Business Support Officer

Chilton (Didcot), Oxfordshire

Job Summary

The ARSAC Support Unit provides administrative support to the Department of Health and Social Care’s Administration of Radioactive Substance Advisory Committee (ARSAC).

The ARSAC Support Unit processes applications for licences under IR(ME)R 2017 to allow the safe and legal administration of radioactive substances to patients for diagnosis, therapy or research. The post holder will be responsible for a range of administrative tasks to support the application process.

As a key member of the ARSAC Support Unit, you’ll handle crucial administrative duties that enable the lawful use of these substances in diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Working for your organisation

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.

Your Impact:

Your meticulous attention to detail and proactive communication will ensure that healthcare professionals receive the support they need to advance patient care through innovative research, therapies, and diagnostic imaging.

We’re looking for someone with a commitment to excellence and a desire to make a difference in the healthcare sector. If that’s you, apply to become the backbone of our application process at the ARSAC Support Unit.

Key Responsibilities:

• Efficiently process authorisation applications under IR(ME)R 2017.
• Perform diverse administrative tasks to aid the application workflow.
• Act as the first point of contact for applicants, providing timely updates and guidance.
• Provide comprehensive administrative support to ARSAC and departmental teams.
• Lead and act as a central coordinating point of contact for a range of business administration activities, including compiling and updating health and safety risk assessments or reporting of sickness absence and preparing and submitting returns on behalf of the team as required.
• Responsible for the organisation of meetings and events and production of reports, papers, minutes and updating action logs as required.
• Contribute to effective information management (including maintaining administrative and information resources, i.e. filing systems) 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.
• Undertake project support in the absence of a dedicated project support role, responding to information requests and other tasks which will involve meeting tight deadlines.
• Identify and prioritise urgent tasks e.g. particular patient licences and respond appropriately in a timely manner.
• Be a visible, positive and competent role model and motivator, and provide training, advice and support in own area of responsibility.
• Develop effective working relationships and communicate regularly either by phone, email or face to face with a wide range of individuals including clinical and non-clinical staff, scientists, support staff, managers and corporate team staff.
• Undergo a programme of on-going development and education, including the annual appraisal process, to build on existing knowledge and develop skills to meet the behaviours and competencies required to undertake the role.

Please see the job description for the full list of duties and responsibilities.

Person specification

• 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.
• Educated to degree level in a related Business subject/NVQ level 6 in relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification and/or equivalent experience.
• Experienced in the use of systems to order goods and services and an understanding of relevant policies and procedures.
• IT skills and advanced Microsoft Office experience, including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint.

Alongside your salary of £29,109, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,432 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%.

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 6 Essential Criteria That Have Been Selected From The Job Description, And This Will Be In The Form Of:

• an application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application).
• a 750 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

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.

Please note only those applications meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Significant administrative/ secretarial experience including developing, implementing and maintaining office systems and handling sensitive information.
• Experienced at working under pressure handling multiple tasks and prioritising own workload.

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

Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a remote interview.

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

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 offices in Chilton (Didcot), Oxfordshire. 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 in Chilton.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter Terrorist Check clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check clearance.

UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

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.

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.

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 here.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard 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)
• 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 can be found here.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact :

• Name : Jon Payne
• Email : jonathan.payne@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : jonathan.payne@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information can be found here.