Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Professional Services team in the School of Basic and Medical Bioscience at King’s College London. We are seeking to appoint an experienced and highly motivated administrator to provide support to the School and specific support to Centre for Human & Applied Physiological Sciences (CHAPS) and Head of Department.

The post holder will be based at Guy’s Campus and work closely with the Head of Dept, as part of the School Core Team to provide efficient operational support to staff and students in the Department, acting as first point of contact on research administration and HR enquiries. . The post holder will work closely with colleagues to provide high quality general administrative support to the Department/School, as required. They will support HR processes at every stage of the employee lifecycle and research administration through the whole life cycle of research grants (from application to closure, pre- and post-award). They will support research and non-research financial transactions within the Department, monitoring budgets and processing invoices and expense claims, and support other school/department-wide projects as required.

This role is highly varied and will suit a candidate with excellent organisational skills who can work accurately, with close attention to detail in a busy environment with tight deadlines. They will have excellent communication skills and be able to develop good working relationships with the School’s academics and researchers as well as colleagues across the University

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a part-time post - 60% full time equivalent. (21 hours a week)

Following the training period, this post is available as a hybrid working post or with flexible working in agreement with the line manager.

Key responsibilities 

• Work closely with the School’s core team and other Professional Services staff in the Department, to provide local support for research grant applications, post-award management, local staff and student recruitment campaigns, processing claims and invoices and provide support to department for HR and finance operations.  
• Provide day-to-day support for operations activities in Centre for Human and Applied Physiological Sciences
• Provide diary management and administrative support to HoD
• provide advice and guidance and, where appropriate, training on university policies, processes and where required, source information and support for colleagues to facilitate their work
• To build and maintain effective relationships with academic and professional services staff across the college, acting as first point of contact for both department staff and colleagues in central directorates, including by participating in college networks
• To use and support the departmental and university electronic record systems, ensuring data are accurate and consistent across all data sources, responding to information requests from staff and central functions, being mindful of data protection  
• To provide advice, guidance and, where appropriate, training on university policies and processes across all operations, sourcing information for colleagues to facilitate their work
• To monitor and manage the employee lifecycle (for example recruitment, induction, probation, appraisals) and process all HR transactions (contract extensions, contract variations, end of contract, resignations)
• To support Department staff with all tasks that span through the lifecycle of a Research Grant (Pre-award and post-award)
• To administer financial transactions (including purchase orders, invoices, sales invoices, expense claims, journals) and monitoring non-pay and research award budgets
• Support PGR finance, liaising with the Operations Officer (education) where appropriate 
• To deputise for the School HR & Finance Manager and School Research Manager where appropriate
• To maintain shared departmental resources, including stationery and other supplies and equipment such as printers
• To take responsibility for planning and organising events/ functions and projects, including planning and organising visits by external/international delegates across the department.
• To prepare and support departmental meetings, boards, and committees, including the coordination and distribution of papers, organising events and taking notes or minutes, as 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. Educated to degree level or relevant experience
2. Experience of a wide range of administration processes including HR and/or grant research management
3. Highly numerate with proven financial management and analytical skills
4. Excellent verbal and written
5.  communication skills with experience of building an effective network across a complex organisation
6. Experience and good knowledge of using complex databases, management information systems and Excel
7. Experience of managing complex financial information
8. Accuracy and attention to detail with ability to maintain confidentiality
9. Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment, multitask and deal with competing demands.
10. Excellent data management and document control skills
11. Experience of diary management

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of working in a higher education institute or research environment
2. Experience of managing research grants and/or university finance and an understanding of the HE funding environment
3. Experience of implementing Human Resources processes
4. Experience of Committee servicing, events organisation  

Further information

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible

Applications from qualified candidates wishing will be considered.

About the Faculty: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/index.aspx

About the School Basic and Medical Biosciences: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/schools#bmb