EA to Head of Department

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)  

Salary: £34,905 to £37,173 per annum depending on experience

Hours: Full-time

Contract Type: Open ended (permanent)

Location: Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD

Closing date: 22nd May 2024

Together, our scientist, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it’s sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society. Come and discover how much you can achieve when you’re surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity. 

About The Role

The Science & Technology Facilities Council Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Group at its Daresbury Laboratory (DL), Warrington, Cheshire, is seeking to appoint an experienced and talented Executive Assistant to support the activities of the Head SHE and manage SHE training for DL and ROE (Royal Observatory at Edinburgh). The Head of SHE Group has overall responsibility for SHE matters and regulatory compliance across all STFC’s operations and has staff based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), DL and Swindon Office (SO).

This is a key, pivotal role for SHE Group, primarily supporting the Head of SHE.  In a very busy and varied role, you will represent the Head of SHE Group internally and deal with high-level external interfaces, provide administrative support to SHE Group based at DL, RAL and SO sites, manage the DL and ROE SHE training programmes and line manage the DL SHE Administrator.

Principal duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Executive Assistant to Head of SHE Group

•      Managing the Head of SHE Group’s diary, prioritising and optimising Head of SHE Group’s time. When needed, assist and support the Head of SHE Group’s workload to ensure that targets and deadlines are met – including the progressing of actions on their behalf.  Ensure the Head of SHE Group is properly briefed and prepared for key meetings, including preparing briefing materials.

•      Providing a professional and effective interface between the Head of SHE Group and all STFC Departments, NERC and UKRI, and externally acting as the professional face and point of contact for SHE Group in his absence.

•      Maintain close working relationships across SHE Group, all STFC Departments, across UKRI and external stakeholders to keep awareness of issues and priorities to maintain and strengthen key relationships that support the delivery of SHE Group objectives and represent the Head of SHE Group.

•      Managing the Head of SHE Group’s e-mail correspondence and where possible dealing with e-mails and queries on their behalf; in particular at times of absence, and ensuring that appropriate action is taken and complete confidentiality is adhered to at all times.

•      Organising meetings, Boards and complex workshops, conferences and events for the Head of SHE Group. Where necessary attending events across STFC and UKRI to ensure they run smoothly to plan, and troubleshooting issues as they arise. Providing a secretariat function, ensuing papers are provided and distributed and taking minutes/notes/actions. This includes liaison with the visitors, negotiating dates, arranging suitable participation, putting together an itinerary for tours and arranging all logistics.

•      Assist the Head of SHE Group with operational responsibilities, ensuring Team and Group meetings are in place, collate updates from the Group, cascade issues when necessary, send reminders on behalf of the Head of SHE Group and disseminate information to the Group, being conscious of personal and sensitive information.

•      Organising the regular national, and international, travel of the Head of SHE Group, providing clear and concise itineraries for complex travel through multiple time zones and managing changes and difficulties as they arise. Processing and keeping track of the Head of SHE Group’s personal expense claims using Oracle UKSBS system.

•      SHE Group’s ‘Hiring Manager’ for all new staff at DL, RAL and SO sites. End to end responsibility from Recruitment Approval, ‘Authority to Recruit’, job marketing strategy, interview management, progressing offers, to final on-boarding and induction processes for all new starters.

•       Provide purchasing and administrative support to the Head of SHE Group and wider SHE Group by holding   the DL SHE Group GPC (Government Procurement Card).

SHE Training Manager DL and ROE

•      Manage the complex DL and ROE mandatory and non-mandatory SHE training programmes and driving their continuous improvement. The training programme, ~50 courses per year, is based on a training catalogue of ~80 different face-to-face courses, delivered by more than 20 different training providers.

•      Line manager for DL SHE Training Administrator in delivering DL and ROE SHE training programmes.

•      Responsible for the cost effective management of the DL and ROE SHE training budget, £90k/year. Budget manager responsible for monitoring and forecasting costs. Negotiating, agreeing and approving costs for all external training courses with training providers to get value for money.

•      Ensure that a complex rolling three month training plan is established to address DL and ROE training needs based on waiting lists, and that it is delivered within the agreed timeframe.

•      Developing and operating course feedback systems to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of SHE training courses delivered. Investigating and sourcing new training providers to replace poorly performing providers in consultation with SHE advisors.

•      Establishing and monitoring SHE training performance metrics to provide Management Information for routine reports, and SHE Committees at Department, site and STFC levels.

Person Specification

Essential:

•      At least 5 GCSE level passes (grade 4 and above); subjects to include English and Maths, or a business-related qualification

•      Previous significant experience of similar role or background in supporting a senior manager

•      Highly organized, proactive with meticulous attention to detail

•      Ability to develop positive working relationships with people at all levels and within public and private sector organisations

•      Excellent interpersonal, diplomatic, and influencing skills, including being respectful of confidentiality at all times

•      Clear and professional written, oral and presentation skills, with evidence of good minute taking and excellent grammar

•      Good problem solving skills and willingness to come up with innovative methods of working

•      Knowledge of Microsoft Office products – particularly Zoom, Outlook, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint, able to learn to use other IT systems

•      Able to work well with minimal supervision and use initiative including being able to judge when to refer elsewhere for advice

•       Ability to prioritise, deliver and stay calm under pressure and against tight deadlines; managing workload methodically and reliably

Desirable:

•      Familiarity with Oracle-based information management systems.

•      Experience of arranging training courses

•      Experience of managing recruitment

•      Experience of budget management processes

•      Experience of line managing

Special Requirements: 

•      Occasional overnight travel and working within the UK is required.

Contacts and Communication:

•      Across all STFC Departments at DL, RAL, ROE and SO sites – Directors; Group Leaders; Line Managers; Departmental Safety Contacts and staff, site visitors, contractors, tenants, and facility users.

•      Across UKRI (and NERC) Departments – Directors; Group Leaders; Line Managers; and staff.

•      Internal and external training providers.

STFC values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant.

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Whatever our role, we have the freedom to explore, learn and connect, as part of a community that loves to share knowledge and support one another.

As one of Europe’s largest research organisations, this is a place where there’s always something new to learn – about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself.

Join us and discover what’s possible by submitting your CV and covering letter which outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for STFC and the role.

If you would like to discuss this role informally, please contact Graeme Finlan, Head of SHE Group on 01925 603147 or email graeme.finlan@stfc.ac.uk