Senior Science Support Administrator

Salary - £30,684 to £32,563
Hybrid working (50/50)
Based in Lancaster
Fixed Term 7-months Maternity cover
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we find the right candidate, so we encourage you to apply early.

UKCEH is seeking an experienced Senior Science Support Administrator on a Maternity cover basis to join our Environmental Pressures and Responses Science Area team.

At UKCEH, you’ll be part of a talented and dedicated team contributing to scientific discovery. We are looking for a proactive and collaborative administrator with experience supporting senior management. You should be someone who builds strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. If you are adaptable, have a positive attitude, and are confident managing a variety of responsibilities, we’d love to hear from you! You’ll be joining a friendly and supportive team committed to making a real difference in environmental science.

Your main responsibilities will include:

1. General administrative support e.g. general enquiries, mail, email, photocopying, filing, archiving, populating corporate databases, maintaining intranet/SharePoint pages
2. Coordinating events/meeting arrangements (on-site or at external locations)
3. Liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, including devolved/UK/International governments
4. Organising UK and international travel arrangements
5. Assisting with preparing/submitting expense claims
6. Collating/maintaining Science Area documentation and dissemination of corporate information
7. Providing project management support and secretarial duties for committee meetings, with occasional minute taking
8. Providing support to Group Leaders and the wider science team
9. Personnel administration – supporting managers with coordinating arrangements for interviews and local inductions, maintaining local records of staffing changes
10. Organising events on site/other UKCEH sites/external venues, working collaboratively with our Workplace Team, IT Team, other support staff: including setting up meeting rooms, refreshments, tele/video conferencing facilities, and coordinating visitor arrangements etc.
11. Supporting staff to book unusual/complex travel arrangements using our travel management system (training will be given)
12. Procurement and managing a corporate credit card, for agreed science area spend

For the role of Senior Science Support Administrator, we’re looking for somebody who:

1. Has 5 GCSEs at A-C (7-9) including Mathematics and English language (or equivalent experience)
2. Understands Data Protection - Experience working with a high volume of sensitive/confidential data with attention to detail and accuracy
3. Has enthusiasm and ability to work as part of a dynamic team, participating actively in cross site networking meetings
4. Is a confident and professional communicator, building good working relationships across a range of stakeholders, with good negotiating and networking skills
5. Has excellent organisational and time management skills
6. Is flexible - a willingness to take on a variety of tasks, commensurate with the grade
7. Has the ability to signpost staff to appropriate guidance/processes, a willingness to train staff on company systems and processes
8. Has proven ability and aptitude to learn new systems and processes and to feed into continuous improvement
9. Is dedicated to delivering quality support

You’ll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute that’s committed to recruiting talented people like you, progressing your career and giving you the support you need to thrive at UKCEH.

Our science makes a real difference, enabling people and the environment to prosper, and enriching society. We are the custodians of a wealth of environmental data, collected by UKCEH and its predecessors over the course of more than 60 years.

Working for UKCEH is rewarding

We appreciate the continuous dedication and contributions of our staff, which is why we provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes financial incentives and wellbeing-oriented perks, such as:

• 27 days annual leave (rising to 29 days after 5 years’ service) plus 3 days for Christmas closure
• 10% employer pension contribution
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (role dependant)
• Peer reward and recognition scheme
• Dental insurance, gym/fitness discounts, retail discount portal
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• 24-hour, 365-day support with physical, mental, social, health or financial issues and much more...

Apply today!

If this opportunity resonates with you and aligns with your personal career goals, the team would love to receive your application. Please apply by submitting your CV along with a covering letter that highlights any qualifications, skills or experience you believe are relevant to this role.

At UKCEH, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone—regardless of background, identity, ability, or circumstance—has the opportunity to thrive. As a Disability Confident employer, we actively encourage applications from neurodivergent candidates and those with disabilities. We are happy to provide any adjustments or support you may need throughout the application process—please don’t hesitate to reach out. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we’d love to hear from you anyway. You may be just the right fit for this role or another within our wider team.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role.