Job Details

Business Support Officer

Contract Length: 3 months, with potential extension
Location: Hybrid working
Office Attendance: 2–3 days per week on site
Team: Children & Education Transformation Team
Start Date: ASAP

Job Purpose

We are seeking an organised, proactive, and detail-oriented Business Support Officer to join the Children & Education Transformation Team on an initial three-month contract, with the potential for extension.

The successful candidate will provide high-quality administrative, coordination, and project support across a range of transformation activities. You will work closely with project managers, senior stakeholders, working groups, and wider team members to ensure activities are well coordinated, actions are tracked, and governance processes are maintained effectively.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong organisational and communication skills who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and supporting multiple priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Business and Administrative Support

• Provide effective day-to-day administrative and business support to the Children & Education Transformation Team.
• Maintain accurate records, databases, spreadsheets, trackers, and project documentation.
• Support the preparation and distribution of reports, presentations, agendas, papers, and other documentation.
• Manage competing priorities and ensure administrative tasks are completed within agreed deadlines.
• Provide general support to project and transformation activities as required.

Recruitment Coordination

• Provide administrative support throughout recruitment processes.
• Coordinate interviews, including arranging diaries, communicating with candidates and panel members, and preparing relevant documentation.
• Maintain recruitment trackers and ensure records are kept up to date.
• Liaise with internal teams and external candidates to resolve queries and ensure a smooth recruitment process.
• Support onboarding and mobilisation activities for new team members where required.

Mailbox and Enquiry Management

• Monitor and manage shared mailboxes, ensuring enquiries are acknowledged and responded to promptly.
• Triage enquiries and direct them to the appropriate team member or service.
• Maintain an organised record of enquiries, responses, and outstanding actions.
• Follow up on outstanding requests to ensure timely resolution.

Working Group and Meeting Coordination

• Support the mobilisation, coordination, and administration of working groups and project meetings.
• Schedule meetings, coordinate diaries, circulate invitations, and prepare agendas and supporting papers.
• Attend meetings and take clear, accurate minutes and notes.
• Maintain action logs and follow up with action owners to ensure actions are completed within agreed timescales.
• Coordinate follow-up communications and ensure key decisions and actions are appropriately recorded.

Project and Governance Support

• Maintain project action logs, risk and issue trackers, decision logs, and other governance documentation.
• Support the preparation of project updates and information for governance meetings.
• Ensure project documentation is accurate, current, appropriately stored, and easily accessible.
• Assist with monitoring project milestones, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Provide administrative support to project managers and senior colleagues across transformation programmes.
• Identify outstanding actions or potential issues and proactively escalate these where appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential Skills and Experience

• Previous experience in a business support, project support, administration, or coordination role.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience of maintaining trackers, action logs, records, and administrative systems.
• Experience coordinating meetings, taking minutes, and following up actions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative while also working effectively as part of a team.
• Confident communicating with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and respond positively to changing priorities.
• Strong commitment to confidentiality and professional standards.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience working within a local authority, public sector, education, children’s services, or transformation environment.
• Experience supporting projects or programmes using formal governance arrangements.
• Familiarity with recruitment administration and coordination.
• Experience supporting working groups or multi-disciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of project management principles and processes.

Key Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Organisation: Able to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and priorities effectively.
• Communication: Confident and professional when communicating with colleagues, stakeholders, and external contacts.
• Attention to Detail: Produces accurate, high-quality work and maintains reliable records.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively and builds positive working relationships.
• Proactivity: Takes ownership of tasks, identifies what needs to be done, and follows through.
• Problem Solving: Able to resolve routine issues independently and escalate more complex matters appropriately.
• Flexibility: Adaptable and comfortable working in a changing transformation environment.
• Confidentiality: Handles sensitive information appropriately and professionally.

Working Arrangements

This is a hybrid role, with an expectation of attending the office 2–3 days per week. The successful candidate must be able to work effectively both independently and collaboratively, using virtual and in-person methods of communication.

Contract

Initial contract: 3 months
Potential extension: Yes, subject to business requirements and performance
Start date: ASAP

Why Join the Team?

This role provides an opportunity to contribute to important transformation activity within the Children & Education environment. You will play a key role in ensuring that projects, working groups, governance arrangements, and day-to-day business activities are effectively coordinated and supported.

Contract Length: 3 months, with potential extension
Location: Hybrid working
Office Attendance: 2–3 days per week on site
Team: Children & Education Transformation Team
Start Date: ASAP

Job Purpose

We are seeking an organised, proactive, and detail-oriented Business Support Officer to join the Children & Education Transformation Team on an initial three-month contract, with the potential for extension.

The successful candidate will provide high-quality administrative, coordination, and project support across a range of transformation activities. You will work closely with project managers, senior stakeholders, working groups, and wider team members to ensure activities are well coordinated, actions are tracked, and governance processes are maintained effectively.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong organisational and communication skills who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and supporting multiple priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Business and Administrative Support

• Provide effective day-to-day administrative and business support to the Children & Education Transformation Team.
• Maintain accurate records, databases, spreadsheets, trackers, and project documentation.
• Support the preparation and distribution of reports, presentations, agendas, papers, and other documentation.
• Manage competing priorities and ensure administrative tasks are completed within agreed deadlines.
• Provide general support to project and transformation activities as required.

Recruitment Coordination

• Provide administrative support throughout recruitment processes.
• Coordinate interviews, including arranging diaries, communicating with candidates and panel members, and preparing relevant documentation.
• Maintain recruitment trackers and ensure records are kept up to date.
• Liaise with internal teams and external candidates to resolve queries and ensure a smooth recruitment process.
• Support onboarding and mobilisation activities for new team members where required.

Mailbox and Enquiry Management

• Monitor and manage shared mailboxes, ensuring enquiries are acknowledged and responded to promptly.
• Triage enquiries and direct them to the appropriate team member or service.
• Maintain an organised record of enquiries, responses, and outstanding actions.
• Follow up on outstanding requests to ensure timely resolution.

Working Group and Meeting Coordination

• Support the mobilisation, coordination, and administration of working groups and project meetings.
• Schedule meetings, coordinate diaries, circulate invitations, and prepare agendas and supporting papers.
• Attend meetings and take clear, accurate minutes and notes.
• Maintain action logs and follow up with action owners to ensure actions are completed within agreed timescales.
• Coordinate follow-up communications and ensure key decisions and actions are appropriately recorded.

Project and Governance Support

• Maintain project action logs, risk and issue trackers, decision logs, and other governance documentation.
• Support the preparation of project updates and information for governance meetings.
• Ensure project documentation is accurate, current, appropriately stored, and easily accessible.
• Assist with monitoring project milestones, deadlines, and deliverables.
• Provide administrative support to project managers and senior colleagues across transformation programmes.
• Identify outstanding actions or potential issues and proactively escalate these where appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential Skills and Experience

• Previous experience in a business support, project support, administration, or coordination role.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience of maintaining trackers, action logs, records, and administrative systems.
• Experience coordinating meetings, taking minutes, and following up actions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative while also working effectively as part of a team.
• Confident communicating with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and respond positively to changing priorities.
• Strong commitment to confidentiality and professional standards.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience working within a local authority, public sector, education, children’s services, or transformation environment.
• Experience supporting projects or programmes using formal governance arrangements.
• Familiarity with recruitment administration and coordination.
• Experience supporting working groups or multi-disciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of project management principles and processes.

Key Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Organisation: Able to manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and priorities effectively.
• Communication: Confident and professional when communicating with colleagues, stakeholders, and external contacts.
• Attention to Detail: Produces accurate, high-quality work and maintains reliable records.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively and builds positive working relationships.
• Proactivity: Takes ownership of tasks, identifies what needs to be done, and follows through.
• Problem Solving: Able to resolve routine issues independently and escalate more complex matters appropriately.
• Flexibility: Adaptable and comfortable working in a changing transformation environment.
• Confidentiality: Handles sensitive information appropriately and professionally.

Working Arrangements

This is a hybrid role, with an expectation of attending the office 2–3 days per week. The successful candidate must be able to work effectively both independently and collaboratively, using virtual and in-person methods of communication.

Contract

Initial contract: 3 months
Potential extension: Yes, subject to business requirements and performance
Start date: ASAP

Why Join the Team?

This role provides an opportunity to contribute to important transformation activity within the Children & Education environment. You will play a key role in ensuring that projects, working groups, governance arrangements, and day-to-day business activities are effectively coordinated and supported.