrative team members, where appropriate to the post holder’s grade. In addition, staff will become familiar with the other duties of the team administrators in order to facilitate business continuity during times of crises or other pressures.
• To undertake general office duties as necessary, i.e., photocopying, faxing, post, hospitality duties. Arrange travel and hotel bookings in line with UKHSA policies and procedures.
• Assist with the dissemination and/or collation of information/returns for business.
• Learn admin supporting duties to departmental meetings, such as minute taking, agenda preparation, collating meeting papers.
• Multi-diary management for staff within the department management in a timely manner.
• Undertake the typing of correspondence, reports, documents, audio manuscript or draft responses as required.
• Liaise with multi-disciplinary colleagues across UKHSA.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

It should be noted that some work of the centre is of a confidential nature and must not be communicated to other persons except where required for authorised purposes

Please see job description attached for full list of duties and competencies associated with the post.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):

Essential

• Professional secretarial/administrative experience
• Previous experience of working in an administrative environment using computerized data systems.
• Clear communicator with good writing, date entry and telephone skills ensuring accuracy.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information and recommend appropriate actions.
• Able to work on own initiative, organizing and prioritizing own workload without supervision, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems.

Desirable

• Educated to NVQ3 level in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or significant equivalent previous proven experience.
• Security Clearance.
• Adaptability, flexibility, and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
• Minute taking experience, proven experience of multi-tasking and ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.

Please ensure that your statement of suitability does not contain any personal identifiers such as Name, Gender, Location, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation or Religion. The UKHSA operates a fair and open recruitment policy.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £22,194, UK Health Security Agency contributes £5,992 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This competition will involve an interview by video. 

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. 

Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

 

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 7th March 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: TBC

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

Nationality requirements

Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

Pay

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.