Business Support Officer

Job summary

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

The post holder will provide day-to-day administrative and/or dedicated PA support for the PCIU and e-Bug 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.

AMR & HCAI Division
This post is within the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection Division of UKHSA. The mission of the division is to protect people from healthcare-associated and antimicrobial resistant infections, through world-leading public health microbiology, outbreak response, surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, modelling, research and evidence-based interventions.

Primary Care and Interventions Unit
The Primary Care and Interventions Unit (PCIU) is a small research team based in Gloucester. It aims to prevent and improve the management of common infections in primary care through research, guidance, resource development and education of professionals, the general public and young people. We also work with GP practices, pharmacies, care homes, universities, schools, and the public to raise awareness about antibiotic resistance and preventing infection. Our work involves creating educational resources and implementation tools for healthcare professionals, the public, and schools.

Our work supports the UK Government’s efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including the UK AMR 20-Year Vision and the National Action Plan (2025–2029).

We collaborate with a wide range of partners to create educational resources and conduct research that informs and evaluates interventions.

Examples of our work include:

• TARGET Antibiotics Toolkit
• e-Bug educational website

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support across the Directorate.
• Lead or act as a central coordinating point of contact for a range of business administration activities. This may include delegated lead responsibility for certain corporate function processes.
• 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. Referring to the relevant lead where appropriate.
• Responsible for the organisation of meetings, events, production of reports, papers, minutes and updating action logs as required. Including providing secretariat support to teams and other internal meetings and networks as required.
• Support the development of systems and procedures 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.
• Carry out timely and accurate information analysis and reporting on agreed areas of their working area and present findings in an agreed manner. This will include developing and maintaining databases as required by the job using a variety of digital and IT applications.
• Contribute to effective information management and assist with the dissemination and/or collation of information/returns, in a timely manner.
• 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
• Conduct basic research.

Project Support

• Undertake project support in the absence of a dedicated project support role in the structure, responding to information requests and other tasks which will involve meeting tight deadlines and may include using digital tools, for example Microsoft 365, JIRA. This will include: assisting and working closely with members of the project team(s), supporting elements of projects as directed by the relevant lead or project manager; maintaining project plans; supporting the provision of management information; and participating in working groups

Financial and Resource Management

• Provide support and information to aid effective management of budgets, in liaison with the Finance Business Partner, including overseeing the placement and/or orders for goods and/or stationery using the MaPS system, receipt goods and maintain log of expenditure.
• Support the end of year/monthly close down of accounts

Leadership and Management

• Be a visible, positive and competent role model. Provide training, advice and support in own area of responsibility.
• Undertake effective line management of staff within area of responsibility.
• Supervise the business support team on their day-to-day activities, which may include call handling or data inputting.

Communication and Key Working Relationships

• The post holder will develop effective working relationships and communicate regularly either by phone, email or face to face with a wide range of individuals. The post holder may make or receive phone calls, receive emails and decide relevant action, responding directly where appropriate and this may include external people for example, stakeholders, e-Bug partners, educators, project/research participants, research groups, and/or from members of the public as well as other public health organisations e.g. NHS and the Dept. of Health.

Personal and Professional Development

• Undergo a programme of on-going development and education, including the quarterly performance review process, to build on existing knowledge and develop skills to meet the behaviours and competencies required to undertake the role. Attending internal / external training events.

Other

• Adherence to all UKHSA Policies and Procedures. A full list of these are available on UKHSA Pulse and form part of the employment contract.
• Adherence to the UKHSA Values, actively demonstrating the positive behaviours
• Support corporate service activity as set out in the Corporate Services Standard Operating Procedures
• As a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, UKHSA has a set of civil protection responsibilities which it must fulfil in the response to any emergency or major incident. Staff may be asked to contribute to the preparedness for and response to major incidents and emergencies (as defined in the UKHSA Concept of Operations) as required.

This list of duties is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• You work well as part of a team and strive to ensure the team pulls together and is effective.
• You are inquisitive, you seek out new information and look for new ways to develop yourself.
• Educated to degree level/NVQ level 6 in relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification and/or equivalent experience
• IT skills and advanced Microsoft Office experience. Ability to use finance systems and support financial analysis for reports
• 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
• Understand that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.
• 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

Desirable criteria:

• Line management skills
• Ability to use digital tools e.g. JIRA

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,547, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,270 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and/or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 11 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word supporting statement.

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.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form with as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

If used, the pile ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of :

• 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

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

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

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Competency Based

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview

There will be a short technical test relating to your interpretation, accuracy and quality of work produced.

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Gloucester office.
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 in Gloucester.

Eligibility Criteria

External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil
Service (including internal applicants).

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

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:

Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced 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 Basic Personnel Security Standard.

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s
personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be
checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional
circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview and are moving from another government
department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary.

Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Nigel Poole
• Email : Nigel.Poole@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 merit on the
basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's
Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment
Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should
contact the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can
contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for
further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.u