Business Support Officer
About the job
Salary: £30,024 - £32,597 a year pro rata
Hours per week: 22
Contract type: Permanent
As a Business Support Officer within Luton Borough Council, you will provide high-level, comprehensive business and personal assistant support to the Service Directors within the Inclusive Economy Directorate. The role requires the exercise of sound judgement, discretion and confidentiality in all aspects of work, supporting senior leaders to operate effectively and deliver key priorities.
You will manage and maintain Service Directors’ diaries, ensuring effective prioritisation, organisation and allocation of appointments within a demanding and varied work programme. This will include liaising with Councillors, officers, partners and external organisations to coordinate meetings, seminars and conferences, arranging virtual and in-person meetings, room bookings, refreshments, travel and accommodation as required.
The postholder will organise and attend key internal and external meetings, including forming agendas in consultation with Service Directors, circulating papers in advance, and producing accurate and timely minutes. You will ensure that actions and recommendations are followed up and progressed, and organise events and activities that support departmental objectives and promote a positive image of Luton.
You will provide essential support during investigations, hearings, disciplinary meetings and grievance processes, including taking accurate and confidential notes as required. In the absence of Directors, you will manage and prioritise incoming emails and correspondence, liaising with Service Managers to ensure appropriate actions are taken.
The role also involves providing comprehensive business support across business continuity, performance management, risks, complaints and committee reporting. This includes maintaining registers, tracking committee reports, managing divisional risk registers, collating information, progress-chasing deadlines and ensuring issues are escalated appropriately. You will ensure that consultation requirements are met and seek procedural advice from relevant Council colleagues where necessary.
You will develop, maintain and improve administrative systems, databases and procedures, ensuring the timely and accurate retrieval of information for a wide range of audiences. This includes collecting, analysing and presenting statistical and management information in a clear and accessible format.
The Business Support Officer will draft correspondence, reports and presentations on behalf of Service Directors and Service Managers, using initiative and judgement to ensure communications are professional, accurate and clearly articulated.
Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
About you
You will act as a key point of contact for the Service Directors, receiving and filtering incoming requests and telephone calls from senior managers, elected members, partner organisations and the public. You will prioritise enquiries, resolve matters within your remit, or refer appropriately to always ensure continuity of service and excellent customer care.
Financial administration forms part of the role, including processing invoices, budget coding and ordering through the Council’s finance systems, ensuring that financial operations are maintained within agreed timescales.
About you:
To be successful in this role, you will have demonstrable experience providing secretarial and administrative support to senior management, including developing and maintaining effective procedures, systems, and processes that contribute to a well-functioning team. You will have strong planning and coordination skills, able to adapt to changing working practices and shifting priorities.
You will have the ability to present and maintain detailed and accurate workload information, produce a wide range of complex documents, and draft correspondence such as letters, reports, and meeting minutes. Your minute-taking skills will be particularly important, as you will be required to capture key discussions and decisions in meetings of varying complexity.
Clear and precise communication is essential in this role. You will be confident in communicating with colleagues at all levels, both face-to-face and in writing, to gather and clarify specific requirements. You will also be assertive and constructive in providing advice and feedback, ensuring that the required standards and outcomes are achieved.
Your ability to use your initiative and work independently will be key. You will be skilled at establishing facts, acting within defined procedures, and solving problems when issues arise. This includes developing and implementing efficient administrative procedures to streamline workflows and enhance service delivery.
You will have strong IT skills, with demonstrable experience in using a range of software packages including word processing, PowerPoint, spreadsheets, and databases. You should also be able to quickly learn and effectively use specific software systems as required by the role.
A good understanding of data protection principles, as well as the handling of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, will be essential. You will be familiar with the importance of confidentiality and maintaining privacy in all aspects of your work.
Ideally, you will hold a Business Administration Level 2/3 qualification (or equivalent) or have gained equivalent experience in an administrative or secretarial support role.
You will be flexible in your approach to work, with the ability to adjust your hours when necessary to meet service demands, including attending occasional evening meetings.
About us
Our ambitiousLuton 2040 Vision– that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Application Process
On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.
Benefits
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
- From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
How to apply
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!
Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.Salary range
- £30,024 - £32,597 per year