UK Health Security Agency
Business Support Officer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Health Protection Operation Centre - Manchester
Job Summary
The job purpose is to work collaboratively with all members of the team and/or Directorate to provide an accurate and effective administrative support service.
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
Specific duties of the role may vary depending on the site and teams/functions.
Administrative Support
- Provide comprehensive administrative support to teams across the Directorate, including diary management of one or more senior staff, if required.
- To be responsible for dealing with telephone enquiries and other communications that may require a high degree of tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
- Action routine correspondence, prepare acknowledgements and response letters as requested.
- Collate information and data to produce reports and documents as required; some may be confidential and/or complex.
- Assist with the dissemination and/or collation of information/returns for business operations in a timely manner.
- Provide Incident Co-ordination administrative cover on rotation as required (if applicable).
- Improve the quality of services and contribute to the improvement of the administration service.
- To be responsible for organising and controlling own workload ensuring deadlines are observed and duties performed efficiently.
- Provide cover as directed by line manager for other members of the team in their absence and assist with their workloads as necessary.
Financial and Resource management
- Assist with the procurement of goods and services in-line with UKHSA policies and procedures, including overseeing ordering of stationery and general equipment supplies for the office; ensuring appropriate levels of stock are maintained; and arranging travel and hotel bookings.
Meetings and Events
- Arrange, attend, and provide secretariat support to teams and other internal and external meetings and/or networks as required. This will include booking venues; organising hospitality; preparing and producing paperwork, i.e., agendas, action logs, collating and distributing all necessary information and documentation electronically and taking minutes or action notes as required. Ensuring all minutes or action notes are issued in a timely manner and agreed actions are appropriately recorded.
- Assist with organising external and/or internal conferences, away days and training days, including registration, and preparing resources.
Information Governance and Information Management
- Operate and update a range of databases and computerised case management / surveillance systems. Input data and information accurately and completely, using the correct formats consistently with legislation, policies, and procedures.
- Adhere to clinical governance and security of information arrangements at all times.
- Assist in the effective use and maintenance of the office environment and systems and support the introduction of, and working with, systems to manage these effectively; this will include organising and maintaining comprehensive electronic filing systems and using digital tools, for example JIRA.
Personal and Professional Development
- Undergo a programme of on-going development and education, including participating in the annual appraisal process, to build on existing knowledge and develop skills to meet competencies required to undertake the role.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Communication and Key Working Relationships
- The post holder will develop effective working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals via phone, email and face to face including, local team members and managers, clinical and non-clinical staff and scientists. The post holder may also take phone calls and/or emails from members of the public and/or stakeholders.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Comply with all UKHSA policies, procedures and values, contribute to corporate objectives, support emergency preparedness and response activities where required, and undertake any other reasonable duties consistent with the role.
This list is not exhaustive
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Educated to a level 2 qualification in literate/numerate/business subjects and/or relevant experience working at a similar level in an office/administration/business role
- Experience of using Microsoft Office software i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint or equivalent
- Ability to 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 prioritise own work and work with minimal supervision
- Ability to produce work that is accurate in a timely fashion, whilst multi-tasking and working in a busy environment
- Ability to follow guidance, policies, and processes, including handling sensitive and confidential data
- Ability to handle telephone enquiries and receive visitors
- Ability to work well as part of a team
- You are inquisitive, you seek out new information and look for new ways to develop yourself
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships
Desirable Criteria
- Experience handling sensitive and/or confidential data
- Experience of arranging meetings and supporting events and taking minutes
- Experience of working in an office environment
- Talk to relevant people to get advice and information when unsure how to proceed
Salary Information
Alongside your salary of £25,651, UK Health Security Agency contributes £7,431 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Eligibility Criteria
External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).
Location
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Health Protection Operation Centre in Manchester. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using 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) working at our office.
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a standard disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Baseline Personnel Security Standard
Future location
UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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)
- 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
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in a new window).
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
Name : John Inglis
Email : john.inglis@ukhsa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
Further information
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills