About the job

Job summary

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards.  We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

The Field Services Directorate (FSD) was established to provide a national comprehensive service which is geographically dispersed and integrates epidemiological, microbiological, infectious diseases and data sciences capacity and skills delivering surveillance and outbreak investigations consistently of the highest quality. 

The Business Officer will provide day-to-day administrative and/or dedicated PA support to the Directorate or senior management team.  They will maintain effective working relationships with a variety of stakeholders both internal and external to the organisation. The post holder 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 may work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely.

Job description

Your key responsibilities will include:

Administrative and PA Support

•    Provide dedicated comprehensive PA support to of one or more individual senior members of the directorate as requested. This may include: reading, monitoring and responding to the manager’s emails, dairy management, booking travel arrangements, drafting of correspondence and/or preparing presentations, carrying out basic research
•    Lead and act as a central coordinating point of contact for a range of business administration activities. This will include delegated lead responsibility for certain corporate function processes.  For example, compiling and updating health and safety risk assessments or reporting of sickness absence and preparing and submitting returns on behalf of the team as required.
•    Communicate and engage effectively with a range of people, including internal and external staff and stakeholders. This will include dealing with stakeholder enquiries promptly and courteously by email, telephone, letter or in person, referring to the relevant lead where appropriate.
•    Responsible for the organisation of meetings and events and production of reports, papers, minutes and updating action logs as required. This will include providing secretariat support to teams and other internal meetings and networks as required.
•    Support the development of systems and procedures where necessary to ensure efficiency, quality and cost effectiveness across the business support and administration function.
•    Participate in relevant internal working groups/projects, services and initiatives across the organisation representing the Team, Directorate or Centre

For a full list of main duties and responsibilities please refer to the job description document attached to this advert.

Person specification

Essential criteria 

• Educated to graduate degree level/NVQ6 level or equivalent experience.
  •    IT skills and advanced Microsoft Office experience, including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint
  •    Significant administrative/ secretarial experience including developing, implementing and maintaining office systems and handling sensitive information
  •    Experience of organising meetings and producing supporting paperwork, including agendas and taking minutes/action notes
  •    Experienced at working under pressure handling multiple tasks and prioritising own workload
  •    Ability to use finance systems and support financial analysis for reports 
  •    Ability to follow relevant policies, procedures and legislation to complete your work.
  •    Ability to work without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales
  •    Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money
  •    Ability to work well as part of a team to ensure the team pulls together and is effective and bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable
  •    Ability to seek out new information and new ways to develop yourself
  •    Demonstrate appreciation and acknowledgment of the range and complexities of diversity; self-awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers; cultural competence – cultural sensitivity and awareness

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £25,976, UK Health Security Agency contributes £7,013 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

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form.

You will be assessed on the above listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of   

• a CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 
• a 750 word Statement of Suitability.  

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria. 

The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on Relevant Science Degree or equivalent qualifications or equivalent experience

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment  

Please do not exceed 750 words.  We will not consider any words over and above this number. 

Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

 Stage 2: Interview  

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

 Interviews dates to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. 

Location information 

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) based at the appropriate UKHSA Newcastle site.

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

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.

Working for the Civil Service:
The Civil Service Code 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.   

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

It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:   

• life sentences  
• arson  
• sexual offences  
• hate and terror offences   

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.  
If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available  

Starting salary  

Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.    

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.    

Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.   

For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.