UKRI
Administration Assistant
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UKRI Salary: £25,842 (FTE) per annum (pro rata). Band: UKRI Band B. Contract Type: Fixed Term (12 months). Hours: Part Time – 25 hours per week. Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Closing Date: Sunday 16th August 2026.
Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy [https://www.ukri.org/publications/uk-research-and-innovation-recruitment-policy/ukri-recruitment-policy/] for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.
About the role
To provide a professional, efficient, and welcoming front of house service for staff, visitors, and stakeholders for both UKRI and external tenants such as DWP.
The role ensures smooth day to day operations in working in reception, supporting security protocols, and delivering high quality administrative support in line with organisational standards.
This role sits in the Workplace Experience function so a key part of organisational values through professional conduct and high-quality customer service.
Your responsibilities:
- Act as the first point of contact for all visitors, ensuring a courteous, inclusive, and professional welcome.
- This will include dealing with queries regarding; for example - building opening hours, car parking, meeting rooms.
- Overseeing visitor sign in, issuing passes, and following security and safeguarding procedures.
- Answer and route incoming phone calls; take and relay messages in a polite and courteous fashion.
- Providing support to Facilities Helpdesk team to assist in general enquiries and administrative tasks as required.
- Support emergency procedures, including evacuation lists and visitor accountability, carrying out specific duties in relation to emergency evacuations.
- Support all other areas within the Estates function.
Personal Specification
The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
Essential
- Experience using Microsoft Office and standard office equipment (S).
- Strong interpersonal and customer service skills (S&I).
- High attention to detail and accuracy (I).
- Good organisational and multitasking skills (S&I).
- Experience in a customer-facing reception, or administrative role (S&I).
- Experience in managing competing priorities in a busy environment (I).
- Ability to multitask and remain calm under pressure (I).
- Experience using visitor management or booking systems (S&I).
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Benefits
We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. UKRI are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!
A list of benefits below:
- An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
- 30 days' pro-rata annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
- Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
- Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!
For further information on our benefits please see: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) [https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/work-for-us/working-at-ukri/benefits-of-working-for-ukri/]
Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org [Recruitment@ukri.org]
As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status, we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI [https://www.ukri.org/about-us/work-for-us/working-at-ukri/benefits-of-working-for-ukri/].
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How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’. [https://www.ukri.org/about-us/work-for-us/edi-in-the-workforce/#contents-list]
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.
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