Job description

​The Department of Chemistry are looking to recruit a Senior Business Support Officer who will have responsibility for delivery of services underpinning the business functions in the department which includes HR, finance, procurement, auditing, space, health and safety, and other general projects.

The Senior Business Support Officer works as part of a team to ensure consistent support and delivery of departmental operations by providing high quality and effective administrative support, in accordance with university and Faculty priorities, timelines and policies. In the delivery and coordination of administrative support, you will be responsible for utilising resources to ensure consistent and effective service delivery. You will provide guidance within the department business team and wider faculty business function to enable the team to provide a high level of customer support to relevant stakeholders.

The role holder will actively contribute to and help the delivery of the faculty’s business function. They will role model a culture of professionalism with a focus on providing responsive and timely customer service. The role holder will also share and develop best practice solutions with colleagues and coordinate the promotion of new ideas for better and more effective and efficient delivery of services.

This is currently a hybrid role and the role holder will spend part of their working week on campus and part of the week working remotely.

Information on the Department of Chemistry and the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical, and Engineering Sciences can be found at the following links:

 https://www.kcl.ac.uk/chemistry  

 https://www.kcl.ac.uk/nmes  

Benefits

​King’s provides an extensive and varied range of career-focussed training and on-the-job learning. We support staff to maintain a work/life balance, offer flexible working and parental leave opportunities, reduced membership rates for staff at gyms at three of our campuses, an Employee Assistance Programme which provides free, confidential advice on both home and work concerns as well as 27 days annual leave (plus Christmas closure days), an occupational pension scheme, season ticket loans and being part of the cycle to work scheme. Find out more at -  www.kcl.ac.uk/hr/staffbenefits/index 

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract 

This is a full-time  post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

General

• To be an escalation point of contact for service users providing a fast and efficient service
• To respond to and coordinate both internal and external enquires
• To coordinate the undertaking of a variety of administrative duties in business support
• To facilitate executive administrative support where appropriate
• To act as a committee or meeting secretary should the local area require it
• To provide senior administrative support and/or run a range of general and ad-hoc projects
• To build a network across King’s to secure information and commission services as required
• To lead the local area in the business support function’s efforts to ensure data integrity
• To ensure that local internet, intranet, and SharePoint pages are up to date
• To ensure electronic and manual filing systems are in compliance with GDPR
• To attend and contribute to Business Support Network meetings and share best practice and knowledge with other Business Support Teams across KCL
• To work flexibly as part of a team, supporting colleagues across the faculty and other functions in times of high-volume activity
• To write and develop guidance notes and processes on behalf of the function
• To continuously consider processes and procedures and identify service improvements and efficiencies

Finance

• To ensure compliance with King’s Financial Procedures
• To manage a range of procurement activities in accordance with King’s Financial Procedures
• To act as a local expert to service users on financial processes
• To coordinate budgets and expenditure, identify efficiencies and follow-up action
• To oversee local financial audits and the correct allocation and management of budgets
• To liaise with KCL accountants relating to auditing processes and budget management
• To manage assets and inventory, ensuring effective reporting and monitoring
• Human Resources
• To coordinate and lead local administrative support for HR processes, including recruitment, probation, promotion, appraisals, and recognition pay
• To coordinate the visiting staff process, onboarding and offboarding, mandatory training for all staff and GTA management as required, ensuring the correct application of procedures and compliance
• To liaise with HR, provide guidance and signpost to further information and support as required

Space

• To coordinate local space and infrastructure matters, managing estates issue resolution, and maintaining information for reporting purposes
• To manage activity to ensure that local stakeholders have the appropriate space and equipment needed in accordance with their roles

Health & Safety

• To act as a Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessor
• To act as an Evacuation Marshal
• To ensure sufficient provision of marshals and first aiders in the relevant locality
• To liaise with Estates and Facilities, Health and Safety Services etc. as necessary
• To coordinate general administrative support for health and safety
• To coordinate general administrative support for business continuity and risk management

Other

• To undertake line management duties (as required)
• To undertake any other duties that might reasonably be required

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria

1.       Excellent IT skills, covering Microsoft 365 (including Office) and data management 

2.       Excellent written and spoken communication skills, with a high standard of English 

3.       Strong interpersonal skills, ability to interact with a wide variety of people in a professional and assured manner 

4.       Strong organisational and time management skills with the ability to multi-task and balance competing priorities in a busy, pressured work environment 

5.       Ability to work with and manipulate data 

6.       Strong attention to detail and high degree of accuracy 

7.       Experience of office administration and management 

8.       Experience of running budgetary and financial processes 

9.       Experience of committee support 

10.     Experience of HR activity, including recruitment 

11.     Experience of supporting process and system change 

12.     Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion 

Desirable criteria

1.      Educated to degree level or equivalent 

2.      Experience in Higher Education environment