The University of Sheffield
Operations Support Officer
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Senior Administrative Assistant – Executive Office Support
Diversity & Workplace Culture
The University of Sheffield is a remarkably inclusive workplace. We champions the value of diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs, contributing to a vibrant world-class academic environment. Join us to thrive in an atmosphere that values you and your contribution as someone unique.
Benefits Highlight
If you join our team, you will have access to:
- Competitive leave entitlement – a minimum of 38 days (including bank holidays and closure days) with an add-on purchase option
- Generous pension scheme, supporting long-term financial security
- Flexible hybrid working solutions for eligible roles
- Diverse employee discounts across retail, dining, and travel sectors
- Family-friendly policies, including paid leave for parenting, menopause support and fertility assistance
- Mentorship and career development schemes integrated through our professional frameworks
- Over 8,000 discounts in total from universities, startups, and global brands
Explore the full range of benefits
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Operational Administration & HR/Finance Coordination
- Support Operations Manager and Executive Assistant to the Head of School in administering HR-related processes, including:
- Resource management
- Contract extensions
- Eligibility-to-work verification
- Fixed-term contract expiry monitoring
- Registration of casual workers
- Workload planning and coordination
- Handle financial administration, such as requisitions, goods receipting and purchasing card coding, ensuring compliance with university regulations
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Facilities & Estates Support
- Act as the primary point of contact for estates and facilities management issues, including:
- Reporting building faults and maintenance requests
- Arranging capital works
- Or ordering furniture on behalf of the School
Event & Committee Coordination
- Lead organisation of School-wide events, activities and stakeholders (staff, students and visitors) as requested
- Serve and support School committees, staff meetings and diary management for senior team members (SET)
Records & Information Management
- Maintain and update school-level information, including webpages, handbooks, and records
- Provide research ethics administration support to academic staff
Health, Safety & Compliance
- Assist senior staff with Health and Safety adherence, information management, and security compliance, including:
- Checking training records
- Sending reminders
- Generating and disseminating relevant reports
- Work under Operations Manager direction to introduce and refine administrative procedures
Travel & Accommodation Administration
- Manage travel and accommodation bookings, ensuring strict compliance with university financial policies
Global Duty (Additional Responsibilities)
- Perform a variety of tasks to ensure timely and efficient administration in the department, including:
- Providing cover for colleagues in the administrative team
- Other commensurate duties aligned with the role and grade
Person Specification
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We celebrate diversity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience doesn’t mirror our listed criteria exactly, your insights are still valued—apply with a compelling application statement referencing relevant skills and attributes.
Essential
- 5+ GCSEs (or equivalent) at grades A–C (or equivalent experience), including English
- Proficient digital literacy, with hands-on Microsoft Office or Google software experience
- Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal), adaptable for diverse stakeholder interactions
- Strong customer service track record, including efficient phone and email issue resolution
- Outstanding organisation and time management abilities
- Self-sufficient working skills, with ability to escalate issues to senior colleagues as needed
- Collaborative team player, thriving in cross-functional partnerships
- Capacity to adapt to rapid operational changes, plus flexible prioritisation skills
- Confidentiality, tact and discretion inhigh-sensitivity environments
- Administrative experience within a high-performance office setting
- Innovative problem-solving with creative approach to operational challenges
Mandatory Contact & Disability Inclusion
Lines Manager: Operations Manager
Enquiries (informal): Contact via Karen.beck@sheffield.ac.uk
We are a Disability Confident Employer. Candidates meeting the essential criteria (regardless of disability) are invited to interview.
Apply to align your talents with this dynamic role at sheffield.ac.uk/vision.
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